About me
I have always had issues with my weight. It’s been a lifelong journey.
I’ve tried many diets including Australian Weight Watchers Online, 12wbt and The Biggest Loser Australian Online Groups, Paleo diet, Dr controlled Optifast Program, The Fast 800 Online Program, Dr Nowzaradan Recipes, Keto.
From 2000-2025 I was a member and helped lead and facilitate First Place For Health Program (which includes spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical health) for many years both local and online groups and trained Australian fp4h leaders from 2000-2009.. (Yes I’m Barb from Australia fp4h) and met many lifelong friends as a bonus.
I have not just battled with my weight up and downs/. I was anorexic at 21 and recovered through therapy, then got married had kids and couldn’t lose weight after that.
My weight loss journey had many severe health challenges during this time including 2007 heart valve repair, 2009 shrinking lung syndrome, (I was told I wouldn’t live to see Christmas 2010 but surgery and my determination won) plus various other autoimmune issues, obesity, insulin resistant and in 2023-2024 cancer.
I share my weight journey to show you all that by changing your gut biome, choosing the right foods for your body and getting the help from Dieticians and Drs does work if you persevere and don’t quit. You just have to find the ones who support your long term lifestyle of eating right.
I have always been a emotional eater but life circumstances kept throwing me detours. I once again was not just fighting weight but emotional turmoil.
In 2017 I went from cooking for 5 plus extra kids friends/and partners down to cooking for 1 overnight. I love to cook its my stress release. I was also catering for Church events.
I went through a lot of grief from my marriage breaking up and at the same time kids all moved out so I become a empty nest, all unexpectedly overnight. So it was a huge adjustment.
Slowly through lots of counselling and the support of my fp4h family I slowly started to pick up the pieces of my shattered life to start again.
In 2020 I was homeless for 4 months and there were no refuges as the waiting list was 10ys long here so I had to deal with being broke and homeless.
I returned home and lived seperated with my husband in one end of the house and I am in the other end to which is still the case today.
It was only few weeks after I returned home that my sister came to live with me for a while. She was able to get work and find accommodation of her own.
Shortly after that covid hit Australia with a 6 month lock down.
My kids were getting married or having kids of their own so a new role of being Grannie brought some much needed joy back into my life. A chance to rebuild a new family structure.
In 2023 I was diagnosed with cancer and had a 6 month wait for surgery.
I had a successful surgery.
2 Weeks later my brother-in- law died of another type of cancer. I had tried to support my sister and husband during his battle as best I could by facetime, being on the other side of the world to them.
I was still trying to navigate my own battle with cancer.
So I found myself helping my sister navigate all that went along with his passing while still trying to recover from my own surgery.
2 weeks after he passed, my 2 new grandchildren arrived a day apart (my son had a boy, the next day my daughter had a boy) it was all happening.
At my 6 week post op appointment I was cancer free. No further treatment needed. However I did contract covid at that appointment for the first time and it took me 2 months to recover. I lost my sense of taste for a long time. I wasn’t able to enjoy food.
I couldn’t help my kids with their newborns.
Then 12 months later, a day before my brother in laws 1st anniversary of his death, mum passed away.
The day of mums funeral, I was also diagnosed with diabetes type 2.
I worked hard and successfully reversed my diabetes. It took 6 months through dietary guidelines and following keto diet and Mediterranean diet without doing any exercise. It worked for me. My taste returned and I could enjoy food again. I know many have a view on keto but you do what works for your body.
I got off the diabetes meds and was given the all clear. No longer diabetic. (Blood in march 2026 confirmedit).
I have written a post on tips I did for reversing my diabetes so check that out on this blog.
Christmas 2025 my sister that lived with us before, moved back in with us, which has challenged me once again and I found I was having to readjust to a different life.
Since the start of the year i have had to deal with the extra grief of losing 6 friends this year. It has also been a huge lot of grief as some were my age. It showed me how life can be gone when you least expect it. I am learning how to navigate the grief without turning to food. I also learnt with the help of my Dietician that when I’m not hungry it can also be a grief response.
In August I became grannie again to another grandchild.
There have been a few family get togethers with food involved. I have learnt to adjust my eating out, with them. I get to enjoy seeing the kids and grandkids which has been lovely. They don’t all live near by anymore so time spent together is very precious.
I don’t normally share my private life online. I have learnt that alot of our eating habits come into effect through not just food but life’s circumstances and eating for emotional comfort can literally kill us.
I had to sort through the past emotions/trauma/grief and even the loss of who i once was. The me who was a mum and wife was no longer when the kids moved out/marriage ended/health conditions were my life. I had to see a psychologist to sort through it
So my weight journey continues to be ongoing but I’m getting to know the foods I can and can’t have. The continuous glucose monitor has helped immensely. I have lost 18 kilos (39lb) since Dec 2024. I still have more to lose but I’m alot better mentally now than before and no longer comfort eat emotions away.
Just had bloods done this week and have maintained with not having diabetes which I was super pleased.
Thank you for your support by visiting the blog (and reading right to the end of this long post.).
I hope my recipes inspire you . I update my daily recipes.
