Dieter realises her impossible' dream

After struggling with her size since her teens, a Bay woman overhauled her lifestyle as part of a community weight loss challenge to lose 40kg. Ellen Irvine reports.

In the changing room of a women's clothing store, Mel's heart sank when she couldn't get a pair of size 26 pants past her thighs.
It was the biggest size the shop offered and after trying on three styles she managed to pull them up to her waist, only to find she couldn't do them up.
Not long after, Mel, who can be identified only be her first name, saw an advertisement for a Tauranga Community Weight Loss Challenge.
The timing was perfect - she had had enough of being overweight and was ready for change.
"I had a little baby who was a couple of months old and every day I wanted to get down on the floor with her but it was so hard to get back up.
"My stomach was big, my legs were big, it affected my breathing.
"I wanted to be a healthier role model."
After trying to lose weight in the past, the challenge helped Mel, who also has a 4-year-old daughter, to finally drop the weight that she'd been battling since her late teens.
The challenge is held over a 12-week period where dieters receive weekly support, accountability, personal coaching and information on balancing the right types of food and nutrition.
Mel completely overhauled her eating habits, completing four challenges back-to-back.
She lost a whopping 40kg - going from more than 155kg to 75kg - and is now a svelte size 12.
And she's helping others to embrace a healthier lifestyle, after signing on as a challenge coach.
"I was so grateful to my coach Jen [Murray], who led me right from the beginning.
"I know the difference it had made for my family. I thought if I could help some others it could help their families and children."
Mel says the challenge has a "snowball effect" on the community - one person learning to eat more healthily spreads to their children, partner, and other family members and friends.
And she loves it when she hears that the people she coaches and their families are using her tips.
The Community Weight Loss Challenge is now calling for registrations for its 12-week programme. Over the past two years, the challenge has helped people lose more than 1800kg, and the coaches have set a goal to drop another 2000kg by the end of next year.
Mel had tried to lose weight before but with little success.
"If I had dropped weight in the past, it was really hard and it jumped back on really quickly. I was so frustrated."
Through the Community Weight Loss Challenge Mel learned how to read food labels, boost her metabolism, dine out healthily, make healthy snacks and maintain her weight.
She wanted to lose 30kg, which she thought was "impossible". But by setting smaller goals, she eventually lost 40kg.
Now, Mel feels like "the person I always knew was there".
"My energy has gone up, my need for sleep is reduced.
"The weight loss was the goal but it's only the bonus."
And now Mel can walk into any shop and buy size 12 clothes.
"When I went into the shop I started with a size 16 thinking they would be right, but they were falling off.
"I had to get a 14 but they were too loose, and I thought 'I can't possibly be a 12'. I was standing there going 'that can't be me, I look like a woman'. It was just amazing."
To register for a Community Weight Loss Challenge, call Jennifer Murray on 576 3636, weightlosschallenge@vodafone.co.nz, or register online at www.nzhealthnow.com.
The 12-week programme costs $49. Top percentage body weight loser at each class win a cash prize.