I lost 5 stone dancing... and now I am fitter than I was in my 40's

 

Like most women, I started to gain weight as my life and career changed. The children were becoming more independent,which meant I no longer needed to walk them to and from school, and a change of career to IT meant that I spent both my work and leisure time sitting in front of a PC.

 

A workaholic, I would love the weekends when I would shop early in the morning, clean the house so that I could relax by 11.30am when I deemed it appropriate to open a bottle of Merlot or South African Shiraz and spend the afternoon watching Nigella Lawson and Delia Smith cook up an array of great dishes.

Sadly for me, this sedentary lifestyle and excessive calorie intake paid its toll on my body, slowly increasing my dress size from a size 10-12 (from the age of 16 until 36) to a size 20 (...or 22 because I just couldn't bring myself to buy such a size)

 

I would sing "I'm a big Fat person" to the tune of the popular noughties track ironically called 'Lola's Theme' - by  Shapeshifters to laugh at my increasing physique. I was resigned to the fact that as you get older, you get fatter- after all by now I was 42...

 

 You would think the constant migranes, menstrual cramps and excessive swelling of my legs might have made me realise I wasn't doing myself any good. But no, it took some quite heart breaking comments from my husband, neighbours and a total stranger in Tesco's one morning to make me change my habits.

 

Once the decision was made, I drastically reduced my portion size, removed all startchy carbohydrates and meat from my meals, ate at particular times of the day and exercised 6 nights a week.   I had always hated the gym, I couldn't see the benefits of all those boring reps and didn't get on with the thumping drones of Aerobic music, but my past experience living in Spain brought a music to my ears that I fell in love with. Thankfully, the dance commumity in London for this dance was substantial enough for me to change my life forever....

 

I found SALSA.  I fell in love with SALSA, I was totally addicted to SALSA.  Dancing every night apart from Saturdays, I lost weight very quickly and then plateaued once  I started to perform. Once I realised I was the oldest on stage (even older than my teacher and director) I  knew I had to step it up. I changed my diet again, stepped up my water intake and off it went.   I developed a skill for losing weight, I started training to firstly, change my career from IT to dance and fitness and then become qualified to give people the skills to achieve lifelong weight loss.

 

My career change started in 2008 and today, I am now:

 

• Professional Qualified UKA Salsa instructor

• Founder of Dos-Seis Salsa Dance Company

• L2 Exercise to Music Instructor

• Spin Instructor

• L3 Exercise Referral Instructor

• L4 Obesity and Diabetes Specialist

• Zumba, Gold, Toning, Kids and Aqua instructor

• Aqua Aerobics Instructor

• Water Fitness Aqua Instructor's Tutor

• L3 Teaching Award Tutor

• Founder of the Skinni Chilli® Healthy Living Club

 

I now have the skills to motivate, educate and celebrate with people in need and wishing to lose weight - up to and beyond SUPER MORBIDLY OBESE BMI 70-

and in particular I will be working with the South Asian, African and Caribbean community who suffer from life threatening conditions at a much lower BMI than our Caucasian friends.  

I have managed to get my weight down to the optimal BMI 21 and have found a deep love for jogging.

 

My dream for 2015 is to develop a country wide community, fighting the battle against glucose based, nutritionally poor food and drink and become a recognised force in the WAR AGAINST SUGAR & OBESITY.

 

Judy Benoit Milner