At 118kg, Kylie Baker was taking medication for reflux and struggling to find clothes that she was happy with.
“I hated having my photo taken,” she tells WHO. Baker had struggled with her weight since adolescence; she could lose weight, but could never keep it off.
After seeing a naturopath, she’d begun to make changes to her diet, but it wasn’t until she saw an ad for Catalyst PHD on Facebook that things really changed.
“It was very close to my home and sounded like just what I needed,” Baker recalls.
Jeff, the owner and founder of Catalyst PHD, has his own incredible and inspiring weight- loss story: “Jeff constantly pushes me and reminds me what I am capable of … He always has the right advice to keep me on track and he works as much on my head space as he does on my physical strength and fitness.”
And the results show.
“I was told I look 10 years younger [the other day]! Considering I am fast approaching 50, this was the best compliment I could have received,” says Baker, who recently went skydiving in Queenstown, New Zealand, with her whole family.
“I was incredibly proud of myself and my family was thrilled I could do it with them. It is only through the changes I have made, supported and encouraged by Jeff, that I had the courage and confidence to do it.”
Where she once felt constantly tired, Baker now rises at 5.30am for a morning walk before work and makes sure she’s active every day. However, following a diet isn’t something Baker finds helpful.
“My main focus with my diet has been to be mindful about what I eat so I track my food each day … I don’t follow any particular diet as I want this to be a permanent lifestyle change that I can maintain. Flexibility is the key.”
Looking back, Baker can hardly believe how far she’s come.
“I recently visited a friend whose wedding I attended three years ago, and she showed me the beautiful book of photos from the day. When I turned the page to the photo I was in, I gasped in shock at the person I saw. I can’t imagine going back to that and I’m excited about entering a new decade with endless possibilities. I feel like I can achieve anything I set my mind to.”
Consult your doctor prior to starting any new weight-loss or fitness program.