Kelly's journey started when she decided to buy a set of bathroom scales, something she'd never owned before. Standing on the scales, the shock hit the 27 year old Queenslander – 105kg, more than her husband.
After a lifetime of lacking confidence in herself, of avoiding social situations and activities with her two kids, she decided that it was time to do something about her weight.
"Not only was I surprised by this huge number, I was even more surprised by the fact that my partner Kris weighed less than me and he's around 6 foot tall!" Kelly says.
"I couldn’t believe it, so I made a vow to at least get below his weight. Once I started dropping those kilos after finding The Biggest Loser Club, I just didn’t want to stop so I just kept going day by day."
Today Kelly is a slim and dazzling 65kg, and that means she has reached her ultimate goal weight.
Failed diets
But Kelly's weight loss journey does not start with The Biggest Loser Club. A series of unsuccessful diets, including Jenny Craig, Lite And Easy and various meal replacements and supplements had gotten her nowhere.
Like so many of us who want to lose weight, Kelly knew that the secret to weight loss is in counting calories. But finding a practical method of keeping track proved to be a nightmare. The solution was hidden in a box of Biggest Loser meal replacement shakes – a 7-day free pass to The Biggest Loser Club.
"Everything I needed was in the 1 spot and it showed me everything I needed to know to keep me on track, like how many daily calories I am allowed. Many websites differ in this area," Kelly says.
"It also showed me how much exercise I needed to do, and to start small and work my way up instead of killing myself trying things I wasn’t ready for."
No confidence
Both socially and personally, Kelly is a different person from who she was before she lost the weight. She says she lacked confidence and never wanted to do things, whether it was activities with friends or with her kids.
"I think back now and realise I existed but I never really existed. I never had friends, I always hid away, I sat in my chair and just did nothing," she says.
"I guess the best and shortest way to explain it is that I never really had a life."
Click to enlarge photos
Kelly before
Kelly before
Kelly after
Kelly after
Kelly after
Happy around people
These days Kelly runs a stall every month at the local market and is never uncomfortable around people.
"I used to hate meeting new people because, like it or not, people judge, and I always felt like they judged me by my appearance so I used to avoid being introduced to them by hiding away. Now I introduce myself!” she says.
“I feel confident around people and I have finally made friends and become social. I know now that the weight was holding me back even more than I realised and it feels good to be fit and healthy inside and out.”
Physically it's a whole new story as well, with back and stomach pain gone, and endless trips to the bathroom a part of history. She even believes that a lifetime of migraines is over, thanks to her weight loss.
Loves The Club
She tells us that she's already recruited several of her friends to The Biggest Loser Club, but she points out that it’s not a magic bullet and you’re going to have to do the hard work.
“I wholeheartedly believe in The Biggest Loser Club method but it is not a shortcut, like so many diets advertise. You have to put in those hard yards but then they do pay off in a huge way,” she says.
“I owe The Biggest Loser Club just about everything – you have singlehandedly saved my life and taught me how to live a healthier and much brighter life. I am no longer a mum who sits back watching my kids play, I can actually get in there and play too. And my hubby gets to enjoy those results too in many ways!”
Kelly's tips for weight loss
- Take it 1 day at a time. Be proud of what you accomplish in that 1 day and don’t look far down the track and think, ‘I have to do this for X amount of time to reach X kilos’.
- Make exercise part of your routine. Just like getting up and going to work, eventually you won’t even think about it.
- Get the whole family involved. Don’t think of exercise as a chore, go out and run around with the kids, or go for a nice bike ride with your hubby. Same with your meals, if you’re on to a good thing, share it and your whole family can reap the rewards.