Sales and marketing specialist Jessica McCartney needed a bit of tough love to get her weight on track. Cue Commando Steve on The Biggest Loser Club’s welcome video. His hard-hitting style made Jessica realise her nutrition knowledge wasn't up to scratch. Thankfully The Club was on hand with the answer.
Until now, the health-conscious 29-year-old had always viewed diets as too faddy or unsustainable, but when her weight because to creep steadily upwards she sought out The Biggest Loser Club.
Too much of a good thing...
Soon it was clear that while Jessica’s diet was generally healthy, she was eating way too much, particularly when it came to favourites such as cheese and pasta.
“My husband, Jonathan, is also a stodge fan, so by choosing these types of food and eating too much of them in general, I was slowly gaining weight, little by little, bit by bit – that was clear,” Jessica said.
The biggest surprise came when she entered her regular snack of cheese and crackers into her online diary: “Shockingly, some of my cheese and biscuit snacks where higher in calories than some of my meals – oops!”
Needless to say cheese soon became a rare treat for Jessica to be savoured, instead of a daily staple.
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Jessica before
Jessica after
Jessica after
The hard work begins
The Commando may have convinced Jessica she could shape up fast, but she certainly put the work in. She downsized her portions and engaged her husband, Jonathan, in healthier cooking.
“Jonathan’s an amazing cook and, at 185cm tall, he is of those annoying people who can eat whatever he likes when he likes and stay trim.
“I encouraged him to serve me smaller portions, to cook with less oil and less butter and trim the fat from meat before cooking it. As a result, he’s lost a couple of kilos himself and he’s feeling great about that too,” said Jessica.
To speed up her daily diary use and make life easier, Jessica made up some combos. “I now have a much better understanding of the calories in my day-to-day diet and I can make much better decisions fast. For instance, if I know we are having something that is a little higher in calories for dinner, I can plan my other eats around it in order to keep my calories in check and stay on track,” Jessica says.
Peddle power
Regaining control over her weight wasn’t just about food for this Victorian. Jessica knew she needed to exercise more. An ongoing foot problem meant that high impact sports were out for Jessica who had been a very active person prior to the foot injury. But it didn’t stop Jessica from practising yoga regularly, plus she began to cycle to work every day on top of three gym sessions per week.
The Club has also encouraged Jessica to plan ahead – she knows that bringing lunch into work is much more likely to be a healthy choice compared with shop-bought lunch. All in all, her stint with The Club has refreshed this already health-conscious foodie to make the small changes she needed to make a big change to her body and her mind.
Starting at a weight of 70kg, Jessica lost a massive 13kg and now weighs in at very slimline 57kg.
Family and friends have supported and encouraged her throughout her relatively short journey. “They think I look hot, and they’re right!” she laughed.
“Eating better and exercising means that I like myself better now and that makes me a much person nicer to live with, too,” said Jessica.