A little bit about me. Why I became a Fitness & Nutrition Coach

Hi! I'm Jo, and I'm a yo-yo dieter. It's nice to meet you!

Who am I and why am I here? I'm the classic "pear shape" or "hourglass" figure, known formally as the Endomorph. Think Kim Kardashian and Marilyn Monroe.

Weight gain isn't something I've always experienced. In fact, prior to the age of 27, I was often considered too thin, with comments like "if you turned sideways, we'll lose you." I'm quite tall at 173cm (5'6") and during my teenage years up to my mid-20s, my weight never exceeded 55kg.

I liked being 'too thin'. It felt good fitting into size 10 clothing and rarely having to try clothes on before I bought them. I ate anything I wanted and never seemed to gain weight because I was also very physically active and had a fast metabolism. I walked everywhere, and my job had me climbing ladders every day. I was fit!

As I approached 27/28 years old, I became less active on a daily basis and realized that I was starting to gain weight. It was happening gradually, but it was noticeable.

That's when my adventurous exploration of different diets and the negative impacts of "diet culture" began! Those large cans of meal replacement shakes, where two meals are replaced by a shake, always left me longing for a real meal. Initially, I did lose some weight, but when I stopped using the shakes, the lost weight quickly returned. I tried giving the shakes another try, but unfortunately, this time it didn't work at all! So, I moved on to the next diet adventure!

Next, I tried extremely low-calorie diets, which also left me feeling hungry all the time and preoccupied with thoughts of food. Despite losing some weight, I spent a significant amount of time searching through calorie guides to plan meals within a 1200-calorie limit. Due to constant hunger, I eventually abandoned that regimen, leading to a gradual regain of the lost weight.

Eventually I tried Weight Watchers. And while I do like their plans and points system in the sense that you can learn how to cook and eat well, and how the 'naughty' foods are higher points than lean meats, fruit and vegetables, the constant planning and counting of points in place of calories, once again became all-consuming.

During the weekdays, I managed to stick to the plan easily. However, when Friday arrived, I would ditch all the zero, one, and two point foods in favor of takeout meals and dining out with a couple of glasses of wine. Essentially, I was undoing all my own efforts.

Next up friends, we have the Atkins diet. It was seemingly working really well for a work colleague, so naturally I tried it too. It was expensive, my work / life commitments didn't really allow for me to always have so much pre-cooked protein with me and trying to find easy foods that worked on the program was difficult too. I mean, there's only so much rotisserie chicken you can eat! Once again, a failed diet without much weight loss.

After that the cabbage soup diet then the grapefruit diet. They were just ..... bad! That's all I'll say about that!

Time passes, and I'm thinking perhaps a new approach? In comes Lite 'N' Easy. They deliver straight to your door which is great. But it's super calorie restricted and it also got really boring, really fast. So there goes another failed diet.

In 2006 came the Tony Ferguson meal replacement shakes combined with a low-carb diet. There was an online forum attached to the program and because of the support in that group, I think I stuck to that plan for much longer than I've ever stuck to any other diet. I remember the first week of that program I only lost 200g. I was devastated. But, I stuck with it another week and the second weigh-in saw me lose 1.9kg. I was thrilled. I stuck with this program for about six months leading up to my wedding. I was down to a 'perfect' size 12 and my wedding dress fit me beautifully. After the wedding I went back to eating carbs and three full meals a day, and back came the gradual weight gain. I was back to my old habits.

I had thyroid surgery in 2007. After that l found that my weight was even more difficult to maintain. My GP kept telling me my TSH (Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone) levels were "normal" and I didn't need to be on any additional medication. But I felt like hell. I was always tired, I had brain fog, my weight ballooned, I looked puffy, I couldn't concentrate on anything properly, my hair stopped growing and was falling out in clumps when I washed it. Sometimes my tongue would swell and felt like it was too big for my mouth. My legs ached and were painful to touch. How is this my new 'normal'? Something was clearly very wrong with me.

By 2010 I was so unhappy with how I looked and felt, I just hated myself. I joined a 12 week challenge at my local gym and went back on Lite "N" Easy. 12 weeks of slogging it out at the gym 5 or 6 days a week, and only having a 1200 calorie diet.

I lost four kilos. To say I was heartbroken after putting in all that effort is an understatement. The other issue I found with the Lite "N" Easy, was it doesn't cater to food allergies. By this stage, I had had several food allergies and intolerances diagnosed, all of which are in most LnE meals. So was I throwing away a lot of food and because of that I either went hungry or snacked on toast because it was available and quick.

Looking at the positive side of the situation, the 12 week challenge and the personal trainers I collaborated with inspired me so much that I chose to pursue my own personal training course.

I became a fully qualified Personal Trainer in 2014.

In 2015 | found a new doctor, got some new tests and discovered that I actually did need to be on thyroid medication. Once I got on the right medication, I lost 2 kilos straight away, the puffiness in my face disappeared, my tongue stopped swelling and I was starting to feel better about myself. However, I still didn't like what I saw in the mirror.

With the rise of social media, I have fallen for enticing advertisements from numerous online Personal Trainers and fitness influencers. Their flawless photos and seemingly perfect bodies promote affordable programs and products. However, it's all a façade. They're generic programs that lack personalised attention, often associated with some form of multi-level marketing. I have fallen for these schemes as well, only to find out that they are ineffective at maintainable weight loss and are designed only for those at the top levels to achieve 'passive income'.

I got sick and tired of trying and buying diets that just don't work, and are filled with foods that I have intolerances to. Even though I know a lot about fitness and exercise, I never really knew enough about food and nutrition to make the best choices for myself - no one ever really taught me - so I decided to make a change, get informed and take control of my own health, by studying nutrition and meal planning, and becoming a Nutrition Coach.

I now have Certificates III & IV in Fitness, Professional Certificate in Meal & Menu Planning and Certificate in Human Nutrition, all valid and recognised in Australia. My study continues currently with a Diploma of Nutrition, plus I like to keep up to date with the latest news and information in the industry. With all of this to back me, I am now very excited to introduce myself as a Fitness & Nutrition Coach.

Not only do I want to help myself get healthy for good, I also want to help other people, like myself, who struggle with their weight, and because of it, get sucked into diet culture and buying easy access, cookie cutter programs that don't work long term. Eventually I plan to be able to sit down with clients, or chat via Zoom to discuss eating habits and coach you on how to make better choices, and how to plan meals that satisfy hunger, as well as meeting macronutrient requirements to keep you healthy and losing weight gradually, correctly and long term.

In 2020, I received another medical diagnosis. All those strange pains and symptoms that would just come and go with no real reasons? It was Multiple Sclerosis. I had been living with it since around 2014. I had been trying for years to get an answer and in the end it happened by accident (it's a long story), Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis. I have good days and bad days but I won't let it beat me. And I'd love to work with other people who have similar issues. Who else gets it but someone who's got it?

So that's me. A yo-yo dieter with MS who wants to live a longer, healthier life and who wants to help you live one too.

Thanks for joining me on my journey! I'd love to join you on yours too!