Shape Shifter at Studio Pilates Noosa
There is no stopping a woman on a weight loss mission when she is supported by her all-embracing Noosa community. Carlie Wacker shares her journey from fat to fit with Studio Pilates Noosa.
I turned 46 this year and found myself at my unhealthiest and unhappiest. I just couldn’t shift the extra weight and I’d yoyo from one fad diet to the next.
I had invested in every miracle weight loss supplement and gadget on social media (does anyone need a cellulite roller device?). I even fell victim to a sales pitch for a wristband that claimed to radiate metabolism-boosting waves into my body to lose a kilo a week. For your information, that didn’t work.
When my magic gadgets and inconsistent eating plans would fail, my confidence would drop and I would give up. On these days I figured I would just be overweight forever and eat to soothe my sorry situation. Hello yo-yo!
It was a lifestyle reset I needed, so on my birthday in September I gifted myself a final chance to get my act together. I was going to be fat forever or find my inner fit bits. So, I registered for the Amplify 6 Week Challenge at Studio Pilates.
I have always enjoyed Pilates – it’s the only exercise I look forward to doing but again, have always been inconsistent. Laz Pocze and Timea Pocze-Graf of Studio Pilates Noosa had teamed up with Jungle & Co and Noosa Supplement Co for this challenge and it felt like the village of Noosa had offered me a giant hug of support as I set about taking on a challenge that ended up becoming the lifestyle change I needed.
The week before my 6-week wellbeing adventure I had a consultation with nutritionist and founder of Jungle & Co Vladia Cobrdova to create an eating plan that would suit my busy lifestyle and goals. We decided on calorie-controlled weeknight meals.
Then I met with Skye Taylor at Noosa Supplement Co to explore what supplements would be helpful. We chose Protein Switch for a meal replacement and Keto Switch for an afternoon boost. I have always struggled to make decisions regarding food so I really liked the idea of someone telling me what to eat and when – struggle over!
As the first week commenced, I was feeling really motivated – smashed out five classes that week and was hopeful that I might stay motivated considering I usually have the attention span of a gnat. My husband Mark was super supportive too, forcing me to get out of bed and walk Noosa National Park every morning (even though I am the worst morning person).
It was the results from that first week that truly kept me going. I lost half a kilo, 3cms from my waist and 2cms from my bust and arms. If I could continue this trend, then imagine how my body might change after six weeks!
During week two I was feeling hungrier. My calorie-controlled meals were a lot less than I would normally eat and exercising more was making me want to eat more but I found the supplements helpful. In the morning I would only have a coffee, lunch was a Protein Switch shake and when I started getting hungry around 3pm I would have my Keto Switch drink (chocolate flavoured so it really satisfied my sweet tooth). I lost 2 kilos that week and another 2cms from my waist, bust hips and arms.
By week three I was still motivated because I was seeing results, I could feel my body was changing shape in the first two weeks but in the third week I could see it and feel it in my clothing.
The biggest struggle was making good decisions on the weekend and when I ate out (oh and limiting my wine intake).
I want to be honest; I drank wine during my challenge (don’t tell the trainers) but I did reduce the normal volume dramatically – plus I had my stepdaughters’ hens party and wedding. It’s all about balance, right?
I lost another 1.5 kilos in week four and more centimetres from my waist, bust and hips. In week five and six I saw the change in my body shape. I had dropped from a size 14 to a size 12 and people were commenting on my results.
At completion of the Amplify 6-week challenge at Studio Pilates Noosa I had lost a total of 5.5 kilos, 10cms from my waist, 6cms from my bust and hips and 4cms from my arms. It wasn’t the measurements that told the story though – it was how my clothing fit. I had finally stepped out of a size 14 into my old size 12 clothes and the game had changed – forever.
At Studio Pilates Noosa they say you will feel change in two weeks, see the difference in four weeks and people will start to notice and comment after six weeks – they were not kidding.
I finally made the lifestyle change that has seen me happier and healthier than I have ever been. I’m so stoked by my shape shifting that I intend to continue to follow the eating plan (it works for me) and I to do at least three Pilates sessions a week. If I can manage five classes a week for six weeks, then I have no more excuses.
With the unwavering support and guidance of my little Noosa Junction village I have achieved what I felt was unattainable at my age. I thought it was too hard to change my body in my mid-forties but how wrong I was. I can’t wait to see what my body is capable of as I continue my journey to ultimate health and wellness.
I could not have done this without the compassion and support from Studio Pilates Noosa owners Laz (a qualified Sports Scientist final year physio student) and Timea (a law graduate and Pilates instructor for over 15 years). These incredible humans are proof that we all have the power to be the change to better our lives and with the community they have created around their Noosa studio, we are unstoppable.
