Testimonial Series: Progress not Perfection

Our Dietitians at Nutritional Solutions find great joy in changing the lives of others, for the better. Clients have often shown a keen interest in sharing their  journey in health so as to encourage and support those who may feel alone in their personal journey. We will be publishing a series of testimonials in the hopes of inspiring our readers. Enjoy!

My weight has been a constant issue for as long as I can remember. I was a large, chubby child with nicknames like Chubby chunks. I was slim for a while in high school. Then I started with the diets. You name a diet and I have tried it. I have restricted entire food groups, starved myself and taken appetite suppressants. All of these diets failed and I would gain back the weight and more. This is how I yoyo-dieted my way to 142.8kgs at the age of 28.

I always thought I did not have an addictive personality. I don’t smoke or drink heavily. I could give up coffee or alcohol tomorrow and be a happy lady. I was lying to myself. I was definitely addicted to food. It was my comfort.

In June of 2014 I started seeing Claire Julsing – Strydom at Nutritional Solutions. A last ditch effort to sort myself out. As of today I have lost 45kgs. I started slowly, making changes every week with the moto “Progress not perfection” always in my mind. At first I followed the menu Claire made for me, eventually trying different meals as I understood my portions better. When it came to exercise I started with only 7 minutes on the elliptical trainer. Now I spend an average of 1.5 hours at the gym 5 – 6 days a week.

I have been seeing Claire for 20 months now. Having that accountability every 1–2 weeks has helped me stick to the guidelines and practice healthy habits. These habits are replacing the unhealthy ones from before. It gets easier and easier as I go along. I have learned that I am not on a diet. Life happens and I will eat cake and enjoy it. It is about making healthy choices most of the time. I am changing my lifestyle. It is such a cliché but it really is the only way to lose weight and keep it off.

Sharing my weight loss on social media opened my eyes to how many others are in the same boat that I was in and how others relate to how I feel. The people in my life have watched me struggle for years. Up and down…again and again and again. I wanted to share more with them. I decided to start a blog. The purpose of my blog is to inspire others and to motivate myself. I post my weigh in details and stories from my past. The struggles I have had and still have, while losing the weight and getting fit. My posts are very frank and from the heart. I could not write it any other way.

For the first time in my life I know I will reach my goal. Claire has been kind, patient and enthusiastic throughout this process. She has never made me feel like a failure when I have had a bad week, only giving me support and encouragement. I could not have done this without her. She has changed my life forever and I am so grateful.

~ Keri Schultz

To follow Keri’s Blog, please visit www.progressnotperfection.co.za