Adelaide mum shares her weight loss journey
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One mum from Adelaide has shared her weight loss journey, a story of deciding to leave her sedentary habits behind and live a more healthy lifestyle.
For the longest time, Sarah Wolter’s daily diet included large portions of meals, snacking on “whatever was available”, and drinking wine nearly every night.
But after receiving her new work uniform and struggling to fit into it, the 52-year-old department manager knew she had to change for the better.
Sarah Wolter wore size 28 clothing at her heaviest. Photo from Sarah Wolter via 7NEWS.
“My ‘spark’ moment to lose weight came after the company I worked for changed our uniform, and I could not fit into the largest size,” Sarah recalled.
“I was utterly humiliated and started, literally with only a goal in mind, to lose enough weight to fit into my uniform.”
Before her tremendous weight loss, Sarah described her lifestyle as “completely sedentary”, remembering how she couldn’t bring herself to do any type of exercise.
“A typical day might be something like scrambled eggs made with four eggs on four pieces of toast, all spread with thick butter, latte coffee, and a packet of biscuits or slices of cake for mid-morning,” she explains.
“Lunch was something like four bread rolls with ham and potato chips, loads of butter, followed by something sweet like chocolate or cake. I would often bake cakes and biscuits to take into the office.”
“Dinner was huge portions of steak and chips, or takeaway meals plus a bottle of wine, and then I’d sit and watch TV while snacking again on chips, lollies and ice cream.”
Her transformation began in November 2015 when she turned to CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet - a scientifically formulated weight loss program that focuses on a high protein, low GI meal plan developed by Australian scientists.
“I completely changed everything,” Sarah said.
“Starting at 158 kilos, all I could do to begin with was walk. I would walk every morning, and after three months, I lost around 20 kilos. I then joined a gym, and that changed my life forever.”
“I followed the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet for the first three months and then used the tools I learnt from the program along with the recipes to maintain an ongoing healthy diet.”
And within 24 months, the Adelaide mum dropped 83 kilos and shed up to nine dress sizes after changing her diet and began workout sessions.
“When I look at old pictures of myself, I genuinely don’t remember being that big and can barely remember life as it was back then,” she admitted.
“But I wish I had more pictures of how I was before because they are a powerful reminder to be proud of myself for how far I have come and where I will never go back to.”
Her daily diet currently consists of oats with protein and a black coffee with a dash of almond milk for breakfast, rice, vegetables and chicken or fish, or a salad packed with grains for lunch, and fish or steak with a salad or a homemade burger with sweet potato chips for dinner.
She also works out by doing weekly weight training and cardio. Every day, she makes it a habit to walk at least 12,000 steps.
Sarah completely overhauled her old lifestyle, and the results show. Photo from Sarah Wolter via 7NEWS.
Pennie McCoy, CSIRO Total Wellbeing dietitian, said the diet program was designed to reduce cravings by focusing on higher protein, low GI foods that keep a person full for longer, allowing for a long-term and more sustainable approach to losing weight healthily.
“Unlike many other popular fad diets that count calories, the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet uses a special food group system to help members get their optimal nutrition from natural foods,” said Pennie.
“The program also allows a daily indulgence as part of its meal plan, meaning members really can have their cake and lose weight too.”
It has been six years since Sarah started her weight loss journey, and now at just 75 kilos, she says she feels happier and healthier now more than ever before.
“I am now living a life I never dared dream possible and want to share my story in the hope that even one person might read it and say ‘if she can do it, then so can I’,” said Sarah.
“Losing weight is hard. It requires you to be brutally honest with yourself, stop making excuses and do what you know needs to be done even when you don’t want to.”
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