Centre: Mildura
Weight Loss: 59kg
Tell us a bit about you and what life was like before you joined Jenny Craig:
Life before Jenny Craig for me was very different to how it is now. I had a relatively sedentary lifestyle. I wasn’t a gym member. I didn’t play any sports. I had very limited knowledge about how eat across a day. I also had no understanding of portion control. Jenny Craig has given me the skills to build a meal (e.g. – adding salad and vegetables to my meals). At the beginning I was attending the gym twice weekly, now I am moving my body every day. I was time poor and couldn’t manage working full-time, exercising, socialising and meal preparation. I was trying to juggle everything and getting nowhere. I’d always wanted to lose weight, however everything I had tried previously had an end date. That’s what I love about Jenny Craig, no end date, just working towards your goals.
Why did you decide to join Jenny Craig?
I was completely helpless. I had been trying to lose weight for my entire adult life. I managed to write a list of 15 attempts of losing weight, trying various things. I didn’t know what to do or where to seek help. I began to realise as I got older that my health had to become a priority as I wasn’t always going to be healthy. My health is my big why. I had begun to have small health niggles and I knew that they would become big problems if I didn’t take control. After getting engaged in September 2019 a switch flicked in me, I was scrolling wedding dresses, and I realized that I wasn’t going to get to wear the dress I wanted to wear for my wedding. So, I made a commitment to myself to lose the weight, but I still didn’t know how.
I confided in a friend and she recommended that I try Jenny Craig. She’d done Jenny Craig herself, so she suggested going on the program because it worked for her, and it’s the best thing I’ve ever done.
That one conversation has completely changed my whole life.
Can you describe your experience on the Jenny Craig program?
It has been completely life changing. From the beginning I have found both the food and support to be outstanding. The combination of the two has been a formula for my success. My coach has given me all the knowledge I require and that teamed with delicious meals makes me look forward to each day.
In March 2020 we had to postpone our wedding due to COVID19, without Jenny Craig I wouldn’t have been able to maintain such a positive outlook. Jenny Craig gave me so many wonderful things to focus on during such a difficult time. I have been able to focus on my success and my weight loss achievements, rather than the things that weren’t going right. In the past I would have given up knowing that my wedding wasn’t to be for another year and a half, however the thought never crossed my mind.
I finally found what I had been searching for my entire adult life, the winning combination that would transform my life. I only wish that I had found Jenny Craig sooner.
Do you have any favourite items from the Jenny Craig menu?
So many! The menu is so incredibly diverse. I look forward to every single meal. My favourite food item on Jenny Craig is the chicken parmigiana. It’s just like going to the pub. I love that I don’t feel like I’m missing out. I still get to eat the things that I love.
The best thing about the Jenny Craig food is that the thinking’s done for you. If you follow the program correctly, you know you will lose weight. And that is such an exciting thing. Also, it is absolutely delicious, and there’s a whole range of food that keeps it exciting, and I’m always looking forward to my next meal.
Tell us about your Jenny Craig Coach?
My coach was absolutely incredible. She became more of a friend to me. She listens genuinely and is able to assist me whenever I have a question. Having her on this journey has been such an integral element to my success. She is the missing link in all my other failed attempts and part of the reason in my success. I didn’t even get to meet her in real life for 9 months, but that didn’t matter, I felt like I really did know her and that she had my back regardless. Knowing that she is going to call me for an update on a Monday keeps me completely accountable.
She has supported me every step of the way, every kilogram lost. She’s been my biggest supporter. She understands the program because she did the program herself, she taught me how to make the program work for my life, how to swap foods and given me motivation to continue, I love talking to her.
How do you feel now that you’ve lost the weight?
I feel absolutely unstoppable, there’s no going back. I’ve come way too far now. Through my Instagram account I have been able to inspire others and that is so heart-warming. I want to help others that have been through similar weight struggles as me and I love to show them just how terrific Jenny Craig is. My fitness has improved so much and I have now begun working towards running 5kms (something I never wanted to do before Jenny Craig). Now I have a very active lifestyle, my food is organized, so I know exactly what I’m going to do for the week. I have much more energy and drive to achieve in my day to day life. I find myself jumping out of the morning to get the day started.
How have your friends, or family, or work colleagues, have reacted to your weight loss?
My friends and family are so proud of me and that is just beautiful. They have been there for me every step of my journey. However, sometimes it’s acquaintances that don’t recognize me that make me realize just how far I’ve come.
Do you have a standout moment on the Jenny Craig program you’d like to share?
There are so many stand out moments, but nothing more incredible than being able to reflect on where I was at the beginning and where I am now.
I have broken my journey into smaller goals, I began with working towards losing 10kgs, then 20kgs, 30kgs, 40kgs, 50kgs and now I’m working towards 60kgs. Each block of 10kgs has been as momentous as the last, and each time I cannot believe how unreal it is to be where I am. I’m currently still living off the high of reaching 50kgs; a whole adult! It blows my own mind. Something I never dreamed possible. Along the way I have found so many non-scale victories to celebrate too, such as buying from regular shops, my towel wrapping around my body and being Member of the Month at my gym.
I never thought I’d be the one inspiring others and that people would be coming to me for weight loss advice or how to get started on their journey, and I never thought I’d be recommending Jenny Craig to anyone else when I got started but to anyone wanting to lose weight who aren’t sure how, I would say get on the phone, get on the internet, join Jenny Craig today. What are you waiting for? It’s the best thing you’ll ever do in your whole life. Jenny Craig has helped me so much.
