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Health assessment follow-up: Prue

Have those healthy habits been maintained, or has the going got tough and those good intentions been derailed? We revisit Prue to see how she's doing with her diet and exercise plan.

See Prue's original health assessment and recommendations.

Prue, a 51-year-old business liaison manager, was juggling a range of commitments including work, family and social distractions! Weighing in at 99kg with a high-risk waist circumference and BMI, she felt it was time to 'put herself first' as it was always family or work that took precedence. Although Prue tried to have lots of fruit every day and generally aimed for healthy choices, her self-professed downfall with eating was large portion sizes, frequent social occasions and work functions. Prue had not done any exercise for approximately three years.

  • Smaller portions at mealtimes and no cream with breakfast
  • Plan ahead so no more relying on takeaways
  • Healthy snacks, especially after work
  • Limit alcohol, takeaways, drinks and desserts
  • Work with an exercise trainer

Prue lost over 4.5kg and was buzzing. She was feeling great and her energy levels were through the roof! She still struggled to meet the suggested amount of fruit and vegetables but generally she was sticking to the meal plan and meal guidelines. She was proud of herself for cutting down on takeaways and alcohol, keeping up the exercise, and for getting the results. Her Vo2 max, or fitness level, had also increased substantially. For Prue, the change was an emotional one as much as a physical change; she had never felt more in control and happier with herself, especially as she was finally putting herself first!

The festive period threw her some challenges. While work functions and a lack of time had always been an issue, this was compounded by the 'silly season'. On top of this, family issues, moving house and many visitors made it particularly difficult to stick to the routine. Prue also no longer had the support of a nutritionist and a personal trainer.

All that aside, Prue did very well. She gained about 1kg. Six months later she is 95.5kg. She looks back at her 'time of change' where she changed her life habits and lost some weight, and feels that that was the happiest she had been in a long time. Although some more issues have crept in, like a sore knee, Prue does not want to make excuses and wants to continue her journey. She is proud that she still follows most of the nutrition habits she learned from Kristen. And she's introduced new habits. She's not tempted to snack when she gets home from work any more, as she always eats an apple in the car on the way home. She feels she could have lost more weight but some alcohol had crept back and exercise had been difficult lately with her knee issues.

Prue now wants to travel on a regular basis. She knows a big part of this will be getting fitter, so she plans to start more supported exercise (swimming, aqua-aerobics, and the cross trainer or bike in the gym). We wish Prue all the best as she continues her journey of change and growth.


Date modified: 3 April 2017
First published: Jun 2007

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