‘I’m half my size!’
Meet Nicole Gully, the Weight Watchers Slimmer of the Year who lost an incredible 68kg!
Four years ago, Adelaide schoolteacher Nicole Gully never would have thought she’d be compared to slender Hollywood stars like Nicole Kidman, Jodie Foster and Julianne Moore.
But after losing an amazing 68.5kg, the 28-year-old now looks as if she would be at home on any red carpet.
Fair enough, too. She’s also a celebrity — Nicole’s just been named the Weight Watchers Slimmer of the Year! As she holds up a pair of her old size 26 pants, it’s hard to believe Nicole once weighed 133kg and struggled to fit into them.
These days, the bubbly redhead shops up a storm for her new figure, slipping easily into sexy dresses and tailored jackets. “I’ve always loved clothes, and shopping,” Nicole says.
“I used to pick out the smaller sizes for friends and say, ‘You’d look great in that.’ I flip through magazines now and know that it would look good on me and I could go and try it on.”
She’s fit for life and Nicole is grateful for much more than just her new look. She’s now a role model for her students and able to devote so much more energy to her classes.
“As all teachers do, I teach nutrition and health and fitness. I feel so much more confident in that now,” she admits. “One thing I wanted to do at school was a class called ‘joining in’. We have a circuit which I can join in, and it’s been great to do that.”
Her next step is to participate in the long distance run with the kids. Nicole hits the gym regularly, too, including BodyCombat classes.
“I used to never exercise,” she says. “But now I love walking, and I try to walk at least four times a week. I adore BodyCombat!”
Nicole married her husband Chris in 2004, and his ongoing support has kept her focused on her journey.
“My husband has been a huge support,” she says. “He was with me at my biggest and supported me the whole way through.
“He’s eating more gourmet food now. He used to be a steak-and three-veg kind of guy, but he tries vegetarian lasagne. He’s always been really fit and active, and it’s great for him to see me more that way. We go for long walks and both became members of a gym together. That’s been fantastic.”
Nicole credits her success on the Weight Watchers program to the support of her meetings and the flexibility of the Points plan, which allowed her the occasional treat.
“It was great not to have to cut foods out and to be able to plan my own meals,” she says. “It’s logical and easy to follow. It just makes sense to me. I followed the Points plan the whole way.
“Also, the meetings are fantastic. The people who attend share their experiences and keep you motivated and make such a difference.”
One of the side effects of Nicole’s weight loss has been her improved health.
“My ankles used to really hurt when I walked and I’d fall over a lot, which I think was because of carrying that weight,” she says.
“I was also at risk for heart disease and diabetes. It’s a relief to be in the healthy BMI [Body Mass Index] weight range now.”
Nicole is keen to start a family, too. Being at a healthy weight means falling pregnant will be easier, and she’ll also be able to keep up with the physical demands of raising a child.
“I wanted to know I was going to be a healthy mum,” she says. “That’s really important to me.” Hard work pays off and now she’s the Slimmer of the Year, Nicole is ready to take on the challenge of being a spokesperson for Weight Watchers — alongside her idol, Sarah Ferguson.
“It’s so exciting,” she says. “It’s a wonderful honour to be an ambassador for Weight Watchers. It’s great to have my achievement and my journey recognised.”
But she also acknowledges the four other state finalists in this year’s contest — Chrissy Bull (Qld), Natasha Cowan (NSW/ACT), Stella Nicola (Vic/Tas) and Emma Thickett (WA). They bonded like sisters during the intense judging process.
“This is a competition where we all win, because we all worked hard and our lives are so much better for it,” Nicole says.
Nicole’s weight-loss tips
- Don’t skip meals:
“I used to skip lunch. Of course I would come home from work starving and binge. That was a big habit I had to change. Now I eat all my meals. I like to make sure I have my lunch, and I look forward to it.”
- Keep an eye on your portion sizes:
“I’ve always loved food and always will, but my servings were way too big. I have more sensible portion sizes now, and I make good choices.”
- Learn to cook healthy food:
“I bake or grill. No frying! It’s also important to enjoy a range of different gourmet foods. We try heaps of new recipes all the time. That way you don’t get bored.”
- Plan ahead:
“I always plan for outings and meals ahead of time. I plan my weekly menu and include outings. I’m also very active in helping to select the restaurant, and I have my meal picked out well in advance.”
- Keep a diary:
“I record everything I eat. By doing that, I feel responsible and find it easier to get back on track straight away. I have also learnt to recognise triggers for overeating, and do my best to avoid them.”
