From grandkids to grand goals: How Jayne transformed her life

When Jayne’s daughter announced her pregnancy… she knew something had to change for the sake of her grandkids.

At 117 kg, Jayne had no energy, a body riddled with aches and pains, and reflux. Mentally, she was unhappy and hated looking at her reflection, or herself in photos. Years of poor eating habits - snacking too much on processed foods and eating fast food rather than nutritious meals - had finally caught up. 

To change her life, Jayne turned to a program that would empower and support her to build healthier habits around food: the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet.  

These days, Jayne feels like a whole new person, mentally and physically. Her daughter has since had another child, and her husband also lost 30 kg on the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet - meaning they can tackle the playgrounds with their grandkids as a team! 

Name: Jayne
Starting Weight: 117 kg
Current Weight: 95 kg
Total Loss: 21.5 kg

*Lost in 8 months. Individual results may vary. 

Jayne’s weight loss journey…

Describe your life before the weight loss.

Our daughter announced she was pregnant with our first grandchild – we were thrilled. Then I was worried about being overweight and being able to play on the floor or have the stamina to play at the park. I had no energy and a sore body with aches and pains, reflux! So much happening and I was only 51 years old! We contemplated surgery and had added the cover to our health insurance.

We had a friend lose weight with diet and exercise and thought we owed it to ourselves to try again. I know one of the people in a TV commercial for CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet (Kayleen) and I reached out to her to ask about it.  

What were your eating and exercise habits before the weight loss?  

We were snackers, chips, chocolate etc. I loved fast food and we didn’t eat very healthily. Also I didn’t exercise at all…I don’t drink, so that was handy, but we were not eating well. I felt unhappy with myself and my life, I was unmotivated and knew something had to be done. 

What was ‘your moment of truth’ that made you decide you finally had to lose the weight? Your aha! Moment? 

Our daughter announcing her pregnancy – a need to be healthy for that, contemplating our longevity and lifestyle choices.

Have you tried other diets in the past and why did you choose the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet? 

I’ve probably done them all but I like food too much. Speaking to Kayleen and seeing how amazing she did on the program, I felt inspired, and being able to talk to her before signing up was really useful. I like the idea of choosing menus and meal plans to suit the food I like. 

Describe a typical day now in terms of what you eat  as well as exercise?  

I have a shake for breakfast, I enjoy salad wraps for lunch (buffalo chicken wraps), lots of fruit and crudites when I’m hungry in between. I like stir-fry and steak and vegetable or chicken for dinner – one pan fajita chicken bake, roast herbed chicken and veg. I do aqua aerobics twice a week and I have a personal trainer now and I walk in between. 

Describe how your life has changed since losing the weight? Are there any activities you do now that you never thought you would be able to do before? 

I have more energy and my health is great, no more reflux!  No more aches and pains when I get up off the couch!  We went to New Zealand and did so much walking, we never would’ve done that before!  I can also buy clothes in any shop now – this is great, but dangerous!

Did you overcome any health ailments after the weight loss?  

The reflux is gone! 

Do you have any goals and aspirations for the future? 

I’d like to lose a further 10 kg! 

What is the biggest lesson/s you have learnt from the whole journey? 

Portion control, eating healthy, dieting doesn’t mean missing out. I was also attracted to the program’s grounding in science and the tracking tools gave me the support I needed in gaining clarity around, and finally changing our unhealthy eating habits.  

The menu plans gave us the autonomy to work with the foods we enjoy too!  

What advice do you have for others trying to lose the weight? 

Plan, prepare and read… use the tracker! 

What is your #1 healthy eating habit? 

Eating more fruit and vegetables. 

And what’s your #1 unhealthy eating habit, the one you need a little help in improving? 

Chocolate – I get such a craving and I eat when I’m bored…dangerous!  

What is your #1 tip for building healthier eating habits?  

Lean on tools to set yourself up for success. Get curious about why your eating habits are the way they are and know that any habit can be changed! If I can do it, anyone can!

Has using the app in the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet helped you track your habits, food, weight, meal plans or physical activity? 

I love the app, it’s excellent to track and plan – I use all parts of it – my apple watch is synced to it, so it tracks my activity automatically. 

Has doing the Healthy Habits Quiz, helped you become more aware of your eating habit/s and changed your behaviour/s?  

Absolutely! Learning that I eat when I’m bored helped me identify when I’m turning to food out of boredom, or if I’m actually hungry. Plus you forget what you eat – tracking it makes you accountable – it’s all there in black and white – nothing to hide.

Are you trying to lose weight? Read our comprehensive guide on weight loss to understand where to begin, what happens when you lose weight and what doesn't work when it comes to dieting.