Dianne
Playing frisbee in the car park, walking to the furthest of the local dairies for the office milk and comparing total daily steps with her buddy, all helped busy Canterbury practice nurse Dianneto lose 20 kg in 12 weeks!
Physical activity wasn't part of Dianne's busy day until she entered last year's Active Practice Sea 2 Sea - The Mainland Challenge.
Partnering with Dale (the practice receptionist), the pair began using pedometers to see how active they were. A fun, but competitive streak developed between the two women and soon they were finding different ways to increase their step-count and see who was leading the way.
An email arrived from Sport Canterbury telling them how another practice nurse had juggled work, family and injury to enter a triathlon. This got Dianne fired-up. 'I saw the email and thought I could do that too,' she said.
Cycling became Dianne’s new hobby, initially using a borrowed bike. She would ride round the lanes most evenings instead of sitting in front of the TV after work. With all this extra activity, Dianne soon noticed her weight was shifting - downwards!
Dianne was so proud of herself when she completed her first triathlon - especially because she had been totally inactive just six months earlier and hadn't swum since high school.
Frustratingly, this new surge in activity ended when Dianne injured her back and the subsequent operation ended her active new lifestyle. She was dismayed to see the weight creep back.
Push Play Day rolled around and with it, details of the next Active Practice Challenge. 'It was very timely - I'd no reason not to get active again - I'd just not got round to it,' said Dianne. She teamed up with her old Sea 2 Sea buddy, Dale, and soon they were back finding ways to be active at work. Dianne started losing her post-surgery weight right from the start.
At the same time, Dianne found a new cycling buddy when her husband, Peter, bought a bike. 'We love being active together. We cycle along the back of the beach, taking a picnic with us. We both feel fitter,' explains Dianne. 'Peter’s cholesterol level has also come down with the increased activity.'
Back at work, patients noticed the changes in Dianne and asked her for tips on how to lose weight. They see Dianne as someone they can relate to and similarly have struggled to control their weight. One inspired patient has now lost 10 kg and breathes much easier.
For Dianne, being a positive role model is one of her greatest achievements and has added a new form of motivation to keep up with her regular physical activity.
Updated | 06 Jul 2006.
Skip page tools.
