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If you look at Marcelle today, you would never have believed that she was overweight for most of her life. As a child she wasn’t taught about portion control and as such her bad eating habits followed her into adulthood. When everyone around her started moving forward with their lives, Marcelle felt like she was trapped; trapped in her overweight body and trapped in a life that was on the road to nowhere. She wanted…needed…to make a change. And so she moved out of her family home, joined Weigh-Less and proved that she can attain anything she puts her mind to!
I was a chubby child, and grew up in a household of big people who enjoyed eating. It was normal for me to eat big portions of food – even second helpings! I also enjoyed chocolates and sweet treats, and I didn’t know when to stop when it came to overindulging.
I was always bigger than my friends but it was only during High School when it really started to affect me. I loved shopping, but being as large as I was, I battled to find clothes in my size.
Although I am quite a strong person, I often felt very out of place and even uncomfortable in certain situations because of my weight. After all my experiences of being told that I was fat by the people around me, and that I would never be able to lose weight, I took a chance hoping to improve my wellbeing. I tried all types of fad diets while I was at school, hoping that the weight would magically disappear – it didn’t!
Nothing worked for me and the fact that I was failing, eventually broke me down. It made me believe that I was a failure. I was disappointed that I was unable to lose weight (or maintain it) and so I turned to food and comfort eating, something that eased my unhappiness, albeit temporarily.
I felt as if my life was stagnant. All my friends were studying, moving overseas or getting married…and I was just plain old overweight Marcelle! I wanted to change my circumstances and I knew that I was the only person who could make it happen! The closer I got to my birthday the more I worried about my weight.
My supervisor at work was on Weigh-Less at the time and she looked great! Her positive attitude persuaded me into thinking that it could work for me too!
I joined Weigh-Less in the first week of August 2011. And as difficult as it was, I realised that Weigh-Less was the best option for me. The fact that losing the right amount of weight, in the right amount of time was emphasised, assured me that Weigh-Less was the only way to lose weight without having to starve, or ‘curb carbs’.
At this same time, I realised losing weight wasn’t the only change I needed to make in my life. Knowing that I had a tough journey ahead of me, I began to consider changing the environment that I had become so accustomed to. I made the decision to move in with my long term boyfriend, which I believed would help me tremendously on my weight loss journey. This way I would be able to cook my own Weigh-Less meals and I would be away from the pressures of eating the same amount of food as the rest of my family. This move came as a shock to my family, and they were very worried about me at first, and concerned about my decision to move out of home. However, I wanted to start Weigh-Less on the right track, and I needed to be in the right frame of mind in order to achieve all that I had planned to.
Before starting at Weigh-Less, I weighed 83.2kg, a ‘figure’ I was not proud of. Upon meeting my Group Leader, I was in awe of her passion and kindness that she showed towards my personal mission. I struggled in the first few weeks, and often only lost a few grams. However, I chose not to give up because I wanted to set a good example to my family, especially my younger brother. I also wanted to prove to myself that I could achieve anything I put my mind to!
The negative comments – like being told I would never lose weight - from the people around me didn't change at first, but I was determined not only to prove them wrong, but to prove to myself that I was worthy of living a healthy and balanced lifestyle, and still be able to lose the weight. I wanted to achieve something positive in my life, and I knew that I would feel the difference at the end of the long road.
My family became supportive, once they saw the positive effects of my decision. My boyfriend was also very supportive and guided me every step of the way. My work colleagues and friends were also encouraging .
Balancing my meal times and portions was the key to my weight loss. Although I must admit that it was a change compared to what I was used to, when living with my family. I had never enjoyed yoghurt, so I replaced it with a glass of milk for breakfast instead. Lunch times were my favourite meal of the day, and I often had low GI bread with smoked chicken, cucumber and lettuce. Supper was a difficult meal for me to enjoy, as I was not used to having big meals in the evening, but I made sure to eat the correct amount of food before heading off to bed.
The shocking or shall I say the most amazing part, was being able to participate in more physical activities such as jogging, and doing fun walks. I enjoy feeling the huge accomplishment after partaking in physical activities and I really believe that being able to stay active has made me a better person. I'm now working on toning my body and staying fit. At times I struggle, but I remember what I have already achieved, and that there is nothing standing in my way to being the best person I can be.
I am proud to have achieved all that I had set out to. Upon reaching my Goal Weight of 67kg, Diana encouraged me to continue on my weight loss journey, and we both decided to adjust my Goal Weight to the bottom of my Goal Weight range.
I now get compliments on my new and slender figure at work, in the gym and in the shopping mall! I am grateful to be able to market Weigh-Less and all it stands for in a positive way. I have now made it my mission to influence other people and encourage them to join Weigh-Less, a healthy Eating Programme that I know works…I am living proof!
I have learnt to value every day, and I now make an effort to live a healthy lifestyle. Weigh-Less has changed my life for the better, and has made me into the strong, ambitious and successful person I am today. I also hope to start my own corporate Group at my office and hope to set a good example to all those around me.
