TESTIMONIALS

Danielle

BEFORE	AFTER

After I had my third child at age 27, my weight peaked at about 125kg and for about 5 years after that, that was the weight I stayed. I made excuses that I had no time for myself as I had a family to look after, and my health was the last thing on my mind.. I really did just resign myself to the fact that I was just meant to be fat! I thought how lucky I was to have a beautiful loving husband and family who loved me the way I was, so why should I bother trying to lose weight any more?

It was at about this time that my mother in law started seeing a doctor at the Sandra Cabot clinic in Camden for her hormone problems. She told me they also specialised in weight loss, so I decided I had nothing to lose (pardon the pun!) and booked in to see Sheree. I didn't really think anything I did would help my weight problem because I believed I had tried everything, but Sheree has literally saved my life. With a family history of heart problems, I knew my weight would end up probably causing a heart attack or worse. Once on Sheree's diet, I never went hungry and found the eating plan quite easy to stick too, especially when the results were so quick. I knew I had to be in it for the long haul, considering the amount I needed to lose. I was shocked when after
2 weeks I had lost 6 kilos, and after 14 months my weight was down to 75kg.
I had lost an amazing 50 kg!! And I only had 7 kg to my goal weight of 68 kg.

My life has changed so dramatically. I can now sit on a plane and not have to ask for an extender belt. I can go on rides at theme parks and walk past the fairy floss stand with ease! My kids don't have to defend me at school any more from other kids telling them their mum is fat. My youngest son can easily put his arms around my waist and just the other day told me he likes having a hot mum!! I can walk in to any shop I like and feel confident that the clothes will fit. My husband has also lost over 30 kg and together we feel like completely different people. We have been together for 14 years and have never known each other as being thin! So while all our middle aged friends are putting on weight, every time they see us we are getting smaller and smaller. It's fantastic!

I hope my story can help inspire others. I'm not saying there were days when I didn't go off the rails, but you have to constantly picture the end result. If I can do it, anyone can!! You have to stop making excuses and realise that you are in control of your own body and what you put into it.
Once you get into this mindset, everything else falls into place. And if you can make time for exercise, it really will change your life. I hated exercise of any type! Even walking would exhaust me. I waited till I had lost about 30 kilos before I attempted doing anything physical, but I wish I had started earlier. I now go to the gym about 4 times a week doing cardio and weights, which is very important, especially for women my age. The trick is to start slowly and gradually build up to 45 minutes to an hour, 4-5 times a week. Not only will it help tone (and people who have lost large amounts of weight need to tone to help with excess skin) but it makes you feel so energised. This sounds ironic I know, but you just feel so good after a workout. So find a gym that does a personal program just for you, as this makes a huge difference.

I can't speak highly enough about the Sandra Cabot clinic and especially Sheree. My life is so completely different and I feel so much better, not only because I look better, but I feel so much healthier and have so much more energy. Anyone with a weight problem who feels they have tried everything should make an appointment. You won't regret it.

Thanks for your time,

Danielle Hargreaves.

Col

Before	After

Angela

Before	After

I have tried a lot of weight loss programs on and off over the years, successfully losing weight but never reaching my goal and never maintaining the loss - always gaining a little extra when the weight returned. I would start a diet on a Monday and crash and burn by Friday. I would get more and more depressed as the dress sizes in my wardrobe would increase and decrease constantly and before I knew it I would have a range of clothes from 18 to 24. Every day there was an excuse – I’m too tired, I’m too busy, I’m too depressed…I can’t. Every year I got bigger and bigger and would just block out as much hurt and pain I felt over my situation as I could. I cannot begin to tell you of the frustration I have felt over the years losing and gaining weight continually. I remember telling a health care professional once that I was so confused as I knew what to do to lose the weight and that I was an intelligent person and understood the concept but could never just stick to it.

One day I came across a book in my local second hand book store. I remember at the time the book, which was crammed amongst the hundreds of books on the shelf seemed to jump out at me with its bright red spine screaming “Can’t Lose Weight? YOU COULD HAVE SYNDROME X”. I remember Insulin Resistance being referred to as Syndrome X whilst I was researching on the Internet so I picked up the book written by Dr Sandra Cabot. Standing in the book store reading the Introduction in the book I remember feeling excited about the prospect that this person may actually know what she was talking about. Even more exciting for me was that the Doctor was based in Camden, which was an easy 2 to 3 hour drive from my home. I bought the book and took it home devouring it from front to back in no time at all. The information was life changing for me. Every chapter seemed to have an answer to my situation and I can’t tell you the amount of times I said to myself “Oh my goodness, she is talking about me here”.

I wasted no time in starting the Syndrome X Diet and making an appointment to see Dr Cabot. At my appointment the Doctor refined my eating program and suggested natural supplements that my body would be lacking after all these years of abuse to help me lose weight. She also told me straight up that if I were to continue to eat in this destructive manner that I was heading for (if not already had) a multitude of health problems including diabetes, cancer and heart disease

I asked her at the time if there was anyone in my area that she could refer me to, to help me lose weight and she suggested I see Wendy Perkins at the Dr Sandra Cabot Weight Loss Support Centre in Ulladulla. By the time I saw Wendy I had lost 4 kilos and felt that this time maybe I would succeed. I felt so comfortable with Wendy and was impressed with her vast knowledge and experience with people with addiction. In the past I felt helpless when I craved certain foods and felt addicted to anything sugary. I felt like a junkie who couldn’t calm down until she had her ‘fix’. It was a helpless feeling – one that is hard to explain because society recognises alcohol and drug addiction but you hardly hear of food addiction in the same vein.

At times I felt despair, hopelessness, depressed, fatigued, lacked confidence and felt that I had no control over my emotions or eating habits. I have always tried to look on the bright side and would say to myself that I was lucky I had a loving family, a beautiful home, a job and that I should be thankful for my good fortune. I constantly felt guilty about my lack of control and I had this nagging feeling that something was missing in my life.

With an understanding of how certain foods were hindering my weight loss I was now learning from Wendy how my mind was also holding me back. I had to turn my thinking around. No more negative thoughts about what I can’t do and more positive thoughts about what I can and will do. I needed to visualise myself at my goal weight. Imagine myself fit, healthy and happy. It really does work and it must reflect from inside out as people are starting to comment.

In addition to my new lifestyle and, perhaps most importantly, I have learned to enjoy exercise. I’m not talking about the gym here, just plain old walking to start with – just getting off my ass and moving! First it was walking on flat ground. Soon I was climbing hills and making sure there were a few in my routine. Exercising is also great for mental health and I marvelled at how good I would feel after pushing myself a little further each day. I really was approaching this weight loss with all the help I could get – mind, body and spirit.

There is a bounce in my step now and I am embracing this new healthy lifestyle. Wendy’s counselling over the months has helped me become a happier person who is finally taking control and I know that this time I will reach my goal and stay that way forever. No ifs, no ‘butts’. I now totally believe in the power of the mind and positive thinking. This was and still is a very important part of my journey to being a healthy and happy human being. When I face a stressful situation now, I take steps to avoid relying on food as my comfort. My mindset has completely changed and I can’t stress how important that is when facing any battle. It not only has helped me ‘release’ this weight, it has helped me take up an exercise regime and face other challenges in my life.

I wish I had met Dr. Cabot and Wendy Perkins years ago and gained control of my life as I feel I have missed out on so much by hiding behind this weight problem. But like I said, I try to look on the bright side. I believe that everything happens for a reason and that I’ve travelled this long, exhausting road for a purpose. I no longer sweat the small stuff. I appreciate the little things. I feel calmer mentally and stronger physically. I still have another 16-20 kilos to release and can’t wait to reach my goal so much so that I can feel myself running towards it.

My mantra as I pound the pavement on my walks is “I am strong, I am healthy, I can do it!” And when I walk or jog that extra mile at the end of a particularly hard slog I have a mental picture in my head of throwing my arms in the air as if I am crossing the finishing line of a marathon and I dance a sing “well done!”

Angela Hollen
Ulladulla
February 2008

Carolyn

I started the Dr Cabot Quick Loss Progam back in September 2007 weighing 104.8kg. Although I am a tall girl at 177cm I had to lose weight due to some high blood pressure I was experiencing. My Doctor had said that I had to lose a bit of weight otherwise he would have to put me on blood pressure medication and that I would be on this for the rest of my life. I did not like the sound of that so I started the QuickLoss program and in the first 12 weeks I lost 16.3kg and total of 41cm body size. I felt that I wanted to lose more weight and after completing the second 12 weeks on the QuickLoss program I lost 6.5kg and another 36.5cm in body size. (A total of 22.8kg & 77.5cm) I enjoyed the program - it was easy to stick to and I found that the 'normal' family meal of meat and vegetables worked so I was not having to cook two different meals. I am going to stay on the QuickLoss shake for one meal a day for a few more months and come September I may try a lose another 5kg.
 
Carolyn Leersen - Irymple Vic
March, 2008

Vicky

As a working mother, I would often miss meals such as breakfast or lunch - I find there are just not enough hours in the day to look after myself as well as my family. I have been a fan of Dr Cabot's for many years and have read all of her books. When I saw the ad for QuickLoss on television, and although I do not need to lose weight, I decided to try it and bought a single sachet for my lunch. I did not expect it to taste so good or to take away my hunger for very long and I thought I would be hungry in an hour or so. Over 3 hours later I realised that I had not had my usual afternoon slump - I had worked right through it and did not even stop for my afternoon cuppa.