Lyn took back control of her diet

Lyn has struggled with her weight for as long as she can remember, but she attributes a lot of her weight gain in recent years to the insidious combination of a tendency to eat when stressed and a stressful job.

As a Health Manager, there are components of her role that she little control over and to deal with these stressors Lyn would eat. Ultimately, these two problems adversely impacted on her health. 

"I was looking in the mirror and absolutely loathed what I saw. I just felt completely defeated and revolting and I was on the brink of having to go up another clothing size. I was a slug."

She tried several diets before finally finding success with the Total Wellbeing Diet resulting in a weight loss of 26 kg*. When she started the diet she was 82 kg - today she's 56 kg and at her goal weight.

*In 4 months. Individual results may vary. 

So how did Lyn do it?

Made the diet her own

First, the success she had with the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet was entirely her own. No meal replacements, no giving up entire food groups and no unsustainable exercise plans. All she needed was a good plan and a way to keep herself accountable.

The key was the online diary which Lyn quickly made a part of her daily habits. In fact, she loved it so much she stayed on as a member after reaching her goal weight.

"Personally, without question, the diary is invaluable. The diary is a daily reminder of how to stay on track. I have become very dependent on it," she says.

Took back control

Second, and perhaps most importantly, she took back control of her own diet. Lyn says it best herself:

"I could not - and still cannot - control my work life but the eating plan gave me a mechanism to be able to control something for myself. That sounds far more dramatic than it is intended too!"

"The menu plans give you a strategy for how to begin and ultimately continue your journey. At first, they save you from fumbling around and then losing interest because it ‘all becomes too hard’.  They also let you learn what your portion sizes look like."

Celebrated her success

Third, Lyn relished and celebrated her success. While she had plenty of moments of weakness, she knew that the overall effort she was putting in was working and worthwhile.

It's easy to overlook the importance of celebrating success. If you don't weigh yourself, you don't know how you're doing. Losing weight - any amount of weight - is a step towards better health.

"I have a real sense of achievement. I’m proud of myself, I feel good about myself. I have more energy. My clothes fit. I’m not so self-conscious about how I look."

"I have more confidence and this makes me more inclined to go out and to accept invitations. For example, I am going on a walking tour with friends through central Australia."