For Ray the most life-changing benefits were beyond the number on the scales!

Ray lost more than 50 kg in just nine months with the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet but the most life-changing benefits, he says, can’t be measured by the scales.

“I feel like a teenager,” Ray says. “There is no downside. Life is next-level-amazing now that I can do things like a 20 year old again.”

Name: Ray
Starting Weight: 140.9 kg
Current Weight: 90.5 kg
Total Loss: 50 kg*

*Lost in 9 months. Individual results may vary. 

Losing the weight

Describe your life before the weight loss.

Lack of activity and enjoying food and beer far too much led my weight to increase from 115 kg, to 141 kg in a couple of years, and it was continuing to go up,” he says.

Bakery visits had become a near-daily habit, and he had swapped long bike rides for the occasional walk with his fit, fast-paced wife - a pace he struggled to keep. “I hated walking up hills. I would huff and puff a lot and she would have to wait for me all the time. Getting up off the floor was also a tough ask.”

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

Ray's “moment of truth” came in small but telling ways: struggling to get out of his camping swag without leaning on his car or a pole, wondering if his declining mobility was simply “normal aging,” and realising he could no longer keep up with friends on rides. “I knew I was big, but it's amazing that there is no real way to tell how big you are. You feel and look normal to yourself in pictures, and it's not as obvious that it's as big an issue till you see the difference side by side.”

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

Ray had tried the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet years earlier in book form, losing 20 kg before old habits took hold again. This time, the online program’s structure, tracking tools and meal plans proved transformative. “Tracking is the main thing I think that helped me to stay on course. Plus, seeing others who had success was also important - the other members have certainly been inspirational.”

Gaining life

Did you overcome any health ailments after the weight loss?

His resting heart rate has dropped from 70 to around 40, his VO₂ max has gone from “poor” to “high,” his sleep apnoea has virtually disappeared, and the knee pain that once held him back is gone.

Describe a typical day now in terms of what you eat (including favourite breakfast, lunch and dinner recipe from the program) as well as exercise?

I do have a couple of staples. Poached eggs on muffins with Philly Cheese and Spinach is my go to from the program for brekky, and I always look for yoghurt with fruit and low sugar granola each day to get my dairy.

Middle of the day lunches when I have a recovery day generally consist of a healthy salad with macadamia oil dressing and some protein, either fish or chicken, snacks are based around carrots, Vita wheats are my go to, and I still do go to the bakeries from time to time, but go for a chicken and salad roll rather than a pie n pastie, but I do still have the odd sausage roll.

Instead of handfuls of cashews, I will now get a few handfuls of mixed nuts every now and then as a treat, and almost never eat chocolate or lollies, which is a huge change from the 2 plus blocks of chokkie I used to eat each week. 

Exercise wise, I do push ups every morning, regular yoga and foundation strength training a couple of days a week, and I ride, a lot. I make time to exercise, and its penciled into every day. The exercise isn’t the reason I lost weight, but it's an outcome of losing the weight and helping me to stay at a healthy weight.

Describe how your life has changed since losing the weight?

Today, Ray’s daily routine looks worlds away from the man who avoided hills. He rides up to 250 kms a week, trains for mountain bike marathons and races at a higher category than ever before. “Increased mobility has been a major outcome from losing the weight, and the increased exercise and better food habits have helped me to stay at a healthy weight.”

Hmm where do I start! I can walk up any hill without stressing my body too much. Late last year we walked up Mt Buffalo in Victoria, and the only health issue I experienced was blisters from new hiking boots. I ride my bike, and love it. I'm riding on my own and with groups. I've returned to racing my mountain bike, and my road bike, I'm one of the stronger riders in my groups, when previously I would have had to ride with the slower riding groups. The racing side of things I've improved the category level I'm racing in and have never been fitter. I've entered a number of significant events over the next year to keep me motivated and just love being fit.

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

I didn’t understand just how overweight I was. Looking back now it's hugely obvious. There is no downside!! Life is next level amazing now that I can do things like a 20 year old again. Understanding that it's not just “I'm getting old” is a big one, the work to get fit and lose the weight is tiny compared to the benefits of it.

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

Stop putting it off, find something that motivates you to keep going and use the resources. There are some awesome people on the FB community page, don't be afraid to post your wins and your woes, even if anonymously!

What are your top 3 reasons why the Total Wellbeing Diet worked for you?  

• Discipline I would say this is the MOST important bit
• Motivation, find your buttons
• Don’t sweat the failures, BUT make sure you use them to learn, and get back on track. A days failure is a learning experience, don’t beat yourself up, just recover and get going again.

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.