Mark went from burned out to a new lease on life

Like many people, Mark gained weight gradually as a result of overeating. 

His work life was extremely hectic, so he started using junk food as a form of comfort and release and before he knew it, his weight has spiralled. 

“I was the Incident Manager for a financial organisation, which required me to be on call, work long hours and deal with management and support. I had the added stress of being a gay male in a straight male environment. I couldn’t be myself and that added to my insecurities.”

“It burnt me out”.

Big men's clothing

As his weight grew, Mark’s self confidence dropped, and he started to feel embarrassed about the fact that the only clothing store he could shop from was 'Johnny Biggs'.

“Male clothing stops at 2XL so you’re really limited in what you can buy. At social occasions you can never wear anything that is on trend - you’re stuck wearing polo shirts and jeans and most of your clothes are all the same.”

“I was also embarrassed about going into a large person’s store and then walking around the shopping centre with their bag.”

The wake up call

It wasn’t until Mark underwent a physical for his life insurance policy that he realised his weight actually needed addressing.

“I knew I was heavy,” admitted Mark. “But when the scales showed 113 kg - that was a shock.”

“The insurance company didn’t say anything, but they would only insure me for a lesser amount or increase my premiums.”

Worried about his health and the prospect of developing diabetes, Mark decided to join the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet.

The turning point

Mark set himself a goal weight, used the online food database to make educated food decisions, cut back his alcohol intake, leaned on the Facebook Group for support and before he knew it, the weight began to fall off.

Now, 8 months later, Mark has lost 40 kg* and gained a new lease on life.

*Individual results may vary.

“I feel great. Since the weight loss, I can fit into clothing I never believed I could have worn. I don't run out of breath and I feel mentally fine. I still have some insecurities but that will take time to overcome. I now wear the same size clothing as my partner and I am back to the weight I was when we first met over 10 years ago.”

Health fund rebate

Many of our members join the Total Wellbeing Diet with the intention of receiving a refund at the end of their 12 weeks, but Mark decided to go a different route.

He reached out to his health fund, CBHS, and through them, was able to claim back a $100 rebate.

If you are interested in finding out more about health fund rebates, click here.

RELATED: Learn more about our health condition-specific weight loss programs