For Geraldine Ellis-Maguire, this year has been truly momentous. In January 2008, she and husband David were given the news they had been waiting four years for; they had been officially approved to adopt an Australian child!
Geraldine says, “As part of the adoption process, both David and I had medicals and it was then that I was horrified to see my weight classified me as being ‘obese’. I went to bed and in the morning, decided to do something about it!
“I was adopted myself and this was a strong reason for me and my husband to adopt, too. There wasn’t any medical reason for me to lose weight; even though we were overweight, our health was good, generally, and this meant that we passed the adoption and medical requirements. My decision and determination to get healthy were purely for me and for my new family. I wanted to have plenty of energy (I knew I would need it) and it was important for me to feel healthy and be a good role model for our new baby."
Click to enlarge photos
Geraldine before
Geraldine after
Geraldine and Jacklyn
“Both David and I used to be very fit. From the age of three until I was around 21, ballet was a huge part of my life and David was a serious rugby league player and cricketer. We stayed pretty active and ate healthily, but not exercising enough, too many snacks plus oversized portions placed us in the unhealthy weight range.
“I was brought up in a finish-your-meals type of environment which was fine because my mother provided the right size portions for me. However, since living with my husband, our meals gradually grew bigger and I found that my appetite did, too. David cooks all our meals and they are really tasty and pretty healthy; we would go for things like fish, curries, stir-fries or meat dishes with vegetables. But, it was the extras that really added up. So, before dinner, we might have some nice cheese and biscuits/pate/dips and wine as part of our ‘wind down after work’ routine. Chocolate was another favourite.”
Geraldine continues, “I had never tried any other diets or programs before; when I joined The Biggest Loser Club, it was the first time I had decided to get serious about losing weight and getting healthy and I certainly had the most fantastic motivation to do it. Initially, I set my sights at a weight loss of 10kg and I started ‘living’ my Biggest Loser Club life. I was very determined and I knew that if I put my mind to it I could make it happen.
“I chose The Biggest Loser Club because I enjoyed watching The Biggest Loser on TV and thought that the online Club would give me the tools I needed to track (and crack) my weight loss. The Club helped me to make sure the food I was eating was right for me and that it fitted into my lifestyle. I loved everything about the Club and, although I didn’t always follow the menu plans, I found that using the diary gave me great insight into portion sizes. I followed the exercise plans and weighed in weekly, too.
"The first two weeks were tough but then 'muscle memory' kicked in (because exercise was such a big part of my life for so long, it was a bit like my muscles ‘remembered’ that they used to be worked long and hard!). I was committed to going to the gym daily and I made sure that I didn’t exceed my daily calorie target of 1200 calories."
Settling into family life
Being a new mum makes life packed and busy and Geraldine loves it! She says, “I am so proud to be the mother to my beautiful baby girl, Jacklyn." (A nervous Geraldine and David picked up their gorgeous baby when she was just two months of age and had just eight days’ warning!).
Geraldine's schedule has had to change, however: "Going to the gym every day is no longer practical. But, I am still very careful about what I eat. I don’t describe myself as being ‘on a diet’. Instead, I have changed my whole outlook to eating. I don’t snack between meals and if I do enjoy a gin and tonic, I make sure that the tonic is of the diet variety. By carrying on and living this healthier life plus fitting in a couple of decent walks each week, I have lost another four kilograms. I’m really happy with my weight now and have moved into maintenance mode.
“Now, I don’t have to worry about finding the energy to keep up with Jacklyn. I fully intend to be a good role model for her. I was raised in a family with very healthy eating habits so there was no excuse for me; somehow, I just ‘grew’ into the bad habits. Now, though, things are definitely back on track!”
Geraldine’s determined motivation has seen her lose a fantastic 23kg (she started at 79kg and is now a fit 56kg). She says, “Having lost so much weight, I also have a great excuse to shop for lots of new clothes (I was a size 16 and now I am a size 8-10). David has also lost weight – about 15kg – and he looks great, too!
Life for Geraldine, David and baby Jacklyn and their three dogs (a Briard, a Jack Russell and a Border Collie/Kelpie) is hectic but happy. She works full-time as an Operations Manager in Recruitment and David is the at-home husband who enjoys cooking (so much so, that the former teacher is now re-training at college to be a chef). Their get-healthy experience has made them a lot more mindful about food (they are a lot more careful about what they put in the supermarket trolley and are avid label checkers). And, for someone who once described herself as a ‘chocoholic’ Geraldine doesn’t miss the stuff. She says, “It surprises me that I don’t get chocolate cravings now – exercising and being really disciplined about eating three regular meals every day made the cravings disappear, I think.”
Geraldine ends by saying, “David and I are fit, energetic, really happy, and so looking forward to a very happy life now that our family is complete!”
Geraldine's top tips
To help you on your Biggest Loser journey, Geraldine offers you her three top tips:
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“Give it a 100% commitment at the beginning. Go to the gym everyday for at least two months and it should become a habit for you. If the gym isn’t for you, then find some type of exercise that you enjoy. Just keep moving. It doesn’t have to be 'over the top' exercise – it all helps!
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“Don’t find excuses to avoid exercise. If work commitments are huge then speak with your manager and arrange to leave on time each day, or on most days, so you can go to the gym or walk home. This can be a very tough conversation to have. In my case, I had always let work rule my life. But, there comes a time when you have to say ‘no’ to long hours and start taking better care of your personal health.
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“Plan your meals and shop for them in advance. Take your breakfast and lunch to work with you. Don’t fall into the ‘oops I didn’t have time to make my lunch today so I will buy something when I get to work’ trap. It is too hard to control your calorie intake if you let this happen. You really need to get yourself into good, healthy habits. And then, stick with them!"