Three months ago, I started on a programme to lose weight, get healthy and bring my diabetes under control. It is a personal mission, but I did it on a public stage in the hope that my health-quest will trigger greater public health awareness, and encourage viewers to take on their own personal challenge. And trust me, it wasn’t easy: first of all I’ve never done a story about myself, much less a whole series, and second, if you taught sticking to a diet was difficult, well, try doing it with the whole nation watching what you eat. You folks out there, our viewers made sure I watched what I was eating, and that I kept to my public commitment, and I’m grateful.
But what started on May 19th ends tonight, or at least the public part of it. This is the sixth and final instalment of battle of the bulge when I get my final report card from my nutritionist and trainer. Did I make the grade? Here’s the story.
Jacqueline Godwin Reporting,
This is how I looked on May 19th and this is how I look today but what you see on the outside, is only a small part of this story. I’ve undergone a three month transformation in my appearance, my health and my outlook. It required work, dietary and lifestyle changes, and then, more work to get right with my health.
For years, it had been an uphill struggle to control my diabetes and hypertension but I realized at the age of forty three the chronic illnesses would eventually contribute to my own demise. It has been a challenge, a battle really, to remain committed to a daily one hour workout regimen but I had three months to prove that through diet and exercise you can control your glucose levels, high blood
pressure and maintain good health.
From May nineteenth to August twentieth I have been able to manage my health conditions, lose weight and tone my entire body…and if you have been following battle of the bulge then you know it was no easy feat. When I first started out on the fitness and health challenge I weighed in at one hundred and sixty five pounds and through strict diet and exercise I was able to lose a total of 18 pounds! But more than that, I can manage my workouts and instead of begging my trainer to stop, I’m challenging him to push me harder. Since July fifteenth the goal has been to tone, strengthen and build muscle.
Robert Mariano, Trainer
“The last time I showed Jackie’s leg you couldn’t even see the muscle showing. Now if you notice a lot of muscle are showing the inside and the outside on the quads so that means she has improved a whole lot more
from the last three to four weeks when we did the last show. She has improved a lot more.
If you notice now, Jackie first had some cellulite on her leg and now if you notice now it is purely the skin literally tight and the muscles are really showing. You don’t see no lumps at all, the skin gets smoother. From the calves you can see definition in the calves and the legs and the hamstrings come up all the way up. When you do the quads, you will see the difference how she looks now.”
The goal now is continue to tone up and maintain my body weight.
Robert Mariano,
“Just like you have a job which you goes to, you have to take this like your job where you have to go everyday. You can’t say I won’t go this week because I am tired or I don’t feel too good.”
Battle of the bulge has also been carefully managed by the Belize Integral
Family Clinic where nurse Kira Nu’man and medical specialist Dr. Carlos Crespo kept tabs on my health.
Kira Nu’man, Nurse - Belize Integral Family Clinic
“You have been on a steady track with your sugar and your pressure maybe elevates then it lowers but gradually it becomes controlled and that is what you want to do, to control it but this reading is very very normal.”
Dr. Carlos Crespo, Medical Specialist - Integral Family Clinic
“For me she looks totally different, very very healthy patient. Right now I try to reduce the minimum dosage of the insulin. This is a beautiful program and healthy healthy healthy for any community. The people in Belize need to know more about how important nutrition is in the life style for diet and exercise for you to in the future have healthy healthy life.”
My final measurements reveal that I have also made tremendous progress.
Karen Rosito, Nutritionist
“The leg has gone up, this is the best news – from the 19 it has gone up back to the 20.”
The three month workout has helped me to lose a total of three inches off my
hips, seven and a half inches around the waist and an inch from my upper arms. My pressure was perfect at 120 over 80 and the sugar was at 50.
Karen Rosito,
“Her bust line is now 38 and a half, half inch more to go for the perfect 38. The waist is 29 and a half, an inch and a half to go for the perfect 28 and the hips is 38 inches. She started out with 41 so she has come a very long way. My pressure was perfect at 120 over 80 and the sugar reading was at 50.
I see Jackie working out, I swear on Sunday. So if you all will sit at home and believe that you all will be like Jackie, you can’t be like Jackie by sitting on your bums.
Lookout for the greatest challenge ever, something like Battle of the Bulge on Channel 7 and we will probably be choosing ten ordinary Belizeans, ten to twelve, and have them go through this. It will be sponsored so I think you all can do that. It will be three months leading up to December so lookout for it because I think what Jackie has done has shown the Belizean public that you can do it.”
My success would not have been possible without the support of my gym instructor, nutritionist, Belize Integral Family Clinic, you the viewers, friends, co workers and family. This final segment of battle of the bulge was held in memory of my dad Charles Woods Sr. He passed away on August 18th, 2007… only one year before I finally got to achieve what he had only wished I could do. And while I had my own personal motivation, you too are now being challenged.
Karen Rosito,
“What I want to challenge Belizeans is even you can’t afford it, even if you don’t have time in your schedule to please try and do it for your help.”
Trust me, there is no secret recipe, no miracle drug, just great personal effort, determination and willpower – untapped resources that we all have in us – resources that I didn’t know I had until I was pushed to make the change. Of course I will continue on my health journey and hope I have motivated you to do the same.
As we said the three month challenge ends tonight. It doesn’t mean that I won’t keep up with my health and workout, but I’ve reached my target, so if you see me munching on a greasy fried chicken later tonight, cut me some slack, I’ll be celebrating!
