Josh: Hi there, this is Josh from DVCC Bedford, and I am sat here with a client, Carolyn Dawson, who has been training at the DVCC since mid March and we’ve just had a bit of a landmark result. So, to commemorate, we’re just going to have a little bit of a chat about Carolyn’s journey throughout the DVCC.
So Carolyn, would you like to introduce yourself and just say what results you’ve achieved in that time?
Carolyn: I am Carolyn; I’m coming up for 48 and I really had a target of getting fit and healthy before I turned 48, and I’m really delighted to say I feel a lot fitter, a lot healthier and I’ve *lost just over 20lbs of fat in 4.5 months.
Josh: Awesome work! To take everyone back on a little journey, I’d like to talk about before you were a client at the DVCC.
How long were you concerned about your weight?
Carolyn: It had been steadily going up each year, to the state where last year I couldn’t fit into a size 14 and had to buy a size 16 pair of trousers last summer. I was holding a big event with loads of people and I was having to get up on stage, and I really didn’t feel at all uncomfortable; even the big knickers didn’t do anything to hold in the fat, so my confidence has gone really down. It’s probably been 5 years; each year it’s just steadily gone up and up and up.
Josh: And in that time, in that 5 years, have you tried to take action to *lose weight before?
Carolyn: Nothing concerted, like I would try to cut out various food types and, interestingly, eat more carbs and things like that and cut down on meat, thinking that was the healthy thing to do. So nothing really concerted and I used to fool myself that going for a nice walk on a weekend was enough.
Josh: Did you see any results in those 5 years?
Carolyn: Nothing whatsoever.
Josh: How did it make you feel, as your weight was slowly creeping up?
Carolyn: My confidence was going down and down and down; and really feeling quite lethargic as well. I noticed my energy levels were down and I was becoming really self conscious, which is difficult for the work that I do. And also, I am a firm believe in being healthy on the inside and out, and it felt like I was out of integrity on that because I wasn’t being healthy either on the inside or the out for me; so it affected all sorts of different areas.
Josh: Such as?
Carolyn: As I say, the confidence, the ability to do my work, being really conscious about being on camera; everything – personal *life, you name it. It affected all different aspects. And I know my parents were concerned; it’s interesting, it’s only after I started doing this, they said thank God you’re doing something because we were really worried about you, we were thinking you were at risk of diabetes.
There is diabetes in the family and they were concerned about the amount of weight that I had put on in my middle, but of course being parents, they didn’t want to say anything until after I started doing something.
Josh: So how do they feel about it now?
Carolyn: They’re absolutely delighted; I’ll come home from a session and my mum is there and she’ll say, “Oh my God, you look brilliant!”
Josh: That’s so nice to hear, so nice.
So what was really the breaking point, when you decided to take action and start *losing weight?
Carolyn: This is quite emotional actually; my stepson’s girlfriend who we’re really fond of, her mum died in January and it really made me take a hard look at myself - that someone that’s a similar age to me died. It affected me to the stage where no more can I keep going on pretending that everything’s alright, and I really need to start doing something. That was what really triggered me into it.
Josh: And what drew you specifically into the DVCC?
Carolyn: It was one of those synchronistic things; I got one of those leaflets through the post just at the time where I was thinking that I really needed to do something, I’m committed to doing something; and in popped this through the post.
Josh: Call of fate!
Carolyn: Yes; so I had a look around. I put it to the side for a day or two, then I had a chat with someone and they said just go for it; you’ve got nothing to *lose, so I came here.
Josh: So did you have any preconceptions about what the DVCC would be like, before you came?
Carolyn: No, and honestly I think if I knew too much about it beforehand I might not have signed up, immediately. Because I didn’t realise the whole giving up carbs thing until after I’d signed up, and then it was too late! But I’m so glad, because had I contemplated it too much, I might have talked myself out of doing it and I wouldn’t have been here now.
Josh: Initially, in your first days of becoming a DVCC client, how did you cope with those obstacles, like the mental challenge of having to reduce the amount of carbohydrates you’re eating?
Carolyn: Determination; I’m pretty much an all or nothing person, so if I’m doing something I do it 100%, so setting myself that target right from the offset. Just going out and buying lots of green stuff, I remember, for the first few weeks and finding ways to enjoy it.
And I actually started to enjoy finding different ways of cooking and enjoying eating differently. Dave started getting in on that as well and he’s benefited in some ways from some of the meals that we’ve been cooking in the evenings, and he’s lowered his carb intake as well now.
Josh: Good, that’s awesome. And I know it has become a lifestyle for you. There have been times when you’ve been away for a few weeks from the DVCC on holiday, and actually having come back you’ve managed to *lose fat.
So how does it feel to be able to do that and have the confidence in knowing that it’s not just when you’re at the DVCC that you can have results, you can take what you’ve learnt and apply it wherever you are?
Carolyn: I think it’s great and it’s really interesting; everyone’s always curious about what’s going on and so you share it with them, and you can see them looking and thinking that sounds interesting, looking at the results. A lot of people are saying that carbs are bad and they’re starting to reduce their carb intake. So it’s really interesting – and it’s easier than you think it’s going to be, if you set your mind to it and do a little bit of planning, it’s much easier than you imagine.
Josh: Nice. So friends are starting to pick up on what you’re doing, what you’re eating. And how do you feel about giving them information?
Carolyn: I’m happy to share my story with them, and you can see the cogs ticking in their mind, they’re thinking I want a bit of that.
Josh: Good! So what’s your favourite aspect of being a client at the DVCC?
Carolyn: Aside from the great results, I’m really loving the physical activity. Because I remember as a child I was always really physically active; I was a gymnast and an athlete, and I haven’t done that for years. Getting back in touch with that part of me, I’ve really enjoyed; pushing myself physically; it’s energising, I love that feeling of being physically exhausted.
Josh: And how has it transferred into your daily *life – how is your day different than it was before you were a client?
Carolyn: Much more energy, which is one of the key goals I wanted. And the other thing I have noticed is my mental strength. I’ve really developed my mental strength to the extent where I’m pushing myself beyond what I think I can do, which is really incredible and really helping in my work, and in all sorts of silly things - like the thing where I was running for a train! I never, ever used to run for a train; firstly because I just discounted myself being physically able to do that and just too lethargic, can’t be bothered to do that.
And then just a couple of weeks ago I looked at my watch and had ten minutes to the train and thought, why not? Give it a go. And I had the physical strength and noticed that the mental push I’m now able to give myself is brilliant, I didn’t expect that!
Josh: I remember receiving that text on a Friday night and, honestly, it put a smile on my face for the rest of the evening. Because it’s those benefits that you don’t immediately think about when you’re involved in the process; it’s easy to focus on the fat *loss and things like that. But those little benefits, stuff like that, it really does go a long way to making a difference day to day.
So, would you recommend the DVCC to your best friend? If so, what would you say?
Carolyn: Yes, absolutely. I think everyone could do it and I think it works if you’ve got the commitment to it. Because this isn’t something that you can come and play at doing like you can do at most gyms, where you can turn up and go through the motions and get mediocre results. If you’re really committed to being healthy, to *losing weight, to a different way of *life – and a sustained way of *life – then this is what you do.
Josh: Carolyn, thank you very much for going into such detail there, it’s very much appreciated and I hope everyone listening has been able to benefit from listening to Carolyn’s story at the DVCC.
Thank you very much, this is Josh from the DVCC; I’ll see you next time – bye!
