Katie

Hi Mark,

I just wanted to thank you again for getting me on the food plan. 

When we first sat down to talk about a healthy diet, I was struggling to moderate my consumption of sugar; especially when I was stressed out from work. Whenever I had a difficult shift, or was feeling stressed or anxious in general, I would rely on coffee and caramel slices to make me feel calm and in-control again. 

When I started the food plan, my goals were to slim down a little in a way that supported my fitness goals, and to break the emotional-eating cycle. I achieved both: over a couple of months I lost around 5 kg and managed to substitute caramel slices for healthy alternatives when I was stressed.

I think the food plan worked so well for me because it gave me a framework within which I could learn to make healthy decisions autonomously. In the past, I'd tried to follow quite complex diets that focused on drastically restricting what I was consuming. Unfortunately, they always made me feel disempowered - not only because they were too complex or severe to sustain, but also because I would inevitably give up as soon as I made a mistake. 

Instead of restricting what I ate, the food plan gave me a list of healthy options to consider including in my diet. This not only made the process seem more positive, but also gave me the information I needed to take responsibility for my food choices. 

You always stressed to me that I didn't have to give up my caramel slices altogether, just like I didn't have to include foods in my diet that I disliked. The point was to develop better habits over time.

A year down the track, and I still bear the food plan in mind in my day-to-day life. Foods that were never a part of my life before - like soy, salmon, and the chia seeds I eat with my porridge! - are some of my greatest pleasures. I have a healthy food routine, I'm the lightest weight I've been in years, and most importantly I feel like I'm in control when I make food choices. 

Thanks so much for the constant support and encouragement, Mark. Here's to another year of fitness and healthy eating!

All the best,

Katie