A s my son Nick’s face fell, I frowned. He’d just come back from a day at the water park with his support group and should have been full of smiles. ‘I’m disappointed in myself,’ Nick, then aged 22, said. ‘They wouldn’t let me on some of the slides because of my weight.’ It broke my heart.
At 6 foot, 6 inches tall with size 16 feet, Nick had always been a big boy. But although he loved to watch Sydney Swans or Manly Sea Eagles footy games, he didn’t play much sport. Diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at three, Nick always loved big greasy breakfasts with bacon, eggs, hash browns and sausages.
My husband Brian, 59, is a great cook and we often tucked into delicious healthy Croatian dinners to celebrate his heritage. But for Nick, the lack of movement and hours playing video games meant weight had just piled on. As he wore 7XL T-shirts, buying clothes was a real challenge. And Nick wasn’t the only one who needed to lose a few kilos. Sitting at work all day doing sales admin for a cleaning company, I just couldn’t shift any weight. And my vice was Turkish Delight choccies.
A size 20, weighing 99 kilos, at a tiny 160cm tall with size 24F boobs, I’d given up hope of losing weight. A few weeks later, in February last year, I came home to find a large box on the kitchen counter. ‘It’s The Man Shake diet starter pack,’ Nick said. It included powdered shake sachets to replace Nick’s brekkies and lunches. And I was relieved it hadn’t been too expensive. That’s good, I thought, wondering if he would stick to it. When we weighed Nick, I was shocked as the scales juddered at 160 kilos.
Nick began having a chocolate shake for breakfast and lunch, with a normal dinner such as pasta or roast pork. He surprised me by sticking to it religiously. I couldn’t believe it when a month later he stepped on the scales and he’d lost eight kilos.
‘That’s amazing,’ I gasped. Well, if Nick can do it so can I! I vowed. So at the end of last April, I decided to give The Lady Shake a whirl. Before I started, though, I messaged The Lady Shake and The Man Shake team to say how good it was for Nick. They began sending certificates to reward Nick as well as hats and T-shirts – he loved it and it spurred him on.
Us before our weightloss (left) and me recently (middle), and Nick (right) in his suit for the Swans party.
(Credit: Supplied)As I have a sweet tooth, sipping the chocolate shake was just like drinking a chocolate milkshake, and there were other flavours including strawberry, vanilla and caramel that I enjoyed too. The protein in the drinks kept me feeling full, and there were nutrients in there too to help keep me healthy.
Feeling inspired, I started going walking in my lunch hour. Pounding the tracks in nearby bushland, I returned feeling refreshed and fitter. As Nick was working with me in sales admin, we began walking together. And at weekends we walked for an hour each day. Suddenly my skin was glowing and I had so much more energy.
At night we had healthy stir-fries for dinner, but allowed ourselves chicken parmi and fish and hot chips for treats. The weight slid off Nick. In six months he’d lost 24 kilos. But, even better, for every kilo he shed Nick’s confidence seemed to soar. It was wonderful to see.
He started booking tickets to see the Sydney Swans play all over the country – in Melbourne with his sister Casey, 39, and in Adelaide and on the Gold Coast on his own. He even started rubbing shoulders with the players when he got involved with club get-togethers. Soon everybody knew him.
Wherever he went, Nick took a photo for his Instagram. Seeing himself on social media with the players boosted his confidence no end. ‘I need a suit, Mum,’ he told me when he got invited by the team to a Swans cocktail party last August.
As he tried on a suit, Nick smiled so broadly I was thrilled. ‘You look wonderful,’ I said tearfully. I’d never seen him so happy and brimming with confidence. Look at him now! I’d post online at The Lady Shake Facebook group. And everyone cheered him on.
I was thrilled to find the weight sliding off me steadily too, and soon I felt more in proportion to my petite frame. ‘You look great,’ people at work marvelled. I was excited when I hit the shops and found a bra that fitted.
I’d never felt better. By Christmas I’d lost 15 kilos, weighing 84 kilos. Now my goal is 80. But Nick’s the star! Recently he was weighed at the doctors. After losing 30 kilos, which the doc said is a great weight for his height, Nick now wears 2XL. Nick is my inspiration. He’s taken up boxing and is joining a gym. It’s like having a new son. I’m so proud of what my boy’s achieved!
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