Jeni Donald

I joined Vision in July as part of a my not so new half- yearly resolution after failing to follow through on the New Years Resolutions I set earlier that year. It was a list of the usual promises made after a silly season filled with food and fun. I was going to eat better, exercise more, get fitter and look after myself. I had spent the first six months of the year making all the usual excuses: I was really busy, I was too tired, my diet wasn’t that bad and of course, I’ll do it tomorrow. In reality, my excuses were just a smokescreen for the truth- in actuality, I really had no idea where to start. I had tried a variety of eating plans, joined a number of gyms, collected and read the books and watched all the videos. I was still stuck at square one, wondering what I was doing wrong.

Once I joined Vision, I realised it wasn’t any one thing that I needed to tweak. I had consistently made a series of choices that kept me on a treadmill of one step forward, two steps back. It was time to step off it and try something new. I found having a personal trainer who takes inventory of my habits, helps me set goals, and holds me accountable throughout my journey has made all the difference in the world. My trainer helped me learn more about nutrition, not just about food, and why my past efforts were unsuccessful. He’s helped me discover exercise isn’t just cardio and how important weights are in getting the results I was seeking. I realised it didn’t take that much time, and surprisingly I had more time in my day now that I had more energy and wasn’t tired all the time.

Most importantly, I found a fitter, stronger, healthier version of myself- my bloodwork is the best it’s been in ages, I’m no longer short of breath when exercising and I can lift 15kg more than my body weight! In addition, I’ve found a group of like-minded and welcoming people who support my pursuits and celebrate my successes. This time, I’ve started my New Year right: with Vision, no excuses, no procrastinating and I’m excited to see what new challenges and new accomplishments the future brings!