JILL
When Kim emailed to congratulate me on my results at the end of No Excuses 2.0, I was quite shocked and overwhelmed that she asked if I would like to be one of her Superstars for 2023. My instant thought was I still have a long way to go to get to where I want to be! But then I thought why not? I’ve worked hard and have been consistent with the program and I am more than pleased with my initial results in just 8 weeks! So, this might help some other women who are thinking about joining and wondering if it really works… it does!
I’ve always had to watch my weight throughout my life, although I was slimmer when I was younger I would still put weight on very easily if not eating healthily and exercising but in those days I could also lose weight very easily too. So like many women on the plan I am now 51 years old, have gone through perimenopause and slowly and steadily gained weight, the things that used to work so easily for me were no longer effective. Then Covid came along and, like many others, I slipped into some bad eating patterns, not particularly overeating, more not eating much all day then having a huge portion of carb loaded food at night because I was starving, plus having some wine and snacks after dinner some evenings. I’ve always enjoyed being active throughout my life, but with the perimenopause and weight gain came a loss of confidence and reluctance to keep going to the gym. I love running but even that was beginning to feel too hard, I didn’t like how I was looking and felt embarrassed by my weight. I even really stopped going out to social events, I found excuses and reasons not to attend, because my clothes didn’t fit, I didn’t like how I looked and I just didn’t really like myself very much either. Looking back, I wasn’t really living I was kind of existing from one week to the next.
JILL’S 7.5KG RESULTS
I went to my GP about various menopause symptoms, she did a thorough health screen which included standing on the dreaded scales…. something I had largely been avoiding. I’m only 159cm and I weighed over 80kg, which was in the obese BMI range. This was the kick I needed, I felt embarrassed and ashamed I’d let this happen but decided I needed to do something positive and get out of this defeated mindset I was wallowing in. My biggest fear is getting older and not being able to do all the things I love, I want to be healthy, strong and fit in my 50’s and beyond.
I had done Kim Beach No Excuses before in 2017 and had great success back then, keeping the weight off for a good few years and I had been procrastinating about signing up again for quite some time, and then Kim announced the return of her new No Excuses 2.0 programme!! It was perfect timing so I signed up! I was focused and determined I was going to do this and be committed for 8 weeks no matter what…it’s only 8 weeks out of my life but I also knew it had to be a lifestyle change – not a quick fix. I remembered how good I felt on the program in 2017 so I was excited to start.
I got into the routine of the meal planning and prep quite easily again and although I felt a bit overwhelmed in the gym at first I stuck with it. The first week saw the dreaded detox period, I felt so lethargic and just wanted to sleep all the time but it soon passed and in a short space of time I was feeling more energetic and more confident. I knew I could do this! Some self-belief returned and I was feeling in control of my food instead of the food controlling me! No more cravings, not feeling hungry, my moods felt stable and I was feeling less anxious, sleep was amazing and with all the training and healthy meals I was out like a light at night! All my usual sore bloated stomachs magically disappeared, my blood pressure improved, my skin hair and nails looked better. Why did I ever stop eating like this?
At the 28 day mark I was 100% on plan with food and exercise, I’d had no alcohol, but I was still having an almond cappuccino most days as that’s my non-negotiable item! I was enjoying my early morning training sessions without the fuzzy heads or lethargy you get when you have too much carbs or too much wine! So, I was excited to see my results, I knew I had changed, my clothes were all much looser. I lost 5kg and 25cm overall, I was delighted, and still determined to keep going.
The private Facebook group was fantastic, it was great to be able to interact with lots of other women, getting great advice and inspiration from others, and hopefully offering it to others too. I looked forward to checking out the group each evening instead of all the snacking!! I even plucked up the courage to sign up for the Women’s Triathlon in Perth, I used to do triathlons and loved them, but it had been 9 years since my last one! This one was perfect timing and it was on the second last day of the program on my day 55, so a great way to end the first 8 weeks! Over the next 4 weeks I was busy swimming, cycling and running, but I still fitted in some weights sessions, I did allow myself a few meals out with my partner, who was really supportive of me and he was losing weight too so he was happy! I checked out the restaurant menus before I went and selected foods close to the principles, I did have some wine, but I didn’t go overboard, and I enjoyed it all without feeling guilty. I was finally shifting that “all or nothing” mentality and I got straight back onto plan at the next meal. My confidence had increased and I was feeling really proud of my commitment and effort I put into the program, it really is a terrific plan. I could feel my metabolism firing by week 6; I was waiting for my next meal by then! It rolled around to day 55 quickly, I completed the Women’s Triathlon and I was so happy with my results, I was on an endorphin high into the last day and the weigh in.
Total of 7.5kg gone and 47cm overall, my progress photos really told the story, I was delighted, but more than just that I felt in control, happier and healthier again! I’m not going back this time, I’m having a couple of weeks of maintenance then going into No Excuses 2.0X, I still have around another 8kg I’d like to lose, but I’m in no rush, I know this program works for me, all this weight didn’t appear overnight so I’m prepared for however long it takes. I’ve got lots of mini goals along the way set already, I’d love to do Parkrun in 30 minutes, and I’ve signed up for the HBF Half Marathon, which is another 8 weeks away…the same time as the new program so I really have No Excuses!
I hope this helps to inspire some other women who are feeling a bit defeated by weight gain and menopause, if this works for me it will for you too! Thanks Kim for your brilliant program and Facebook support group, and to all the other amazing women in the group who understand exactly how you are feeling, as well as all the live chats and exercises every week, it’s amazing value for money and the best thing I’ve done to help me on my fitness journey
