It's never too late to try new food groups

Semi-retired Patrick carried his weight of 122.2 kg on a tall frame. Well known among friends and family as a food challenge champion, he was capable of eating large portions in one sitting.

Patrick even held the astonishing personal best record of eating 10 Big Macs with fries and soda at once.

I once ate two family size pan pizzas and then had a full meal.

The mirror's truth

After Patrick quit smoking his weight gradually began to climb over a ten to fifteen year period. His major downfall were high fat and savoury foods - in large portions.

After a particularly food-filled Christmas, Patrick caught his silhouette in the mirror.

He was unimpressed by what he saw. He also noticed his clothing wasn't fitting the way it once did and the sizes getting larger and larger. 

"Being a tall person with a big frame, my weight hadn't particularly bothered me. But I noted that I was regularly getting larger sizes - up to a 4XL."

"After my epiphany in the bathroom, I looked into the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet having seen it on Facebook. It was scientifically grounded so I decided to give it a go." 

Introducing food groups

With the support of his fiancé Patrick began the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet with an open mind. He soon realised that the program was more of a lifestyle change than a diet.

Finding himself trying new foods and enjoying them, Patrick was excited by the delicious menu plans that encouraged him to expand his palate to food groups he otherwise might not have tried. This helped Patrick lose a total of 24.4 kg*.

"I was certainly introduced to food groups I had never considered previously. I took to reading food labels carefully and really enjoyed the recipes - especially the breakfast smoothies."
 

Want to try the same smoothie recipe? Check our our banana, tofu and peanut butter smoothie here!

*In 5 months. Individual results may vary.

Long walks on the beach

As the program went on Patrick began to apply the principles of the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet further. Taking up daily walks on the beach, even though he wasn't the worlds biggest fan of everyday exercise. 

Starting off small, completing 2-2.5 km with his dogs, Patrick was on his way to success. Eventually he was walking 5 km every morning without fail. 

I'm not a great exerciser! I had previously tried a gym, but it wasn't for me. I opted for natural resources instead. Having two dogs that required exercise and living 300m from the beach made the decision easy. So off I went!

What the future holds

With a small setback during the cooler months (like most of us, Patrick enjoys a warm bed to a brisk walk in the morning) Patrick is positive that, with perseverance and the onset of the warmer months, he will be continuing his journey. 

I aim to get rid of the last few kilograms of stubborn belly fat and reaching my personal goal of achieving my optimum BMI. I would definitely recommend the Total Wellbeing Diet - and have done, with two friends now on the program too - and cannot see myself returning to my old weight and habits.

Want to know your BMI? Check it out here with our easy BMI Calculator

Warm wishes

This is a lifestyle change, not a diet. It requires you to change how you think about food and exercise, in order to achieve better overall health. 

I hope that anyone reading this takes heart from it and realises that good health and fitness is just a mental decision away and gives this great lifestyle change a go.