How to shed 30kg in 7 months? Follow a healthy diet and exercise regularly, says Hong Kong executive challenged by back injury, thyroid disease, pre-diabetes and fatty liver
- ‘Some days I didn’t feel like training, but trusting in the process and maintaining momentum was imperative to the final goal,’ says Jane Carroll
- ‘I used to think that eating less would lead to weight loss. Now I know it’s eating the right calories instead of eating less calories that matters’
Dealing with just one illness can be a challenge – and for years, Jane Carroll had to manage several conditions at once. With little energy to get moving or to eat regular healthy meals, the Hong Kong executive and mother of three had piled on the weight.
She had gained weight after giving birth, and put on even more after taking antidepressants and painkillers for back pain.
The moment she tipped the scales at 100kg (220 pounds) in May last year, the 48-year-old knew she had to find a road back to health.
The hurdles were many: she was pre-diabetic; in severe pain from a lower back injury; was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease; and she had non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
“I developed unhealthy eating habits – not having my meals on time [or] skipping them, then eating large portions and not exercising, all of which led to the extra pounds,” Carroll says.
“I was fed up with the way my life was heading, both physically and mentally. I felt I had wasted so many years leading an unhealthy lifestyle and feeling unfit. I did not want to waste any more.”
