The year I got my life back into shape.

15 April 2011: Two years ago, 45 year old software designer Jacques Theron realised he was dangerously overweight and needed to do something about it.

“We’d just got back from a family holiday in the states and I’d had a terrible time trying to keep up with the kids and go on the rides at the theme park, my legs were chaffing and I was constantly out of breath,” he recollects. “I weighed just over 120 kilogrammes and, although I hadn’t received any bad news from the doctor, I knew I was pushing my luck on the health front.”
The butt of his older brother’s ‘fatty’ jokes, Jacques didn’t appreciate how unhealthy he was, but knew he wasn’t in a good place. “I had developed ways of avoiding it,” he remembers, “like not looking at photos with me in or thinking about how much of a challenge tying my shoelaces had become. I’d also got used to feeling uncomfortable and suffering heartburn every time I ate. Despite my best efforts, though, it was starting to bother me, and realising I couldn’t do fun, active things with the family really got to me.”
The large financial corporation that he works for had been offering their employees a routine annual wellness screening for the last five years. Each year the main areas of concern within the group were always the same, namely high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and stress.  In 2009 the management decided to assist their employees by initiating a weight-loss challenge and Jacques jumped at the chance. “I’d tried to lose weight through dieting and exercising by myself before without success. My work offered us a variety of programmes to choose from, but the lighthouse programme from the Medical Nutritional Institute excited me because of its holistic, supportive approach,” explains Jacques. “I’ll admit I was also motivated by the fact that the top three participants would win prizes — back then I didn’t realise that the real prize would be the improvement in my quality of life.”

Holistic approach the key
According to the World Health Organisation’s classification, Jacques belonged to the most severe category of obesity, namely class III. Eighteen months into the programme, however, Jacques had shed over 40 kilogrammes and dropped from a size 48 to a 34. He believes that the success of the programme is because it has a proven new product at the heart of it and also tackles the numerous psychological barriers to weight-loss. “The product, developed by the Medical Nutritional Institute, helped regulate my insulin blood levels and cravings,” he explains, “which not only helped me lose weight faster, but also helped me get back on track after cheating and binge eating. This is important because, like it or not, you’re not going to stop being a food addict overnight.”
Having successfully completed the 113 kilometre Cape Argus cycle tour in March, Jacques believes that the psychological support he received as part of the programme was as important as the physical. “The mental conditioning provided was essential,” he confirms.
“There are some tough times — weeks when you don’t feel you’re making progress and your motivation drops or when your body starts to change — and you need help understanding what is happening or working out how you might be sabotaging yourself.”
“It’s all very well having a good eating plan and exercise regime, but you need guidance and support, “Jacques continues. “Having professionals guiding you at each stage makes a huge difference. The previous time I started exercising, for example, I just started running, but it put such a serious strain on my knees and back that I was too injured to continue after a week. A trainer, however, will get you doing the right combinations of exercises. The same applies to your mindset and thinking. I had a very useful session with a psychiatrist during the programme. It’s not just about professional guidance, either. You need personal support as well. I was lucky enough to have the other 20 programme participants to talk to, along with the support of family and friends.”

Rediscovered energy and renewed belief
Currently busy making alterations to his house and constructing balustrades and cupboards, Jacques claims the programme is responsible for his rediscovered ‘can do’ attitude. “I have more energy and like to take on challenges now, my achievements have helped me believe in myself,” he enthuses.
So what’s next for the rugby enthusiast and Stormers fan? “I would love to climb Kilimanjaro in the next five years,” reveals Jacques, “and I’m training for next year’s Cape Argus. I want to try and improve my time from five and a half hours to less than four — not bad for a guy who couldn’t pedal for more than five minutes eighteen months ago, I guess.”