“I have gained so much confidence and a love for life.”
Jessica put on weight throughout her pregnancies, and quickly found herself becoming apathetic about what she was putting into her body. After looking at photos where she barely recognised herself, and realising she had to buy men’s XL ski pants, Jessica made the decision to try the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet. She says the program’s tools were critical to her success and without them, she wouldn't be telling us this story.
Name: Jessica
Starting Weight: 87.7 kg
Current Weight: 66.7 kg
Total Loss: 21 kg
* In 1 year. Individual results may vary.
Jessica's Story
Describe your life and mindset before joining the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet.
I put on weight during my pregnancies and struggled to lose it. Once I finished having children, I found I would eat anything and everything and when I started to put on weight, I lost confidence very quickly. I didn’t want to wear swimmers to go swimming with my kids. I would hide behind large clothes.
I was overeating and not well educated about balanced diets. I did try different ways of living at home, but I never seemed to get the balance right and when I tried to diet I would be starving and fail very quickly.
What was your moment of truth that made you want to lose weight?
It was a trip to the snow with my kids in July 2021. I had to buy snow gear from Aldi, but the ladies’ pants wouldn’t fit me, so I had to buy men’s XL and still they were tight.
I hated the way I looked in photos and I felt very embarrassed. I said to my husband that I needed and wanted to change.
How has your health and mindset changed since losing the weight?
My life has change dramatically from before. The way I looked at food completely changed, what I thought was healthy wasn’t always true. I started to enjoy healthier meals and valued the importance of fresh produce. Vegetables are my best friend!
Eating healthily definitely led me to wanting to exercise and making exercise goals for myself. I like walking and make it an important part of my daily life. Before the Total Wellbeing Diet, I could only walk a few kilometres a day but now I enjoy walking long distances and setting new challenges for myself.
I recently completed a 35 km walk which I have never done before and would have found way too hard before. I am excited and motivated for exercise and love my new life. I am going to start doing Parkruns and I’m looking at more long-distance walks/runs. The recent 35 km walk was amazing, and I would love to do more in the future.
I have gained so much confidence and a love for life. My children can wrap their little arms around me and give me a huge hug.
What was it about the Total Wellbeing Diet’s tools that worked for you?
The most important tools for me were the Food Tracker and the Facebook member group. Without these tools I don’t think I would be telling my success story. I am so grateful for the help and support I needed to change my life.
I used the tracker daily and this helped me be mindful of what was going in my mouth and make good choices around my food. I don’t think the program would have worked for me if I didn’t use the tracker.
The Facebook community were, and still are, an amazing group of people that are so helpful and supportive. I could ask them questions when I was starting out about how to use the program tools, or food choices and someone would always be there to help me along the way. I could share success moments with them, and everyone was always amazing and caring. The support group are people who know exactly what you’re going through and I am so grateful for the help I have received.
Related: Learn more about our online program tools.
Jessica's day on a plate
Breakfast: Berry granola bircher and a cup of tea
Lunch: Vegetable soup, sandwich thins with margarine + 2 eggs with mayo
Snack: Cheese, with fruit and crackers
Dinner: Protein and veggies
Dessert: Tea, crackers and fruit
