SO TRUE!
Swinging that Axe
In April 2010 I embarked on a Contiki tour in New Zealand with one of my best friends. It was a stack of fun and I enjoyed myself.
We arrived in Queenstown and there were plenty of things to do including bungy jumping and harness swings. I’ve always wanted to try these things and thought this was the best place to do it.
However, I then read the terms and conditions of the activities. There was a weight limit!!! So I weighed myself at the hotel and was mortified to find that I was well above the limits allowed to do these activities.
I had not weighed myself in months and was in denial with my weight issue and unhealthy lifestyle.
When I arrived back home I still did nothing about it. I then discovered I had a lower back injury and it took a toll on my work life. So much so in January 2011 I resigned from my job, which I loved.
By this time photos had been uploaded on to Facebook by me and my fellow Contiki pals. I could not believe how massive I looked in every photo. You’re in denial when you are as obese as I was. Then it clicked! I’m 26 and wasting my life away for quick fixes of junk food and fast food.
I want to do those bungy’s and high risk activities. Why was I letting my weight be the reason for not living life.
Step 1: Begin planning a trip to Queenstown, NZ for November 2011
Step 2: Clear out my entire friday and cupboard of every high fat, high sugar foods
Step 3: Do some intense investigation on how to make my favourite meals healthier
Step 4: Never use escalators, lifts again. Use the stairs
Step 5: Get a crazy personal trainer
So I began. I went cold turkey. No Maccas, HJ’s, KFC, Red Rooster. No chocolate, lollies, chips, ice cream.
It was very hard! My immune system struggled, my mood was crappy (my mother and brother can back that up) I craved the fat and sugar I had become dependant on. I saw no visible results at first. This made me want to give up and stop. Lucky for me I have a very supportive brother who kept me in check. I knew this full on 7 day a week cold turkey business wouldn’t work. So I decided to have one night off a fortnight. Not to eat fast food or deep fried foods. I would go out to a restaurant and eat what I wanted off the menu. Mainly it was Satay Prawns from Richmond Chinese. It kept me sane and all i needed to do was walk a little extra the next day of go a little harder during a training session.
Within the first 3 weeks I began to see 1kg drop. Then it became 2kg… then 3kg.
My cravings began to decrease. I started finding satisfaction in low fat, low sugar yoghurt’s. Pretzels were my salt fix and I loved my bi-weekly chinese.
April 2011 - I had lost 15kg
June 2011 - I had lost 31kg
I started a new job in May 2011. The people there had never known me at my biggest. It was refreshing to not have everyone asking me how much weight I’d lost.
I noticed the changes in my face. My pants were getting baggy. This was an amazing feeling.
I had finally SWUNG that Axe that had plagued me for years.
August 2011 - 46kg down!
I still have 35kg to lose but its coming off. I stick to my healthy eating habits. My belts are just keeping my pants up.
I have booked my activities in Queenstown and now its only 3 months until i can do all the things i wanted to do back in April 2010.
