Melbourne couple, Erica and Andreas Karageorgopoulos, were on a family holiday in Greece when they first received comments from concerned family members about their weight.
“We were so embarrassed and uncomfortable…” Erica tells The Greek Herald exclusively.
“I always looked after myself fairly well, but when we were newly married and started a family, I had put on over 30kg post pregnancy. We were very comfortable and got into the habit of eating the wrong foods.”
This, as well as a medical diagnosis of diabetes, high blood pressure, reflux and fatty liver, saw the pair make their biggest lifestyle change yet. They decided to become ‘diet buddies’ and joined the 1:1 Diet by Cambridge Weight Plan.
“We were able to support each other through various temptations and motivated each other. It was a lifestyle change that we needed to have,” Erica says.
Psychologist, Jemma Doley, specialises in health coaching and she says Erica and Andreas’ decision to lose weight together was a great choice because it can keep couples accountable and on track.
“Going on a weight loss journey together increases our psychological commitment to them and makes it more likely that we will succeed. It can also decrease temptation, particularly couples who generally prepare meals together,” Ms Doley explains.
“Working on a goal with your buddy can also help keep you both accountable and on track. It’s also beneficial to build small “micro-habits” together.”
Erica agrees and says although she and her husband faced daily challenges during their weight loss journey, they were still able to achieve their goals because they supported each other.
“It was difficult but because we were doing it together, we kept each other accountable and motivated. The biggest challenge was when we had family dinner or special occasions. All of the delicious Greek food was always in abundance in front of us and with our Greek families always pushing to fill our plates up, it challenged us,” she says.
“[But] one of the advantages of doing the 1:1 Diet was that there is very little physical activity required. Andreas did go for his walks in the evening which helped him lose the weight faster, whereas I did minimal exercise and continued to lose the weight.”
In total, Erica says the pair lost over 100 kilograms together and their medical issues have completely resolved.
“It has been nearly two years since we started our health journey and we feel amazing,” Erica concludes. “We feel healthier, energetic, more confident and just generally feel more alive overall.”
