With only two weeks left in the health challenge participant Jenny Marwick has never felt better about herself.
9kg down and 15cm taken off from around her waist, Jenny is a real contender for winning the $3,000 Mackay City Centre healthy lifestyle voucher, but more importantly has made small lifestyle changes with big results.
She joined the health challenge on June 18 after being inspired by her workplace manager to help beat CQ Health to the title of healthiest regional community in Queensland.
“I initially joined the health challenge because our manager ran through the building with a tape measure and asked everyone to sign up. I was also inspired by her own recent health journey,” she said.
Jenny had wanted to make some healthier changes for a while with many failed attempts but through the challenge she decided this time would be different. She was confronting her health journey head on.
“In the past I had failed at exercising and dietary changes because I was not patient, and if I didn’t see results straight away I would just go back to bad habits,” she said.
“Being involved in the challenge and seeing results in others just sparked a change.
“I started walking, parking the car further away from work, walking to the river at lunch, and eating whole, unprocessed and raw foods.”
Two months into the challenge Jenny borrowed a set of scales to check her progress and was blown away by the results.
“There was a massive high- five moment when the numbers stated that I had lost 6.7kgs,” she said.
“That was such a defining moment for myself and gave me a reason to keep on going! I had a goal and I was going to get there.”
While the scales are starting to show a difference, the real change has been in how Jenny feels about herself.
“It is absolutely fantastic and I am starting to see some real changes in myself. I have more energy, enjoy shopping for clothes and am not ashamed of myself when I go out,” she said.
“For others who may feel that making healthier lifestyle changes is too hard, my advice is to just do it.
“Don’t think about it too much, just make those small changes and re-program yourself to stick to new little routines. It is much easier if you make bite size changes.”
