Robbie Thornton’s incredible transformation was fashion-driven. The 40-something nurse from South Australia loves knitting, but grew tired of making shapeless tents to fit her form. She’s also a lover of historical re-enactments and became fed up with having to wear ‘manly’ costumes, while her friends had fun with the form-fitting, corseted and bustled dresses of the 1800s Wild West era. Most of all, Robbie wanted to be able to shop in regular fashion stores.“I wanted my husband to hold his head high when he introduced me to his friends” she says.
Robbie didn’t start to gain weight until her mid-30s, but by her mid-40s she was classified as morbidly obese and her size had begun to take its toll. “I had back pain and breathing problems associated with my weight. It was too tiring to be active, so I wasn’t. My life had started to become very limited and I was really sick of my overweight body dictating what I could and couldn’t do.”
Click to enlarge photos
Robbie before
At 92kg
Robbie after
37kg lighter
The knitting pattern
Robbie’s moment of truth came as she contemplated a knitting pattern. “I bought a knitting pattern along with the yarn I needed for a size 20/22 cardigan. I knew that the style wouldn’t look right in such a huge size so I put off starting it. As I thought about ways to alter the pattern to fit my oversized frame, it occurred to me that perhaps I should alter my frame to better suit the cardigan.”
Robbie, who is originally from the United States, has been a fan of The Biggest Loser since the first US season and had seen The Club advertised on Australian Loser. After researching a range of weight-loss sites, she finally decided to join The Biggest Loser Club.
“My favourite part of The Club is undoubtedly the diary. The whole process of calorie counting just seemed so hard to do before I joined The Club, but the diary makes it easy and the energy in/energy out graph gives me a great visual of how I’m doing for the day” says Robbie.
Now that’s tasty!
Robbie found some easy-to-prepare meals in the menu plan that pleased her tastebuds and husband Chris’s as well, such as the Bolognese Sauce, the Chicken Parmesan, the Mustard Steak and the Mini Lunchtime Pita Pizzas.
“I also loved reading the weekly features and the challenges – even if I didn’t follow them each week, it gave me something to think about. I love using the forums too; they are such a wonderful place to share your achievements, your goals and even those less-than-sterling moments. No matter what, someone there will offer a sympathetic ear, some solid advice or a pat on the back.”
Another major factor in Robbie’s phenomenal success has been that she simply did what she was asked to do throughout the Program. “In the first week I got rid of all the junk food from my house as was suggested. Then I did a huge shop for healthy, lean, low-fat, low-calorie foods. It cost a fortune during the first couple of weeks as I restocked my kitchen, but soon my grocery bills returned to just about what they used to be.”
Robbie tried to hit her calorie target as closely as possible without going over. She didn’t over-eat, but didn’t under-eat either. She stayed honest and thorough when she entered food and drink into her diary and drank plenty of water. Robbie made exercise a regular part of her life and often uses her treadmill and bike, plus she and her husband frequently go bush walking.
“I kept a positive attitude about what I was doing. I envisioned myself at my goal weight, I imagined the compliments I would receive and the flattering clothes I would knit or buy and I imagined just how much healthier I would be. I never even considered the idea that I could fail, because I knew the only way to fail was to quit and I wasn’t about to do that!”
Robbie has shed a fantastic 37kg shrinking from 92kg to 55kg and now she feels so much happier and healthier. She no longer needs her asthma inhaler and her skin is clearer. She can now sleep on her stomach and can even tie up her shoelaces without too much effort. Now that she is at her goal weight, she can also keep up and even outpace her husband on walks.
By the way, Robbie did knit that cardigan – she enjoys wearing it in a trim and shapely size 12!