*This post is sponsored by Juniper.
Sign up to the Juniper program here and use the code EVIEJUNIPER for $100 off the first week, and $50 off the two following weeks.
Do you feel like you’ve been on a diet for most of your life? Honestly, I do – and I have the list of diets I’ve been on to prove it. These are the ones I can think of right now (so many!), and there are probably a lot more that I’ve blocked out or forgotten.
Have you tried any of these?
– Weight Watchers
– A meal plan from a dietitian
– The Liver Cleanse diet
– The cabbage soup diet
– High protein diet (eg/KETO)
– The X Factor diet
– The no carb diet
– The Atkins diet
– Lite ‘n Easy
– Jenny Craig – I remember going here and the woman looked me up and down and asked if I was sure I ONLY needed to lose 10kg. Thanks sis.
Well, I did them all!
I can still remember heating up the cabbage and tomato soup in the work lunchroom, eating tuna on jatz for weeks on end, and storing my pre-packaged meals in the work fridge. I think it became a bit of a joke about which diet I would try next. I was so focused on the numbers on the scale and not on what long-term changes I needed to make to improve my health so I went from fad to fad and extreme to extreme.
I feel like I have been dieting my whole life, and in some ways I have – even though when I look back at photos I actually looked great. It’s part of the diet culture though isn’t it? Always make us feel like we are too big, undermine our confidence and make us focus on our ‘flaws’.
As I got older I maintained my idiotic approach to dieting – inconsistent, reactive, extreme – and my weight crept up and up, to the point where it was impacting my health. In my mind my body could still leap and run and play sport, but the reality was different.
I worried about my health, I could no longer run or be as active as I used to be, although I kept trying. I wanted to do more with my daughter, I wanted her to see a fit and healthy mum who made good choices and had an active lifestyle.
I wanted to end the diet cycle I’d been stuck in for more than 30 years. I wanted to do it properly and I wanted this to be the LAST TIME.
I decided I would try medical weight loss independently. This meant a consultation with the doctor and then using the treatment myself. It worked! But at the time I was only relying on myself to get me through and while I was having success and feeling more healthy and confident, I worried that I would reach my goals and then revert to my old ways.
I needed more. I needed to commit to finally educating myself through expert advice around diet, nutrition and exercise. I needed support but I also needed to learn how to undo all those bad habits.
So, I decided to make an even bigger investment in myself. One that would last me for the rest of my life.
I signed up to a program called Juniper.
Juniper is a community focused holistic approach to weight loss where you have access to a weight-loss treatment plan through consultations with experienced practitioners, organised by Juniper. It includes a whole range of support, to organising and posting the medical treatment, consultations with with dietitians and nurses, to mental health and exercise and recipe programs.
I have just started with Juniper and am slowly making my way through my progressive weight loss program I was assigned. I’m feeling great knowing I have information and support at my fingertips through the app, plus a range of experts I can call on at any time to help with questions to keep me on track.
In fact, this week I had a consultation with my health coach. You would think that after all these years I would know a little about nutrition…but nope. I learnt that I need to be eating 90g – 120g of protein each day. I had no idea. We spoke about how to add protein to my day – beginning with actually eating breakfast and choosing eggs, maybe with avocado and cottage cheese, or some tinned tuna. The help is already paying off! We will meet again next week and I’ll learn something new that will help me reach my goals.
Juniper also has a private members Facebook community where everyone supports each other in their journey. At a time when women are often shamed for using support to achieve weight loss and health this is so important, and is a safe space to share my journey and ask advice. I’ve already introduced myself and have had a few cahsts AND picked up a healthy protein cheesecake recipe.
I’ll be sharing my updates here so please ask questions and chat with me about it as I’m happy to share my experience, my success and everything I learn along the way!
Find out more about Juniper here.
Evie xoxo
