Kira's Transformation
The roller coaster bar wouldn't pull down over my stomach and I knew I had gone too far... Kira from Genesis Melton completely transformed her life through hard work and support from finding community at Genesis - and now she has become such an inspiration to us!
Mum of four Kira, 37, never properly learned to cook when she was growing up – she said it was cheaper and easier to get takeout everyday – and so she did. She’s not sure what her heaviest point was as she never wanted to get on the scales. The biggest number she remembers seeing was 112kg when she finally was brave enough to hop on the scales, but suspects she likely got up to 115-118kg.
“To be honest looking back I had very low self-esteem. I focused all my attention on my children and making my partner feel good. Deep down I absolutely hated myself. I don’t actually remember a time in my life where I had actually liked myself. I hated seeing photos of myself.
“My exercise back then would involve me finally getting the energy to take my kids to the park or walking them to school. I remember claiming I walked a lot. Reality was, I didn’t walk much at all.
“I had never eaten a fresh green bean until I moved to Australia a few years ago. In America, I always ate fast food. It was very cheap to get a few double cheeseburgers and a giant coke for 5 dollars.
“I continued those habits when I moved here. Mud cake was my absolute go to junk food. I ate a lot of fast food and a lot of bread. I would make a weekly trip to the supermarket to buy bulk soft drink and sweets.”
She said she was in serious denial about her condition but there were a few ignorable moments in front of her children when she realised her weight was getting out of control and she had let it go too far – one, not being able to go on a theme park ride with her kids because the safety bar would not fit down. The ultimate humiliation, she says.
During lockdowns she learned to cook healthy meals for the first time in her life. And as soon as lockdowns were over, she decided to join Genesis Health + Fitness Melton (in Victoria). She was really embarrassed about going to the gym so initially, she would only go late at night to avoid crowds. She said she became friends with the night cleaning staff who became her cheer squad.
“I couldn’t do a sit up unassisted when I started. I couldn’t do more than 3 proper pushups.
“Once I got most sugars, breads and pastas out of my diet and started seeing results on the scale I was more determined to continue and a cheat less. I remember the first time I got to under 200lbs that was heaven.”
She is now down to 64kg and has even completed a duathlon and is training for a triathlon.
“I have learnt so much. I thought it was just going to be about weight loss. Boy was I wrong. I found myself. My true self, I learned to love myself, I learned healthy boundaries with not just food but everything in life. I learned to listen to my body, it will tell you what it needs, I became a happier person, a better mother, in general just a nicer person."
“I love helping newcomers at the gym, while running, cycling. Whenever there is a new person I try to encourage them and make them feel part of the group. It’s so important to have some motivation, being the new person anywhere can be scary.
“These days I feel amazing. Unstoppable really. It’s amazing what the body can do and put up with. It really does come down to how bad do you want it. I’ve lost 47kg.”
KIRA’S DAY ON A PLATE
A typical day on my plate looks like eggs and bacon sandwich for breakfast. Greek yoghurt and berries for a midday snack. Lunch is typically all meat. Depending on what I have planned for exercise I might not do an afternoon snack. Dinner time is protein and veggies. I eat a lot of vegetables at dinner time. I definitely make sure to eat enough protein.
KIRA’S EXERCISE NOW
Currently my training week looks like this: Sunday is swimming, Monday is riding a long ride 25k or more depending on the time, Tuesday I run, Wednesday I swim and do weight training, Thursday I go for a bike ride, Friday is a rest day and Saturday is a run.
ADVICE FOR OTHERS
- Find what works for you. Just because it worked for someone else doesn’t mean it will work for you.
- Stop making excuses. I had plenty of excuses, but when I stopped allowing myself to use them that’s when things changed. Take accountability for yourself and your own actions.
- Enjoy the slice of cake for a birthday party, just don’t eat the whole cake. Moderation is key to living a healthy life.
- Set your goals in short term steps. Always have 8-12 week goals for a journey. If you set the goals to high and too far you could go off track.
- Take a ‘now’ photo because you see yourself every single day and you will see progress through photos. Take measurements too. The scale only tells you the gravitational pull you have on earth. It doesn’t define who you are.
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