"I buy size 14 trousers! I haven’t bought that size since I was 18!"
For Leah, a combination of high GI foods and changes to her regular exercise regime saw her experience creeping weight gain.
By the time she hit 40, she finally realised her lifestyle habits were contributing to weight gain that she needed to make a drastic change.
Also part of the motivation to lose weight was the onset of osteoarthritis, high cholesterol and a family history of chronic heart disease.
"There was one night where I was due to go out with my husband to a cocktail party, I tried on my cocktail dress and I looked like this bulging sack of potatoes,” Leah says.
“I would do certain exercises in the gym, such as running and squats, but my knees would just hurt too much. I started to do more low impact exercise but the results just weren’t the same.”
Joining the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet
Leah joined the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet because of her GP. “I did some research and looked at a number of different programs, and then when I spoke to my GP about my weight she suggested the CSIRO diet. So I looked into it, liked the sound of it, and signed up within the week! It seemed like a good fit,” she says.
Once Leah started eating the right carbs and incorporating low GI foods to her diet, she saw the weight fall off.
“Before I started the diet, I thought I ate really healthily but I realised I was eating really high GI carbs such as white rice, pasta, potatoes and bread.”
Now, eating low GI foods that won’t spike her blood sugar levels or make her feel hungry has become a daily habit. “Having low GI foods and having it balanced with lots of protein, vegetables and some fruit seems so obvious to me now that I should have done that ages ago.”
A new lifestyle
Besides learning about what type of foods to eat for weight loss, Leah engages in a variety of different physical activities such as swimming, cycling and weight training.
“A typical day consists of fresh fruit, vegetable, lean protein and low GI carbs combined with a trip to the gym or brisk walk during lunchtime,” she says.
Being on The Total Wellbeing diet has also kept Leah accountable. “I like using the diary, the tracker, the recipes and the food database. The tracker keeps me honest and I like to see the graph of my weight and its gradual decline over time.”
Dropped to size 14
While Leah aims to drop 6kg more and become more toned, she is amazed at the results.
Now that I’ve lost 20kg*, I can’t quite believe it. I can try on clothes that fit normal people. I buy size 14 trousers! I haven’t bought that size since I was 18,” she says.
*In 6 months. Individual results may vary.
She also feels empowered to make healthier choices, enjoys a glass of wine only on the weekend and isn’t craving high GI foods.
“I feel amazing; physically and mentally. And I feel healthier. I will return to my GP, have my cholesterol check again and hopefully it will have returned to normal levels.”
Leah's weight loss tips
- Follow the program. I know it sounds obvious, but if you stick to the plan you’ll get results.
- Take advantage of the information and resources on the website. There’s so much you can educate yourself on, especially nutrition.
*Individual results may vary
