In October 2006 my brother visited us from England; I hadn’t seen him in 10 years. On his return he gave me a photo he took while on his visit, I was shocked to see what I looked like at 95kg. I was horrified. In December of that year I joined Weight Watchers and started exercising at the Southern Cross Health Club.

I started attending one 50plus circuit on Fridays. Due to my lack of fitness I was unable to participate in some of the exercises, particularly in core, balance and floor work. However I was determined to lose the weight and feel better. I also had to change my nutrition; I started eating smaller portions, healthier food and drinking more water. I then incorporated walking the dog three times and a one hour walk around the lake per week. I continued this exercise and nutrition plan over the next two years.

As time progressed I started losing weight, feeling stronger and having the ability to do much more that I was unable to do at the start. I am proud to say that I have lost 26kg and gone from a size 18-20 to 10-12. I have achieved my goal weight of 69kg. In my Friday 50plus class, I am now able to get up and down from the floor, complete balance and core exercises with no trouble and raise my heart rate without feeling I have to stop.

I turn 70yrs on 2 March 2009 and believe that I will continue this lifestyle indefinitely. My families, especially my brothers, are extremely happy for my achievements. I feel pretty special too!