4 Week Health Challenge Results with Helen Joubert

I’m so excited to share my 4 week health challenge results from the health challenge that I did with Helen Joubert from Helen Joubert Nutrition & Wellness! It has been an amazing journey and the results really took me by surprise.

 

About Helen Joubert

Helen moved here about 6 years ago from the UK. She is a nutritional therapist, health coach and nutritionist. She works mainly with stressed out, overstressed, overweight women who are a bit overwhelmed and need some extra support because they have tried everything out there and just hasn’t worked.

 

How The Challenge Went

This was an amazing experience overall. I put on 20kgs 6 years ago when I quit smoking taking me from averaging around 60kgs to hovering around 80kgs. It has been quite the journey for me since I have always been a naturally skinny person, not having to worry about exercising or what I eat. Suddenly I was overweight and it has felt awful, physically and mentally, but also with the horrible way that some people acted towards me. And example of this is the woman that worked at the shop down the road saying “wow you got fat” when I walked in the shop.

The first and second week of this challenge went well with me losing approximately 1kg per week, however during the second week I had The Mirena put in and in the third week I had some awful side effects related to my mood and I put on some weight which was a bit demotivating but I stuck with my challenge and then in the last week I lost the weight I had gained in the third week.

While I took a knock from the side effects of putting The Mirena in the positive is that every time I have tried to lose weight in the past something has knocked me right off my path, this time I wobbled but I stayed the course. This for me is a huge win, it showed me that I can continue with this health plan and maintain it even when things get wobbly.

What Are My Results?

Here are all the amazing things that I have noticed over the last 4 weeks doing this challenge and I hope this inspires you:

Weight Loss of 2kgs

While it may not seem like a huge amount of weight to lose over a period of 4 weeks I am very pleased with my achievement as this is the closest I have come to being under 80kgs in 6 years. I can see very clearly that if I continue with this health plan that I will easily achieve my health and weight loss goals with some more time.

I will be updating every now and then on how it is going!

Lost 5cm Around Tummy & Body Changes

There has been a huge change in my figure over the last 4 weeks and this is something that I am finding so exciting. Every day I notice something new and I can really feel this difference.

I have lost 5cm from around my tummy and I am fitting into my clothing better instead of feeling like I am squished in. One of the best things that happened towards the end of this challenge is that when I ran my panties fell down so I had to run holding my undies up while running until I had the chance to do some shopping!

I can feel that I am getting a bit of a waist rather than having a completely round middle section, my arms and legs are thinner and I can feel some muscle rather than just fat and my face has slimmed down a lot.

Looking Younger 

My skin is looking fantastic and I look younger than I have in years which is a huge bonus.

Fitter, More Energy & Motivation

I’m loving the increased energy and motivation I have and moving around is not such a chore anymore. I didn’t realize how sluggish and awful I felt previously but now that I am feeling better I can really compare and see the difference.

Improved Mood & Mental Health

I’m happier and that is always a reason to celebrate. As mentioned above I had a huge mental health knock during this challenge and while I struggled I really believe that the things I was doing for this health challenge helped keep me steadier than I would have been if I was not on this health challenge. I feel it helped me bounce back easier.

Better Sleep

I’ve always had difficulty sleeping and the medication that I am on for my bipolar disorder helps me to sleep, however it does not always ensure I have a good night’s sleep and with all the additional worry cause by this pandemic my sleep has not been great the last year.

Since about a week into this challenge I have been sleeping better. It is easier for me to fall asleep, I mostly stay asleep and I wake up quite easily.

My Taste Has Changed

I thought that being on a health challenge and an eating plan would mean eating dull and boring foods but that is far from the truth, plus my taste has changed. Due to the fact that I have cut out a lot of sugar I am finding that my taste has changed. I am now very sensitive to sugar and when I do eat something sugary it tastes so much sweeter than before. Things like fruit that never really tasted that sweet to me now tastes sweet and very enjoyable.

I’m loving playing around with different foods, especially different salad recipes.

Enjoying Self-care & More Balance 

The focus of this health challenge has not been only food related, in fact a huge part of it has been focusing on looking after myself in non-food ways. There have been a lot of goals related to self-care , hobbies and creating balance. I have loved this process and I am starting to really enjoy being kind to myself and picking up old hobbies that I have stopped doing since becoming a mother.

I’ve been having more fun with my kids and my life feels more balanced. I feel like I am living rather than existing only to be of service to my family and work.

I’m No Longer Sweating

There came a point in my weight gain where I started sweating and yes I have always sweated, as everyone does, but this was a change to my sweating. I would sweat on a cool day even without exerting myself and it was a stinky sweat. I could shower, put on deodorant and walk out the door to go somewhere and before I reached my destination I could smell myself.

Oh so gross and disgusting right? This has stopped. Yes I sweat when I exercise but it is normal healthy sweat, not the gross stinky sweat.

I was also getting boob sweat. Since I have always had big boobs that is where I put on a lot of extra weight and since I was so heavy my boobs became a “mono-boob” in my bra and then when I took my bra off the area in between my boobs would be red, rashy and yep gross sweat there too. This issue is gone too.

Maybe a little TMI but ladies I got to share this stuff with you!

It Is Easier To Do Things

Simple things like tying my shoelaces or shaving became such a chore. It may sound like nothing but when you’ve had to grab this lump of stomach and push it out the way to shave your bikini line you will know what I am talking about. I still have a way to go with my weight loss but I am finding so many things easier like shaving and tying my shoelaces. When these things have been hard for so long and suddenly its no longer an issue it is a reason to celebrate.

Health Challenge Tips For You

If you are serious about getting healthy, losing weight and finding balance I highly recommend that you contact Helen Joubert to help you reach your goals, you won’t be disappointed.

Here are some of the key things that I feel have made such a difference in my life and what I recommend you do if you want to get healthy:

1. Set yourself some realistic daily, weekly, monthly and yearly goals, along with a plan on how to achieve those goals
2. Start moving – it does not have to be a hardcore cardio session every day, rather start off with a ten minute morning or evening walk just to get yourself into a good routine. If you overdo it and it becomes a chore you are not going to be able to stick. Rather find something that keeps you active that you enjoy even if it is light exercise.
3. Get rid of all the junk food and drinks in your home. If it is there then you are more likely to eat it.
4. Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner, with a morning and afternoon snack.
5. Watch your portion sizes.
6. Avoid starchy carbs – rice, bread, pasta and potatoes.
7. Eat protein combined with carbohydrates every time you eat.
8. Eat salad with every meal.
9. Drink water, lots of it.
10. Prioritize self-care and make sure you include self-care goals in your planning. It is about happiness not just eating.
11. C0me up with non-food ways to reward yourself.
12. Don’t let the moans and groans of your family stop you from your health plans – I told mine to get with the program and I could not believe it when they did!
13. Stick to the 80/ 20 rule – if you eat right 80% of the time you can indulge in some treats.

I really hope that sharing my experience helps you to find the motivation to live a healthier life.