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Susan: “My cholesterol is now well within the healthy range!”

Susan joined Second Nature after experiencing several setbacks to her health. 8 months later, her life has changed in more ways than she could have imagined!

Susan: “My cholesterol is now well within the healthy range!”

Susan joined Second Nature after experiencing several set-backs to her health. She felt tired and lacked motivation most days and decided she needed to take back control of her health. 8 months after joining the programme, her life has changed in more ways than she could have imagined! Her cholesterol levels are within the healthy range and she’s well on her way to achieving her weight loss goals. She feels fitter, more confident, and much more optimistic than she has in a long time and looks forward to weekly runs with her daughter!

A little about you

My name is Susan and I joined Second Nature in May 2021. After several health setbacks, I felt I needed to take control, improve my health, and get myself out of my rut. I felt tired most days and had terrible joint pain. I was unmotivated. Then, I discovered my cholesterol – especially my LDL (‘bad’) cholesterol – had significantly increased, exposing me to a variety of health risks.

I finally decided I needed to lose weight, even just 5 kgs would make a significant difference in my health. In the past, I’d tried other plans (such as Weight Watchers and Atkins) but they were never long-term options that worked for me. I did a lot of research which led me to the Second Nature programme. I liked that the NHS recommended it and the reviews seemed overall positive, so I tentatively decided to give it a go. At first, I was sceptical the plan would be sustainable in the long term. However, I had a positive start and decided to give it chance.

“I love the large repertoire of delicious and healthy vegetarian recipes”

I soon learned that the programme is much more than a diet. It helps you with your mindset, exercise, sleep, and more. The articles are presented in a logical, step-by-step manner and guide you through the programme in a way that is accessible and helpful.

I really love the meal planning tool as well as the very large repertoire of delicious and healthy recipes. My family and I are vegetarian and the recipes catered to that with a wide range of excellent dishes. This aspect alone made joining well worth it!

“I feel fitter, more confident, and much more optimistic than I have in years, and it is wonderful!”

I broke my back several years ago, so when the programme got to the exercise aspect, I didn’t think I’d be able to do any of it and skipped over this subject the first time it was covered. However, I then started thinking that the path recommended was do-able. It was also always highlighted that everyone go at their own pace and find something that suited them. So, I began by walking – at first just 15 minutes at a time. It started to feel like I had more energy, and coupled with the weight I’d already lost, it wasn’t as daunting as I feared. I started walking farther and farther. At first, it was a few kilometres. Now it is at least 6-8 km, 3-4 times a week!

Last year, my kids began to train for a mandatory school track event and I decided to run with my daughter as moral support. At first, we just did interval training for 15 minutes. But after the track event, I kept on running. Now I run for a full 30-45 minutes 3 times a week. This was most unexpected for two reasons:

1) I thought I hated walking, and
2) I thought I hated running even more.

Now I love it! I look forward to my daily exercise, and I haven’t felt that way in years. My daughter continues to run with me on weekends. It has changed our lives in ways I’d never imagined. I feel fitter, more confident, and much more optimistic than I have in years, and it is wonderful!

“Second Nature gave me the tools I needed to improve my health, when I needed them”

Second Nature helped me take control of meal planning – something I had never done before. I now have less waste as I don’t buy a lot of produce I can’t or won’t use in a timely manner. My kitchen has become more streamlined and I am better able to stick with the eating plan by having everything prepared for the day. I’ve stopped snacking as a result.

Second Nature gave me the tools I needed to improve my health, when I needed them. My cholesterol is now well within the healthy range. My mindset and mood have also significantly improved and my fitness levels and energy are greatly increased. I can’t recommend the Second Nature programme highly enough!

“The SN team gently steer you to where you need to go to reach your goals, without judgement”

The Second Nature team are approachable, realistic, supportive, and a great information source for a wide range of topics. They gently steer you to where you need to go to reach your goals, without judgement. If you have a set-back, they help you get back on course and cheer you on when you are working to improve.

All-in-all, my journey with the Second Nature programme has been a rewarding experience and one that I am continuing with until I have reached my goals.

You can read more Second Nature stories here. 

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