"Being slim is not just about looking good…it's about living and being healthy!"

 

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After

Before Name Genevieve Age 36 Height 1.75 m Was 103.4 kg  Lost 25.9 kg  Weight 77.5 kg  "The most important thing for me is knowing that I am going to live past 40."

Genevieve's challenge
The most ironic part of my struggle with weight has been the fact that I am a nurse and for a long time have had the understanding about what constitutes good health and nutrition. Unfortunately I have never used this knowledge to benefit myself, nor have I had the skills to manage any weight gain. When I look back at the years prior to joining Weight Watchers I see the personal nightmare that was a major reason for my struggle.

After initially suffering from viral meningitis, I also started having problems with my heart. This later developed into an abnormal rhythm and cardiomyopathy, or a global swelling of the heart. To top it all off, I was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome which saw me sleeping 20 hours of the day. As a result of the numerous heart surgeries, the multitude of medications and my eventual reliance on a pacemaker, my weight slowly ballooned to 115kg.

The turning point
I felt more trapped than I ever had in my life. I felt like I was dying - emotionally, financially, and physically and my excess weight only exacerbated the symptoms - but I was stuck! My doctors had labelled me as morbidly obese and urged me to reduce my weight. I lacked confidence and I just wanted to be invisible, particularly after not recognising myself in a photo with my new niece. I was a wreck and caught in a vicious cycle.

How Weight Watchers worked for Genevieve
I had been a Member of Weight Watchers in the past so I knew it worked, but it was also the only weight-loss program my doctors would approve! I didn't actually become a Member straight away but tried to go it alone for the first six months. While I did lose 12kg I decided I needed more help and so I joined my local Meeting. It was the best decision I have ever made!

Although my progress was slow and sometimes arduous I managed to stick with Weight Watchers - and I drew so much strength from my Leader and the other Members. Whilst everyone was facing quite different challenges, our feelings were still very similar. It wasn't just about a 'diet' because you can pick one of those up anywhere. Weight Watchers is about changing the way its Members live because there was no way I could have achieved my Goal weight without changing the behaviours I was hiding behind.

Not only has my mentality been completely rejuvenated, but my bad habits have too. Gone are the days when 'fried' was the common description for my meals. Now I am more a 'grilled and steamed' kind of girl.

Increasing my activity had to be taken slowly but I figured something is always better than nothing. I started by parking my car further away from the shops. Eventually I was able to decrease some of my medication and begin doing cardiac rehabilitation. Now I exercise 5 times per week, both at the gym and at home…I can't believe the change sometimes!

Slowly but surely
As I improved and lost more weight my blood pressure and blood sugar levels returned to normal and as a result I have stopped the high blood pressure medication. The reality is that I have limitations but I am forever achieving personal milestones. Not only am I back at work part-time but my current medication list is about half of what it used to be...and there's no way I could complain about that!

The final word
I went from morbidly obese to obese, then obese to overweight, and then overweight to a normal weight. I am so proud of myself and for the first time in a long time, excited about my future!