I have re-gained my confidence!

"I had been a tennis coach & player and a member of other gyms for much of my life.  However, I suffered a serious ankle injury requiring surgery and this prevented me from being active for several months.  I gained a lot of weight and became quite depressed.  I returned to gym workouts as soon as I was able but just couldn’t seem to get my weight under control.  I soon realised that I needed help with my diet; exercise alone was just not the answer.
Healthy Inspirations offered both gym facilities and a controlled weight loss program all at the same venue.  It is conveniently located just around the corner from my workplace so it is very easy for me to call in after work or during my lunch break. 

Since achieving my goal weight my blood pressure has dropped to a healthy level and I no longer feel stressed or depressed.  I am no longer getting regular headaches or a feeling of tiredness. I have more energy, better mobility and less joint pain and the added bonus of clearer skin.

I feel so much better about myself and have re-gained my confidence. I am actually looking forward to my new summer wardrobe this year! The staff at Healthy Inspirations Albury have been very supportive and have helped motivate me towards achieving my weight loss goals." 

~ Barb

Road to Recovery

"My journey started on the 18th of November 2008 after a visit to the doctor for my results which showed I have an underactive thyroid. I asked her for a script for some weight loss tablets, after trying many meal replacement diets with no success and putting more weight on when I stopped taking them . She wouldn't give me the script and told me I had to try and lose it with diet and exercise and suggested I join a weight loss centre.

I left the doctor and walked across the road and through the doors of Healthy Inspirations. I asked what is it that you do here, they took me in and explained the whole process to me I signed up there and then.  I weighed in at 90.1kg and set my goal to lose 20kg. My weight would be up and down like a yoyo. Some weeks I would have a great loss then I would go up again wondering why, when I had followed the plan and kept up the exercise.

The staff would always give me lots of support and monitor me closely and get my weight loss moving again whether it was adjusting my eating plan or changing my exercise routine. So month by month the weight started dropping off.  I reached my first goal of 20kg in late Aug 09 and set another one of 5kg which I have now reached.  I attend the centre 6 days a week now and also attend various classes at the centre.I am full of energy and feel fantastic.

My weight is now 64.6kg and I have lost 101cm.I just want to thank Sharon, Jodie, Jess and Carol for all of their support through my journey I couldn't have done it with out them.I am so glad that I walked through those doors."

~ Julie

Hello my name is Kerry and I am a reformed chocoholic and couch potato.

"My weight loss adventure commenced on 7th January 2009 when after having over indulged at Xmas as you do and finding that  I had very little energy to do anything, I happened to see the advertisement in the local paper advertising Healthy Inspirations so I thought this sounded ok I'll give it a go.

I might add that I had been thinking about joining a gym for some time, like about 5 years in fact, but could always come up with a great excuse for  not actually joining.

Not being big on exercise or sport in general this was certainly going to test me as, prior to joining HI, the only exercise that I had got  previously was 'Jumping to conclusions!'

Anyway here I was taking the first step and committing to 12 months of exercise!  Or was it going to be torture, only time would tell.

By the time  the first month had lapsed I was so won over and you could see the weight  just dropping off that I was a convert.  It wasn't actually that hard with the help of the protein shakes and protein bars - as I was still getting my chocky fix.

After just 4 months I had lost just under 25 kgs and 91 cm and as if this wasn't reward enough in itself, I was feeling fantastic.

Prior to joining Healthy Inspirations I found that I always seemed to be having really bad headaches and since joining the programme (touch wood) I have not had one.

The staff have been really supportive and helpful and truly inspirational, especially, Kathlene who inspired me with her 43 kg loss and encouraged me all the way!

It is hard to picture myself with the extra weight trying to pour myself into a size 14 whereas now I can easily fit into a size 8 and of course the choice in clothing has changed from matronly and dowdy to the latest and fashionable.

I have found that I am eating  far better now and am really enjoying life so I encourage all of you who are just starting out to stick with it and hang on in there, you can do it. Believe me, no matter how long it takes to reach your goal, it will be worth it and remember it is not the quantity of life but the quality of life.

I know sometimes it can be a bit of a drag filling in your diary but stick with it, it does definitely keep you on the 'straight and narrow.'

At 54 years of age, no more sleeps during the day because my body is absolutely exhausted having lugged the equivalent of a 25kg bag of fertilizer around with me but heaps of energy and life left in the old girl yet!

I have just completed my two months on Healthy Balance and look forward to the next stage which is Healthy Lifestyle."

~ Kerry

Kerry lost 23.6kg, 93cm’s, 15.4% Body Fat in 7 months!

Time for a life change - Not just a diet!

Adrienne from Blackwood in SA shares her life-changing story:

"I am 45 years old, and have been ever so slowly gaining weight over the years.  My genes are on my side, coming from a family of slim people and I have always had a fast metabolism.  Boy, did I take advantage over the years!  A chocolate bar everyday, loads of carbs (I really took on that hi-carb message from the 80's) and lots of snacks will make anyone overweight.  I did try some other weight loss options, like everyone else, but they never got me past a modest 5kg loss and I would gradually go back to old habits.

I decided at the end of last year that something needed to change - not go on a diet - but a real life-change.  I was incredibly unfit, and got out of breath just walking to the car from my son's school and I was not fitting into my clothes and not looking any good in the newer size 18 ones.

I wondered where I would find the time.  January this year, I decided Healthy Inspirations was what I needed.  With the team's help I made a plan and decided I would just do it.  By sticking to the plan, I have found time and it is now part of my life to exercise every day!

I also wondered how I was going to kick the carbs I loved so much but the girls (Jodi, Jode, Sue, Helen, Marian and Jo) have been - well - 'inspirational'!  For every problem they have an answer.  The journal helped me discover that each day is another chance and keeps me accountable and on track.  The protein bars mean I no longer crave chocolate and are the first really delicious supplement I have ever tasted!  the visits to do the circuit have become a social outing in their own right, so coming has never been a chore, expecially with the relaxation chair to look forward to every week!

I have lost almost 15kgs, 48.5cms, 17% of my body weight and my blood pressure has dropped from "needing medication imminently" to "healthy".  I am now a size 12 and my favourite "little black dress" I kept from "before children" looks great and I can't wait for an excuse to wear it!  People really notice and my Mum's so proud!  Oh, and I can walk up hills without stopping every 15 paces and can even run after my Joey Scouts!

The program of healthy eating plan, regular exercise, relaxation and one on one support is ideal, with the staff being the key to making it all work.  I thank them for changing my life around and know that with their help I can maintain the weight loss."

~ Adrienne

Adrienne lost 18.7kg, 62cm's & 13.4% Body Fat in 4 months, now over 2 years later, still maintaining!!

Rediscovering the Real Me

"When I was younger I thought I would never have a weight problem, but when I was about 40 things changed:  I slowly started to get heavier.  For years I pretended it was not happening.  Then I told myslef that I didn't mind - it was an inevitable part of ageing.  The trouble was, I did mind.  When I stood in front of the mirror, my reflection looked less and less like 'me'.  When my future daughter-in-law took me shopping with her for her wedding gown, I remembered how slim I had been when I was a bride.  How had I changed so much?

I wanted to lose weight in time for my son's wedding but I didn't know how to go about it.  I didn't want a fad diet - I wanted the results to last.  That's why I joined Healthy Inspirations Mitchelton.  They helped me change my eating and exercise habits and gave me encouragement and support all the way.  It worked!

Now I am fitter, healthier and happier - and when I look in the mirror, I see the real me again."

~ Jenny C

Teresa stopped making excuses and reached her goal.

"OMG…….Who are you and what have you done with my body?  I was looking at the photo taken at my friend’s wedding.  The girl standing next to me, who had always been much bigger than me, was now smaller.  That’s when I became serious about regaining control of my life. I had gone from a once very active, healthy, trim person with a healthy appetite to a sedentary, unhealthy person who was lucky if she managed 1 meal and a snack daily.  

I had used the excuse of the long hours I worked, the fact that I lived in the hills and there were no gyms convenient for me for too long.  There it was………Healthy Inspirations had opened up on Glen Osmond Road.  God help me……there were no excuses any more.  Fate was conspiring against me.  

First the photo and then the gym right there in my pathway between home and work. I had told a fellow hills dweller about the gym opening.  Unlike me, ever the person of action, she joined 2 weeks before me.  She was already seeing great results.  My first visit was filled with trepidation.  I was worried that I was going to feel out of place.  This was short lasting.  I was greeted by the ever cheerful Nola and I was away.  I could not believe the friendly atmosphere.  My fear of what a gym would be like were soon replaced with me actually looking forward to going.  Each of the team welcomed me by name and a huge smile each time I entered the doors.  

I followed the rules religiously.  I stepped on the scales time and time again only to be greeted by the most meagre results.   What was I doing wrong?  Everyone around me was losing weight and inches at a steady and impressive weight.  I was doing what I should, eating the correct foods, attending 3-4 sessions a week and still the results were discouraging.  BUT during all of this the encouragement I received from the team kept me going.  

Every success, not matter how small, was celebrated and when there were the occasional gain or the loss so small to be insignificant, the encouragement seemed all the greater.  The other “girls” on the circuit, who it seemed were getting smaller each time I saw them, were also so encouraging I vowed that  I was not going to let this beat me and so I tried just that little bit harder.    I just know that had I not been a member of Healthy Inspirations I would have given up – just as I had in the past.  

Not to be beaten Kate and Nola consulted their nutritionist….and so my journey on Plan 1 (which had not at this stage been introduced) began.  I stepped up my exercise and slowly but surely results were showing on the scales and tape measure.   At last I was at the 20% mark.  I think I was probably the longest standing name in the “beginners” table on the board.   

The day I moved to 20% anyone would have thought I had won the lottery!!  

From there on in the progress was steady but sure. I just had to accept that my metabolism was not the same as the “girls” who lost steadily and significantly.  There was no quick solution to this weight gain, no magic pills or shakes,  just sheer determination, sticking to the plan, stepping up the exercise (which involved stepping outside my comfort zone) and slowly but surely my body began to respond.  All the way through this the team’s encouragement was what kept me motivated.  

I am now a proud member of the 100% club !!  

I am such a fan of the dedication and friendliness of all of the team at Healthy Inspirations that I have convinced a few of my friends to also join.  Happily they have had fantastic results and are also loving the experience.  I  recommend the plan, and most especially the team, to all and anyone that will listen.  

Keep up the fantastic work.  I am forever in your debt."

~ Teresa

I'M BACK!!

After 20 yrs of yo-yo dieting and then having 2 children, it was time to get ‘Mel back’!

"My biggest fear was being the fat mum at the school gate when my eldest son started school in January 2008.

Then Healthy Inspirations called out to me! I heard radio adverts and saw newspaper articles too and 3 days later after telling my husband ‘that’s where I’m going!’ I joined Healthy Inspirations at The Pines Elanora. It was June 2007 and I weighed in at 94.1 kg.I felt sad, lonely, uncomfortable and scared of the journey ahead with the aim of losing 24 kg. My goal in my daily journal was to be 70 kg by May 2008 (my 37th birthday).

I embraced the Healthy eating plan. Making it work for me and my family by learning to understand food and how to make good choices. To my surprise I actually began to love the exercise routine and even began to run at the weekends.

Previously an exercise hater, I was amazed how much difference exercise made to my weight loss and my body shape. The weight steadily disappeared and I reached my initial goal of 70 kg 5 months later in November 2007 having lost 24.1 kg. 

Now a few months further on, I have lost 30kg and am 100% fitter and in training for my first 10km Gold Coast Marathon.It truly feels like somebody has unzipped the old, overweight, frumpy me and let the real me out!

I finally feel in control and feel great at the school gate!"

~ Mel

Clothes shopping is fun again!

"I joined Healthy Inspirations in April 2007, lost 15kgs by the end of the year, and maintained the same weight since then.   I find a lot of people are surprised when I tell them I’ve lost 15kgs.

Most of them say that they didn’t notice I was overweight, but I knew myself that I was gradually putting on weight and needed to do something about it before it got way out of control.  Two things happened that ultimately resulted in me joining Healthy Inspirations.   The first was when I went to see my GP and as I was leaving he commented “next time I see you we need talk about managing your weight”.

In the 25 years I had been seeing him he had never once mentioned weight, so that was a wake up call for me.   The second thing that prompted me into action was shopping for new clothes.   I had always enjoyed buying clothes but was beginning to dread it.  Each time I bought something new it seemed like the manufacturers were making the sizes smaller and I could never find clothes that I looked good in.   The day that I had to go up ‘another’ size in jeans was the day I decided to do something about it.

Before I joined Healthy Inspirations I had previously been a member at a regular gym and was considering going back there when I walked past Mitcham Healthy Inspirations in my lunch break one day.   I thought I would just go in and see what it was all about.   The staff were really friendly and encouraging and I liked the idea of the healthy eating combined with the workouts.   It just felt right, and I knew I could fit it in with my lifestyle, so I joined up that same week.

I didn’t tell anyone at work or in my social group what I was doing because I didn’t want the added pressure of people telling me I didn’t need to lose weight or what I should and shouldn’t be eating, or giving me advice about how to exercise.  This was my choice and I wanted to see results before I told others about it.    It didn’t take too long before people noticed the weight loss.  I started getting lots of comments about how good I was looking and questions about what I was doing, so that was when I started telling people about Healthy Inspirations.

I am now at a stage where I don’t have to be too strict about what I eat, but I am still careful not to overdo it and I weigh myself each week, which helps to keep me on track.   I like the workouts and particularly enjoy the classes on Monday and Wednesday and as I work nearby I find it very easy to fit in a session in the gym two or three times a week after work.   I haven’t been back to my GP to “talk about managing my weight”, I think that’s one conversation we no longer need to have.

Clothes shopping is fun again -  I can now look in the mirror and feel pleased about how the clothes look on me.   I’m still amazed that I have gone from a size 16 to a size 8 or 10 and how easy it actually was.    I think joining Healthy Inspirations has been one of the best decisions I’ve made for some time."

~Karen has lost 15.3kg and 54.5cm

Jenny T is a hairdresser and married mother of two teenage boys. She joined after watching a friend shed nine kilograms using the Healthy Inspirations program.

“I want to do that too, I thought to myself. It took me six months to lose twenty kilograms and reach the higher end of the healthy weight range for my height and age. But I wanted to reach the lower end of that range and that took seven months. I feel amazing. It was great. I feel energized and more confident. I have arthritis as well, so it’s a bonus not to carry all this weight around. My husband says he’s got his old girl back again! I don’t feel on my own, the support is amazing. It’s like having your own personal trainer every inch of the way, and that’s the main thing. I really found it very easy.”

I'm Confident About My Future...

"Like most women these days, my life is very hectic. Busy juggling a demanding full time career and a family of four children, my own needs always seemed to come last.

Over the years the weight had slowly crept up and my eating habits had deteriorated to not eating most of the day, then eating lots in the evening and regular exercise generally consisted of hanging out the washing and running around with the vacuum or mop.

At a point a couple of years ago I realised the important thing in our life is to be happy and healthy. I was neither.

I then had my mid life crisis or as I prefer to think of it, my life realignment. A time to work out what I wanted my future to be like and make the necessary changes to achieve what I wanted. In essence I realised that ultimately only ‘I’ was responsible for my own happiness.

I joined Healthy Inspirations as I had heard some good reports and I presumed it would be like most other gyms I had attended on and off over the years. I was wrong, it  was a supportive, positive environment that made attending enjoyable, fun and not an experience to be dreaded.

The girls are fabulous; the eating plan after the vital adjustment was relatively easy. I was never hungry and the regular visits ensure you do not give up. Ultimately, as long as you just stick with the program the results do happen.

Having reached my goal weight, I feel healthy and fit, and I am confident about my future. Thank you to the Healthy Inspirations team for all the support and guidance and the regular laughs!"

~ Jennifer A

This is MY TIME!

"I was 81.2kg, when only 4 years previously I was 60kg.  What a wake up call! My reflection told me "voluptuous" was OK, but photos were very confronting.

On my first visit to Healthy Inspirations I realised everyone was just like me and wearing comfortable clothes, not body hugging exercise gear.  I never liked exercise in any way, shape or form, never even played sports.  I am now a total convert!  Even when I don't feel like going (tired, cranky or not feeling well), once I get there I find my spirits lift and soon enough I'm enjoying the workout and really glad I bothered.

I live out of town, work full time and have a husband and three teenagers to chauffeur around, so I go directly from work to the centre and this is "my time".  I can chat if I want to or just shut off the world.

I've now reached my goal, and my energy levels, improved posture and new shape have inspired others (A real compliment!).  I feel good inside and out.  I have a bounce in my step that wasn't there before and I'm so glad I took the plunge and went to Healthy Inspirations for help."

~ Fiona C