When Terry started the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet in 2018, he had joint pain, high blood pressure and a new pre-diabetes diagnosis. He was unfit – unable to walk 100 metres without feeling exhausted – and would worry about breaking chairs when he sat on them. Terry's mental health was also suffering before he joined the weight loss program, and he knew he needed to make a change.
Since he reached his weight loss goal in 2020, Terry has become one of CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet's most inspiring success stories, and it's not surprising to see why: Terry lost 100 kg* in two years, which was over 50 percent of his body weight!
This year, Terry is celebrating another huge milestone. In June 2022, he'll have maintained his 100 kg weight loss for two years! His amazing story goes to show that not only is a large weight loss possible, but achievable to maintain over time.
*Individual results may vary.
Read: How Terry lost over 50% of his body weight
Terry at the beginning of his weight loss journey, weighing 185 kilograms
Terry's climb to success
To celebrate this milestone, Terry achieved something he would never have thought possible four years ago – he climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge!
"After losing 100 kg in two years and keeping it off for nearly two years since, today I was 'On Top of the World'," says Terry. "Losing that weight has liberated me and given me my life back. I'm no longer behind the camera missing out on all the fun, I'm now living my best life, jumping in with enthusiasm, and living life to the fullest. My only regret... not starting earlier."
Terry's top three tips for weight maintenance
1. Keep it sustainable
"When it comes to my exercise and
meal plans, I chose what I knew would be sustainable to me. If I chose an exercise or diet regime that I couldn't commit to for life, I knew that I would eventually go back to old habits. And once I went back to old habits, I would go back to my old weight. This is why I chose to simply
walk for an hour each day and I created my own meal plans based on CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet guidelines. This has now transitioned into my new healthy lifestyle which I know I can commit to for life."
"We all lose focus and face challenges on our health journey. The most important thing I do when I 'fall off the wagon' is to go back to basics. I make sure I follow the core guidelines and use the online tools – I weigh everything, measure everything and track everything. I make sure I meet but don't exceed the daily food units (but I can go over my free Vegetables unit.) And, I
trust the science."
"
Meal prep was critical to my success along my weight loss journey and is also now critical to my continued success on maintenance. Like most people, I'm time poor, so I make time for my meal prep each weekend as I know I won't be able to find time to do it later. I spend the best part of a full day each weekend shopping and cooking my meals for the week ahead. This ensures I always have healthy pre-prepared meals on hand at all times."
Want to learn more about weight loss maintenance? Watch the Facebook Live session with CSIRO Total Wellbeing Dietitian Pennie McCoy:
