A Story of Wellness Inspiration

by Claire, 2 years ago

Please find below the most amazing story of inspiration from one of my clients, Heili Ellis.

Heili is spreading the message that YOU CAN DO IT!  Heili ran her first 21km race over the Easter Weekend – the Two Oceans Half!
Read her own personal story below and see how far she’s come! And if you think that you can’t do it, just realise that it CAN BE DONE.  So get off the couch, and make the change in your life, just like Heili did!

“A few years ago, I made a decision to lose a considerable amount of weight by my 30th birthday. Being at a whopping 123 kg’s, I knew it wasn’t going to be easy but I knew something had to be done.

I suffered from frequent and severe migraines (aside from back pain and other health problems), which led me to seek advice and relief from my migraines from an ENT specialist. After he examined me, not being able to find the cause of my migraines, he pulled his chair closer to me and said, “My dear, you have to do something about the current state of your health. You have to make a plan to lose weight and very soon.” All I can remember, thereafter, was “balling my eyes out” in front of that doctor because I knew he was so right.

 It was a few months later, after my visit with the doctor, that I finally got my act together and bought a few health / fitness magazines for guidance and read the motivational stories. It was the motivational stories of those, who successfully achieved their health / weight-loss / fitness goals that inspired me to make a start.

I wasn’t confident nor comfortable exercising outdoors or at a public gym so I bought myself a treadmill and started walking 10 minutes max. which left me breathless but I felt so good. A few weeks later, I came across a 12 week, 10km running program and l slow-jogged my first 30 seconds and thought my lungs were about to explode! Over time, I gradually added minutes to my very slow walking / jogging until I eventually could go for about 30 mins. It was a bit of a struggle committing myself to a routine on the treadmill (my only form of exercise then) but it was the after-exercise endorphins that kept me going.

My 30th birthday arrived and I had lost a little more weight than I anticipated and was ecstatic! I was in a reasonably healthy routine with my eating habits and regular exercising but after a while, my weight wouldn’t  budge further and I hit a plateau. I never managed to complete the 10km running program because I battled to push myself further on the treadmill and was stuck on the 4th week of the running program.

Although I never really gained the weight that I had lost, it was a new struggle to get “things” moving again. I was just over my halfway mark with my weight-loss and I became so demotivated and depressed, not knowing how to movE forward from that point.

One day, while reading and searching  information on one of the health / fitness facebook pages, my prayers and cries for help was finally answered.  I was drawn to a post / comment made by Full Circle Wellness on this facebook page. It was not the post itself that got my attention, but the name “Full Circle Wellness”  that made me curious to find out MORE!

Not knowing who the person behind Full Circle Wellness was, I requested some information regarding services being offered. Immediately I received feedback.  I was so taken aback with every response I received because it was exactly what I was searching for….and even more….that I cried! Yip, I had tears streaming down my face (happy tears!) 

I went for my first bootcamp session in May last year, almost 11 months ago and have been hooked ever since.  I remember my first assessment with Claire; the 10km Gun Run went down as one of my first race goals that I would work towards. I honestly believed, then, that I would not be able to run 10km but October 14th arrived….and I did it!

Bootcamp sessions has been and still is exhilarating and invigorating fun for me. Besides drastically improving my health, fitness, weight-loss goals and well-being, it has also become my happy place where I can “run wild” and let go of the days’ stresses in the evening sessions or giving me the edge to face the days’ challenges with the Early morning sessions. It’s so inspiring bEing surrounded by a group of fun and energetic ladies who also share the same enthusiasm and dedication to the sessions, working towards their goals too…what a blessing!

I was also introduced to trail running on Constantia Greenblt on Saturday mornings, which prepared me for my first Cape Summer Trail Series.

Never in a million years would I have ever imagined that I would be where I am today, with my current state of health and energetic lifestyle.  

I am so thrilled and so blessed to have finally reached my goal…..my goal of living a healthy and active lifestyle….and still losing weight, with carbs! This has been a truly holistic achievement and adventure for me and I do feel my Wellness has come Full Circle!

Heili Ellis”

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