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When Janet was in her 20’s, she was fit, healthy and a normal weight. Over the years, the weight gradually began to pile on, caused mainly by overeating and reduced activity levels, to the point where Janet avoided looking in the mirror at herself.
Two years ago after a family holiday in London, Janet saw a photo of herself on the London eye and was horrified at how she looked. She admits that the photo made her realise how bad things were, and spurred her into action.
Janet registered for our online Gi diet plan with a starting weight of 16½ stone. In just over 18 months, she has shed an incredible 5 stone, and is still losing! She’s also managed to regain her fitness, and at the age of 45, is fitter than she was in her 20’s. The icing on the cake is that she is carrying out a long-term ambition of hers by currently studying to be a personal trainer and fitness instructor, having been inspired by her own success! What a fantastic achievement!
Janet explains how she felt when she saw that photo of her in London. "I rarely had photos taken of me when I was overweight, but I did have one taken on the London Eye. This was the turning point – it made me realise just how overweight I was. Obviously I had known I was overweight before then, but I had avoided looking in the mirror so I never really saw how bad I looked."
"My weight was also causing me some health problems – I had terrible knee problems and high blood pressure. My self esteem was very low, and I never went out socially. I stopped buying new clothes as trying to find any to fit me just made me depressed."
Like many of our members, it wasn’t necessarily eating the wrong foods that caused Janet to gain weight, but it was more a case of overeating.
"It’s all to do with portion control", says Janet. "I may have been eating the right foods but not in the correct quantities. However, after having a breakfast, lunch and dinner, I would frequently order a Chinese takeaway or a pizza, and eat the whole thing. I would eat and eat until I was ready to burst. I don’t really have a sweet tooth, but we had a snack machine in work and I would use this machine several times a day to buy chocolate and crisps – even if I wasn’t hungry! I am pleased to say now that the machine has been removed from the office and I really feel that this was mainly because I wasn’t using it anymore and they weren’t making any money from it!
Janet describes how her diet and lifestyle have changed as a result of following the Gi diet plan and fitness programme. "My diet is a lot different now. I have three meals a day and one snack. There is such a wide variety of meals to choose from on this plan. For breakfast I might have a poached egg on toast with orange juice, for lunch a tuna wholegrain sandwich with salad and for dinner it could be chilli con carne with brown rice. Most of the recipes only take 20-30 minutes to cook, and I’ve tried lots of new foods since starting the plan. I don’t eat sweet things anymore – I prefer to snack on fruit instead."
"In the second week of joining the website, I signed up for the fitness programme. Prior to putting on the weight I had been very active and I wanted to regain that fitness. I exercised at home initially to get my confidence back, using a treadmill, stationary bike, Swiss ball, barbell and dumbbell. Then after two months of working out at home, I decided it was time to brave the gym! At the gym, I had a personal trainer to help me once a week, and I would go 2 or 3 more times to workout on my own. I did various activities including spinning classes, swimming, resistance training or cardio machines. Without a doubt, exercise helped me to lose the weight."
Having regained her confidence, and now that her children are grown up, Janet decided to follow a life-long dream of hers, by studying to become a personal trainer and fitness instructor. She’s now due to sit her exams this summer and will soon be qualified to help people reach their goals in the same way that she did!
Apart from losing over 5 stone, Janet has also dropped several dress sizes and inches. "When I started the plan, my clothes size was 20-22. I now wear a 12-14 and this is still going down as I continue to lose weight. My chest measurements went from 46 inches to 39 inches, and I lost 10 inches each off my hips and waist. I also lost inches off my thighs, calves and upper arms."
Janet found great support from the online community on the site – in fact she’s now a moderator on two of the support boards! "The support groups are a very important part of the plan, and have contributed hugely to my success. If you ever have a bad day, there is always someone there to help you through it. I hope that I give plenty of support in return, now that I am a moderator on two of the boards! I still remember the first time I posted on the boards and was amazed by all the support I received. It may sound strange, but I have made lots of great friends on the boards – I have never met these people, but we all have one goal in common and that makes for a great friendship."
Finally, Janet describes how losing over 5 stone has changed her life. "I no longer have problems with my knees and my blood pressure is normal again. A few people who haven’t seen me for a while have walked passed me on the street without recognising me! But the biggest thing for me is that I am so much more confident now. As a result of this, I have no problem standing up in front of a group of people to teach a fitness class. I am proud of my body and can look in the mirror again. I never want to be afraid to look in the mirror, and I think that all of these positive things combined will help me to maintain my weight loss and never look back!"
Fíona will be every inch the blushing bride and for all the right reasons!
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