54-year-old single mum, Vikki from Melbourne was disillusioned with yo-yo diets and had given up hope of shedding her midlife excess weight.
That all changed when she joined Livewell after being referred to the service’s weight management programme by her doctor.
Seven months later, Vikki is delighted to have lost almost four stone, a quarter of her body weight, and she’s feeling fighting fit!
Committed to her goal, which she’s already exceeded, Vikki explains her story so far….
Balancing a busy job with being a mum left little time for me, so I put my own health and needs on the backburner. I’d grab food on the go, was bound to my desk and rarely did any exercise. Months of working from home and increased time indoors didn’t help.
I live with Hashimoto’s disease, an autoimmune disorder where the immune system attacks the thyroid gland. This causes symptoms of hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) such as weight gain, fatigue, and chronic anaemia which can leave me feeling dizzy and tired especially after physical exertion.
After an operation nine years ago, I experienced surgical menopause and was advised against using HRT. This impacted me both physically and mentally. I endured years of night sweats, hot flushes, brain fog, joint problems and the inevitable additional weight gain. I felt drained and exhausted and with the joint problems I simply couldn’t do much physical activity without pain or injury. I lost a lot of my confidence and was feeling low.
I was beginning to feel better when the pandemic hit. Two years of lockdowns and restrictions on getting out and about again led to me gaining more weight and I got very down again.
Whilst at a check-up last summer for a lingering cough, my doctor asked if I could step on the scales. I knew it would be bad news but didn’t realise my Body Mass Index was so high, putting my health at a higher risk. With a family history of cancer and heart disease, at my age and weight I was increasing my risk of developing both. As a sole parent I could not afford to become seriously ill. Clearing me of serious health conditions, the doctor explained that losing weight could significantly reduce my longer-term health risks and help me generally to feel healthier, more energetic and less depressed. She recommended Livewell to help me and I agreed to be referred.
With wavering confidence and scepticism, I cancelled my first two group sessions, but then convinced myself the time was right. Third time around I was ready.
The moment I joined the Allenton activation with other new starters, I felt at home. Many of us had similar stories and had struggled to keep weight off. Some have now become great friends and exercise partners who help keep me motivated. Livewell’s messaging made a lot of sense - eat the right things in the right quantities and do the right amount of exercise. The emphasis is on making life-long good habits rather than quick gains from fad diets with results that never last - something I’d been prone to do in the past.