When petite Patrice Bell lost 11kg, she rediscovered her upbeat, energetic and determined approach to life. Nine months after reaching her goal weight, she’s living life to the fullest and is determined never to be heavy again.
Constant carer
Before starting to tackle her weight issues, much of Patrice’s time was spent caring for family and friends. She had very little time for herself and felt guilty about wanting to put her own needs first. Eventually, a chance encounter with a fellow motorcycle enthusiast inspired her to join The Biggest Loser Club and put her on the road to better health.
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Patrice before
Patrice after
Dressing up
Happy and healthy
Mood and food
Like many people, Patrice used food to lift her mood and to keep her going through tough times. At get-togethers with family and friends food took centre stage and it wasn’t uncommon for Patrice to demolish a large bag of potato chips or tuck into a variety of calorie-laden cheeses with biscuits. Creamy pasta sauces and desserts were favourites too.
Food is still a great love for Patrice, but now the emphasis is on tasty, lighter versions of old favourites like grilled meats and chicken, stir-fries and low-fat dips. In fact, Patrice says that her ‘signature’ dishes, the ones that everyone asks for at functions, are the healthy dips from The Click! Diet book, especially the Pistachio and Honey dip recipe.
Slow and steady
In week two of The Biggest Loser Club program it explains that eating too fast can cause you to over indulge and pile on the kilos, immediately pinpointing one of Patrice’s main problems. She explains, “I soon learned to eat much more slowly. Before, I would have kept piling up my plate and eating until I felt really full, but now I know that it takes some time for my brain to send messages to signal that I have eaten enough. I am now conscious of what and how much I eat, so I can stop myself from overeating and getting too full.”
Regular mover
Exercise is now also a regular part of Patrice’s life, but it was something that she had to force herself to do at first. “It soon became part of my routine and I began to really enjoy it. Now I sometimes put on an exercise DVD at home and get moving. I find this an effective and convenient way to fit exercise into my day. I also do some light weight workouts, but what I really enjoy is walking in the fresh air – it’s great to just get out in the sunshine and enjoy the scenery.”
The challenges of travelling
Patrice has recently completed a three-week motorbike tour of the US with her husband and 15 fellow motorbike enthusiasts. “We rode across Las Vegas to the magnificent Grand Canyon and through places like Utah, Colorado, Wyoming and South Carolina. It was fantastic, but surprisingly hard work and I know that I couldn’t have done this trip before when I was carrying the excess kilos.”
Their trip took them through vast plains and countryside, where they weren’t always able to buy healthy foods, but Patrice got around this by planning ahead and trying to have healthy snacks like fruit on hand. Patrice says, “My experiences with The Club also taught me how to choose the best options from different menus and this, plus avoiding hugely oversized portions, helped to keep me on track. I also made sure that I upped my exercise level to counteract any unwanted calories.”
Keeping the lessons she learned for life uppermost, Patrice is delighted that she has kept her weight steady at 66kg. She says, “I am happier emotionally and healthier physically and I stay motivated by remembering what I used to look like and recalling how unhappy and unfit I felt. That, plus the compliments that I get from people who haven’t seen me for a while and can’t believe how different I look. I think that the choice to lose weight and feel fitter has to be yours. Do it for you. It’s so worth it.”