64kg gone – I halved my size in lockdown
When the world turned upside down, Jacinta made some changes
Jacinta Heiden, 27, Sunshine West, Vic
It was the end of my long shift as a retail manager and my legs and ankles were killing me.
Driving into Macca’s, I couldn’t wait to have a quick feed and then go home to bed.
‘I’ll have a Big Mac meal, quarter pounder meal, a box of nuggets and a coffee frappé please,’ I said.
Maybe the girl at the counter thought it was for a family, but I didn’t care.
I knew I’d polish it all off – and probably go back for a sundae for dessert.
It wasn’t a one off. I ate dinner at McDonald’s or Hungry Jack’s two or three times a week, and on other nights it’d be a big curry at home with my mum, Elizabeth, 70, and dad, James, 57.
My diet was bad, but I didn’t have the time, or motivation, to change.
One more big meal won’t change anything, I’d think.
I’d always been on the larger side. Aged 10, I was 60 kilos and, at 13, I nudged 100 kilos.
Mum worried, but she grew up on hearty meals and, feeding me the same, she didn’t realise they could do more harm than good.
I’ll just wear big clothes to hide my weight, I would think to myself.
It didn’t always work and, at primary school, the taunts followed me around.
In high school, I found my tribe. They didn’t care about my weight so I tried not to, but it did still bother me.
Getting older, my mates paired off and married, and I began to distance myself.
‘I can’t make it tonight,’ I’d say, if they invited me to hang out.
It hurt too much to see what I was missing. I was trapped at home by my size.
By January 2020, I was
128 kilos and 173cm tall.
On my feet all day at work, my joints, especially my ankles, were suffering and I was in agony.
I have to try to lose weight, I thought.
It was a slippery slope to 130 kilos, which could easily become 140… then 150.
Then, in March last year, the rst COVID-19 lockdown was announced.
The shop I worked in closed temporarily and, like many other retail staff, I went on JobKeeper.
Although scary, it was almost like an answer to my prayers. At home and without having to commute, I suddenly had more free time to focus on my health – and no excuses.
‘I’m going to quit cola,’ I told Mum.
So I switched the 1.25 litre bottle I drank every day to diet versions. I’d also heard about the Lite n’ Easy program, where caloriecontrolled ready-to-cook meals were delivered.
At rst, I kept topping up with treats and Mum’s cooking when I was peckish.
Ditching cola completely, the kilos slowly fell off, but I wasn’t giving it my all.
So when the second lockdown was announced in
I’m so glad I took a chance to change my life
July, I resolved to really throw myself into it.
We were allowed out of the house to exercise for an hour, so I’d walk around.
With that, and sticking to the Lite n’ Easy plan properly, I started to lose about a kilo a week.
Feeling more energetic, I added an hour on the exercise bike and treadmill I already had, every day.
By September, I was under 100 kilos – an amazing milestone.
The restrictions meant I wasn’t seeing anyone except my parents. So when Melbourne’s lockdown ended in October, my sister Jillian, 26, was shocked.
‘Wow! You look amazing,’ she said, when she saw me.
My face and arms were smaller, and my legs felt stronger. Plus, the pain in my ankles had eased.
By March 2021, a year into COVID-19, I’d lost an incredible 64 kilos. Weighing in at 64 kilos, I’d lost exactly half my weight – going from a size 22 to a svelte 10.
I bought a whole new wardrobe, and my con dence doubled.
Going back to work at the end of
October, my colleagues were amazed.
‘You look like a new person!’ they said.
I couldn’t keep the smile off my face!
Now, I can’t believe my transformation.
The past year has been tough for lots of people, me included, but I’m so glad I took a chance to change my life. ●