I was
113.4kg after Mia was born in November 2006.
Our little family
was complete – it was time to finally shed ALL this excess weight & find
myself again…
Ben loved to cook & I loved to eat!
He would lovingly prepare a scrumptious meal from one of the lovely cookbooks we had (Jamie Oliver was a favourite!) & we would demolish enough for four people!
So over the
next 12 months we reduced the size of our portions & started walking – we
both lost 20kg!
Cracking the 100kg mark was a MASSIVE milestone for me.
I am 99kg in this photo with Logan -
riding the dodgems at the Hay Show.
Finally in double digits…
riding the dodgems at the Hay Show.
Finally in double digits…
This is our
first family photo – it is one of my absolute favourite pictures!
I’d lost
20kg, I felt fantastic & then we moved…
We left Hay
& moved to Brisbane - it was January 2008. Mia was just over 12 months old
& Logan was almost 3.
I was 93kg.
I felt
certain that I could continue to lose the weight but once we’d moved I became withdrawn
& very, very sad.
Leaving that beautiful little town that had been my home
for 4 years was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.
Our first home
together was there, we’d had both our babies there, and I had changed my life
there!
Leaving filled me with sadness & a longing for the beautiful life I
had had – I felt like I'd lost my safe haven…
I remember
sitting in the corner of our new home crying, thinking ‘I just want to go home’
But I was home & I realised that I could continue being sad or I could
choose to appreciate all that I had.
I had two beautiful babies & THE most
wonderful husband…
For the next
year I managed to maintain my weight at 93kg.
This was a HUGE achievement for
me,
after all I didn’t have a good track record…
I was good at losing weight but
I was even better at FINDING IT!
It was
January 2009 when I decided that I needed help to lose the next 20kilos.
I joined
Weight Watchers, for what I was determined would be, the FINAL time!
I needed support,
I needed to be accountable & I needed a program that was based on REAL food…
In June 2009
we moved again, this time heading further north to the beautiful Whitsundays.
My Weight
Watchers journey certainly wasn’t all smooth sailing!
In fact by the end of my
first year with Weight Watchers I had lost 5kg!
Yep, that’s right a whole big, whopping
5kilos!
Whoopty doo!
I took
responsibility for it though, I knew I wasn’t committed to making the changes
that needed to be made.
I showed up every week but I wasn’t ‘SHOWING UP’.
I
made excuses - my heads not in the right place,
I’m tired, I’m too busy…
I discussed
with Ben my plan to quit Weight Watchers.
I felt that I was wasting my time
& our money – we were a single income family as we had chosen for me to be home
with the children while they were young…
The words
that came out of Ben’s mouth during that discussion changed my life!
I know that I wouldn’t be sitting here now, at my ideal weight, without
him - I owe him so much…
Ben has been
one of my greatest motivators on this journey.
He has loved & supported me
every step of the way.
I’m sure that if I’d told him I needed to go to the
moon, he’d have found a way to get me there!
But that day he said ‘if you
hadn’t been going to Weight Watchers you might have gained 5kgs & then you’d
be 10kg heavier than you are now. Keep going, I know you can do it.’
He made me
realise that 5kgs is 5kgs!
And that progress is progress!
Not fast progress but
progress all the same!
This was exactly
what I needed to remind me to focus on what I HAD achieved & not what was still
to be achieved…
Two things
happened in 2010 that changed everything for me!
Tune in next time to find out
how I lost the next 20 kilos...
Toni
What an amazing journey for an amazing woman! You both look happier and healthier than ever before. So proud of you both.
ReplyDeleteHow wise is your husband, what a rock he is :-)
ReplyDeleteOh Toni what a gift it is to all that you share your journey with all! Your story is real and raw and written with heart and soul and truth. You ARE an inspiration to many and give all struggling to reach a healthy weight/lifestyle HOPE and motivation that they to have a choice and no one else can take that first step forward but them. I look forward to reading more about you and your amazing transformation to a healthy balance lifestyle. Might I say you look so healthy and Happy a true roll model for your children and all!! It must be extra special to share this journey with your soulmate, best friend Ben. It makes me smile within to hear of his constant support! Blessings and keep sending out the message I have no doubt people will be lining up wanting your guidance because you have lived it and transformed yourself, your body, mind and spirit from what I can see. Congratulation on making such great choices it takes courage and strength and determination to reach such goals that you have achieved. Blessings to you and your adorable family. Much Love and Peace, Areti Le Sueur.
ReplyDelete