Jill’s Slimpod Journey: How She Rediscovered Her Weight Loss Mojo & Got Fit Naturally

So, Gill, hi. Thank you so much for joining me. Thank you. Now, Gill, you've had a really interesting journey, and this is— this is— it's just a little bit different. And I just thought I'd really, you know, we're going through this pandemic and everybody is fatigued with it, and people are just fatigued as well with with nothing to look forward to, etc., etc. And I thought your story would just be such an inspirational one for everybody because yes, it's about weight loss, but it's actually about something else as well. And that is the most important part of all, because I know that with this extra bit, so many people will resonate and they'll get something from it. So if you just want to summarize the way you felt before you joined, and yes, there's a dog, and the dog is looking for attention, and that's what dogs do, so don't worry about it, it's all fine. Right, I've got one too that looks for a lot of attention. Um, but, uh, but look, yeah, so you tell us a little bit about your relationship with food and the whole dieting culture before you joined, um, Slimpod, and then what happened, you know, with your Slimpod journey And then the most important part.

Okay, well, like many, many people, my journey's been a long old one. Over the last 20 years, I'd say I've tried every diet going for one reason or another, mainly because after children I put on weight and didn't lose it. And then I've gradually got worse and worse arthritis, which meant my mobility got worse. But those things really hampered my progress, as well as the fact that I just didn't get on with dieting. It's always made me fatter. Every diet I've ever been on, I've successfully done. I've lost stones on some of them, and it's always come back every single time. I got to the point where medical teams were saying, "You need to lose weight, you must lose weight," and I was feeling physically sick entering diet clubs. I hated them so much. I just— they make me feel— they made me feel down. They did not make me feel good about myself at all, and I vowed I'd never go to any more of those again. And I was on the point of going for bariatric surgery, in fact, which had been suggested by one of the team that was looking after me. And I went along eventually and got a hospital appointment. It took a long time, and I was really small compared to other people and also seemed to know a lot about how to diet rather than a lot of the other people that were there. And I decided not to do it because it seemed such a drastic measure. So I was scooting along trying to count calories and not really getting anywhere much. And SlimPod just kept coming up in my, my feed, in my Facebook feed. And I'd looked at it a couple of times and thought, oh, that can't really work, can it? Because I'm very much a skeptic as well, you know. Can it really work? I don't know. Totally forgetting that in my other life life before I retired, I was a teacher who actually trained people in some of these techniques myself, you know, hitting targets and finding things that work for your brain, you know. But not for me. I thought, that can't work. But finally I did have a go at it, and honestly, it was the best thing I've ever done in I don't know how long. It was literally— the magic did happen to me within the first week. Almost from the first time I listened to Trevor. The next day I got up, I walked more, I stopped snacking. It just felt absolutely amazing, you know. And I didn't tell anybody about it to begin with, but people were beginning to notice the difference in me, you know. My sisters were saying, 'How come you've walked to— down to the beach and back? You know, you never went there before,' etc., you know. And it's all just been fantastic. I went through the 12 weeks I lost 2 stone, or just under 2 stone, then went on to Extra, carried on, and everything was going fine and dandy really until I suddenly hit the block.

Yeah, and but then you were also, you were moving more, but you were move, you kind of had your moving limited, didn't you, before with yours?

Yes.

So how did, how did that work then? Was it just—

No, it's mind over matter purely, because I was before, I think the biggest difference of Slimpod pre and after is not weight or anything else, it's the fact that I used to be so self-limiting. I used to think, that's not for me, I can't do that, that's impossible. I'll give it a try, but it just— I won't be able to do it. And so I couldn't walk that far. As soon as pain started coming, I think, well, I've reached my limit. Somehow or other, listening to Trevor and all your wonderful work, that's been overridden. And I go, all right, it's painful, but I can carry on. Like, there's no reason why I can't walk further. And I have enough— I even overtake people now. It's almost unheard of. I shoot off like a rocket sometimes, you know. I'm just like, really, it's quite incredible. My husband just can't believe it either, you know, that I, I can't— I'm so active, you know. As I said, I've done 100 miles this month, you know. That would have been unheard of, you know, in any other January I can ever think of.

That's in January.

That's—

that is phenomenal.

Yeah, it's— I— and it's purely my mind.

Yeah, that thereby hangs a tale because it was the beginning of January that you I mean, the only way that you could describe it is that you had this major panic. What happened? What happened? Because this is the day that you're going to have to tell me.

I just woke up one morning and I felt like the magic had just gone.

Right.

That's the only way I can describe it. I had no desire to get up and exercise, which I've done every single morning since I started. I didn't want to go out for a walk. I didn't want to eat healthy foods. I didn't want to do anything, actually. It was a bit like the old Jill pre-that, you know, wanted to sit on the sofa and watch dreary things on the TV. And I felt almost like a bereavement. It sounds ridiculous, but the loss was quite incredible for a few days, and I was crying, just felt terrible. But of course, this did actually happen exactly when lockdown 2 happened, so it's kind of understandable in a way. But still, that—

yeah, and, and totally, because what happened what happens is that we don't— we get so consumed with the fear and, you know, the fear that actually, oh my goodness, you know, I can't go back to all that. That is just— I can't do that. I can't do that. And you forget, you don't even think about what's going on around you, you know, and the environment and how that impacts. And so, so yeah, but you then had had a chat with your buddy.

Sorry, yes, I did. I've got a wonderful buddy, Lisa. She's fantastic. Since I started Extra, she's been there for me, and we talk several times a week or message several times a week. And she was fantastic. She gave me a few suggestions of things to do, and she said, you'll get it back, you know, maybe just got to work at it a bit harder. You know, you were in— it was like a love affair, and now it's like a longer marriage. You've got to work at it a bit harder. What happened also was your wonderful team, Lynne, etc., were giving us so many good things to hook into that after a few days and I hauled myself out of that sort of mire, I just hooked into all of those things, you know, I really did. I went on to the Jumpstart January, I've done extra stuff, I've just done anything that was offered. I think part of it was this dread and part of it maybe just a bit of boredom coming in in these short dark days and now I've given myself so much extra to do that it's been really fantastic. I'm very pleased to see this morning that Lynne started something for February as well, so that's great.

Absolutely, totally, that was inspired by you as well because, you know— Oh good! That was totally— but you also said that part of the thing was the Done by One.

Yes, that probably was the best thing because every day I write in a notebook things that I have to do. This is nothing to do with SlimPod, that's just my normal jobs. And I was spreading them out during the day to make sure that I've got something to do all day. But supposing it was really raining and I'd said I was going to go for that walk in that morning, and then I didn't because that afternoon it was still so bad, I might not have done it all. But now I'm doing it all by one. I go out hook or by crook, no matter what it is. I get out there and do it. I do all my housework, I do absolutely everything virtually by one, which means by the afternoon and after lunch I can do some of that self-care stuff now as well. You know, that's a really good thing. So it's really, really helped me to focus more in the mornings. Yes, that was a great thing.

Do you know what? That is also the single thing that got me through kind of 3 weeks of January because I was struggling too. And so, you know, not with my weight because I'm kind of past that now, but honestly, there were— chocolate has crept in and gin and tonics have crept in. And so the Done by One thing was just make— just, I just— that's just so important because it is really helpful. You get the things done.

Such a sense of achievement.

Absolutely. And it is that then that motivates you. It's that feeling that you've done it motivates you and you get that buzz. So yeah, perfect. So now you are back on track, I hope.

Yes, I think I'm definitely back on track. I'm definitely feeling fully charged again.

Amazing, amazing.

I do a different exercise every morning now. I'm just trying to find something different every morning just to keep that going as well. I still love doing all the program, you know, I've always really liked writing in my notebook in every way. I like doing the Reflection. I enjoy it all, you know, I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoy it and I would really recommend it to anybody. It's just, as I say, one of the best things that's happened to me in a long while. And the great news is I can definitely see me getting slimmer and fitter still, you know, definitely. It's not, it's not going to happen for me, it's going to happen for me, it definitely is going to. I'm going to be there.

Fantastic. Well, you're— I mean, you're looking great now.

Oh, thank you.

You are, and even, even 2 stone— well, I don't know what your goal is, but 2 stone off is—

Oh, it's quite a lot. I've still got about another 3 stone to lose.

Oh my goodness.

But I do feel so much better already, you know.

Well, your top half isn't reflecting that, Gill. You're looking great.

Thank you. Thanks very much.

And so, Gill, something's happened with your husband in all of this as well, hasn't it?

Yes, because obviously I feed my husband and he has to kind of eat the same sort of diet that I do. Since SlimPod, he's managed to come right down on his medication for diabetes. He's actually lost 10% of his weight and he looks really good and he feels so much better too. So it's, it's been really, really good news for both of us.

Amazing. And that's all because you're eating healthier, healthier at what you're eating, you know, the food you're eating. And yes, he's just benefiting and he's enjoying it apparently.

Yes, he is enjoying it. Yeah, I never thought he would change the whole wheat pasta. He's a pasta monster, but you know, he does and he's really enjoyed it. Yeah, but he's also enjoyed, you know, just seeing how much more fit and active and healthy I look too. So, but it's just been good for both of us. Yeah, amazing family.

So thank you, honestly, thank you so much. And, you know, and then this is just, you know, so many people hear me say, talking to people who have lost weight and all the rest of it, and I just think this bit with this blip is what, you know, so many people need to hear.

Um, and if they haven't got a buddy already, I'd highly recommend getting somebody that you can talk to who's on a similar journey. It has so helped me as well, it really has.

Absolutely fabulous, great stuff.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Sandra. Lovely to speak to you.

Yeah, you're going to help so many people with that.

Thank you.