Marian Matheson

I joined Vision in February 2020 after my husband had purchased a voucher at a sportsman’s lunch. He knew I had been struggling with my weight… again. It has been a rollercoaster ride for me. I lost 20 kgs with Weight Watchers for my wedding in 1999. I kept that off until I had my children. That weight stayed on me for a number of years. I went back to Weight Watchers with my girlfriend and managed to lose 15 kgs this time. A girlfriend referred me to a Naturopath that she was seeing. I had been diagnosed with IBS in 2001 and she knew I had been struggling with managing this condition and my weight. He focused on whole foods and a very low-carb diet. Doing this, I lost another 15 kilos before I turned 40 – I maintained a healthy weight for 6 years. Then old habits started to creep back into my life again.

I was a working mother with 2 active boys needing to be taken to sport activities and fitting in meetings, volunteering on the footy club committee – things just seemed to get away from me and I stopped prioritising myself. My clothes started getting tighter, I felt uncomfortable and I was back to that awful feeling of low self-esteem and being fat again. I turned 47 in December 2019. I don’t dread turning 50, I dread not living past 51. My Mum died suddenly at 51 from a massive heart attack. My logical mind knows that I do not live an unhealthy life (my mum was overweight and a heavy smoker too – and I don’t smoke – never have). There is a narrative in the back of my mind that started to stir… if I don’t do something about my weight, could I have only 4 years left with my boys and my husband? Would I be ok with that? No, definitely not!

My husband buying me that voucher was a huge blessing. I started at Vision just before Covid hit – so I didn’t get very long with face-to-face training before we were zooming training. I was assigned to Jordan and he has been my trainer ever since. He has been so influential to my continued success. He knows his stuff and explains things to me in a way I can understand – which isn’t always easy! He answers questions and makes me laugh. I talk about my challenges and he really listens when I tell him about my struggles. It took me a while to get the confidence to join group training, but he kept encouraging me.

In September 2020 I had shoulder surgery for an injury from 2019. I will be honest - I was worried how it would affect my progress – and my mindset. I was in a sling for 6 weeks. I wasn’t really prepared for how much this would affect my balance- even going for walks was awkward! I shared all of my Surgeons notes and recovery plan with Jordan. He incorporated these and adjusted my training sessions to work with me and help my rehab. He was supportive and cautious with me (and has helped my legs to be very strong!) I have just finished the 9-week challenge. I am so happy with my progress.

With Jordan’s encouragement, I even joined the run club – which I never thought I would do! I was so apprehensive when I first joined, but everyone was so friendly and welcoming. I love ringing the bell to announce my successes. I love seeing the numbers on the scale go down. But what I love most is how good it feels to feel how strong I have become and that turning 51 is less daunting now that I am healthy. The app is easy to use and helpful. I like the Seminars. I’ve done the shopping tour. I read the articles. Everything that Vision offers has helped me get to where I am now and will help me to get where I want to be.