Three little questions…
Thank you to Julie for sharing her very honest and open story with us… we are so happy to see the changes she’s mad, not only the weight loss, but the improvements within. This is why we love what we do!
“Thank you so much James, Bev, Fiona and the entire iShrink.me team for helping me to change my life. You have given me the skills and knowledge to better manage my stress and become a much happier, healthier me.
I began my journey on the 21st and 22nd February of 2020 when I attended the iShrink.me seminar at Wangaratta. I learnt about the program through a couple of friends and jumped at the chance to try to lose some weight and reduce my stress levels. These same friends very kindly allowed me to tag along with them and I am so thankful they did. Just 10 minutes into the seminar, I was determined to become one of James’ success stories, but most importantly my own success story.
I had struggled with my weight for many years and it gradually kept creeping up and up until I was at my heaviest. The past 7 to 8 years have been particularly difficult and stressful with all three of our daughters suffering from (and clinically diagnosed with) depression and anxiety. On top of this, one of them has also suffered from a debilitating and very painful medical condition for the past 3 ½ years which has greatly impacted her quality of life and robbed her of her beautiful smile. The combined stress and struggles of the girls as well as my own, has slowly but surely taken its toll. I have felt for a number of years I have been ‘drowning’ in everyone else’s and my own misery and struggling to keep my head above water. The timing of the seminar for me was an overdue but very welcome lifeline. I was finding it hard to stay strong for everyone else and be of much help to them knowing I was ‘broken’ myself. It really was time I did something to help my own health and wellbeing and I’m so glad I took the opportunity. And again I am so grateful to those beautiful friends who took me under their wing and allowed me to share the iShrink.me journey with them.
I left the seminar feeling inspired and empowered and with an understanding of the critical importance the mind plays in dealing with stress and its impact on weight gain.
I did at times find the journey challenging but was lucky to have the full support of my family as well as the friends I attended the seminar with. The weekly support notes from Bev and James were also invaluable and helped keep me focused and on track. Whenever I was second guessing I asked myself those original three little questions… ‘What do I want, why do I want it and how much do I want it?’ And do I want to be on the slow train to China or the express train to Brisvegas? Of course I chose the latter!
As I write this, I have just finished maintenance and am still going well and holding a stable weight. As far as results go, I lost a total of 30kg in 19 weeks. My starting weight was 89.5kg and I now weigh 59kg so I have lost just over one third of my original body weight. Apart from the weight loss, other aspects of my health have improved greatly. I have lowered my blood pressure, cholesterol and sugar, I sleep much better, have less aches and pains and I feel less stressed and anxious. Importantly, I have learnt how to move on from past traumatic events and how to stop reliving and replaying them in my mind. Although it’s still a work in progress, I am more positive and I worry less about things I can’t control. The seminar is without doubt the best investment I have made in improving my own overall health. Thank you again!”
