Demi Infield Success Story
Demi reaches success through perseverance
Demi Infield enrolled on the first ever Active Teens programme in January 2013. Demi was 15 when she was referred by a paediatrician at North Shore Hospital and she was clearly struggling with her weight. At Demi’s initial consultation she came across as this confident and intelligent young lady that had life goals. However when we discussed her weight she became a very shy and upset girl. It was clear that her weight was really holding her back in life. Demi said to me “I started Active Teens because I was unhappy with my weight and appearance and wanted to feel confident about myself and happy in my own skin”.
Demi attended the weekly boot camp style training sessions and completed the programme after 12 weeks. She made some respectable changes:
- She lost 3.7kgs which was second overall in her group
- She lost 34.6cm from four body circumference measurements
- She improved in some areas of her strength and fitness tests
Recently this year (2015) I happened to bump into Demi at work and at first I didn’t recognise her. She’d lost a lot of weight and was really keen to discuss her journey over the past two years. When Demi started the programme in January 2013 she weighed 110kgs and these are the incredible changes she has made now:
- She lost 25.2kgs and weighs 84.8kgs now
- Reduced her body fat by 21.5kg
- Reduced her body fat percentage by 26.3%, from 47.5% to 35%
- Reduced her body circumference measurements by 102cm from 5 sites
- Reduced her BMI from 38.7 to 30.4
The overall goal of the Active Teens programme is to: help teens make healthy lifestyle changes for life and avoid medical complications in adulthood. As well as reducing their BMI Demi wanted to share more about her experience during and after the Active Teens programme. She wanted to use this opportunity to encourage and motivate other teens out there to succeed just like she has.
Why or what did you enjoy about Active Teens?
“I enjoyed the training during the Active Teens programme I especially enjoyed the boxing. The nutrition support was also very encouraging”.
Demi continues to exercise by attending boxing classes and playing indoor netball three times a week.
What motivated you to carry on losing weight after the Active Teens programme?
“I was motivated because I liked the changes I could see in myself, I was becoming fitter, happier with my appearance and gaining confidence I thought I would never have”.
What keeps you focussed to keep losing the weight?
“What keeps my focussed is looking back at photos of myself from before Active Teens and how unhappy I was and never wanting to feel like that again
What are your short and long term goals now?
“My long term goals are to be truly happy with the way I look and not feel the need to compare myself to anyone else. I would also love to be able to feel confident in a bikini and show off my body and feel proud about how far I’ve come. My goal weight is between 75-78kgs. As of next month I will be studying to be chef, a long dream of mine’.
What would you tell other teens that are trying to lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle?
What I would tell other teens who are trying to lose weight and be healthy is to never give up. I remember how many times I would break down crying during training sessions, but I never gave up.
Although it’s difficult, it is so worth it in the end. Putting up with the pain of a hard training session is so worth it when you’re looking back at how you used to look, compared to what you look like now.
Always keep that in mind, I remember how crap I felt about myself and how unfit I was, but never giving up on those sessions, and with the support of Liz and Megan (Active Teens staff) made it possible. Also, that you can do it. Everyone has it in them, you just need the will power and the determination to stick to it and see it through, that is something that only you can do. No one else can help you with that. And most importantly have fun in what you’re doing, if you’re not having fun you’re not going to enjoy it. So find exercises that you find fun and you can enjoy and you will love it.
Demi’s goal
Demi’s goal after the programme had always been to open a healthy bakery or to make food that tastes unhealthy but is healthy for you! She is on her way to achieving that goal.
Five things you remember learning from Active Teens that helped you achieve your current weight?
Five things I learnt from Active Teens were:
1. To never give up.
2. Stop making excuses because that’s how I got so big.
3. Focus on the now, focus on getting through each training session. Not to worry about the future and not to look at how much I had to lose overall. But take it kilo by kilo.
4. Exercise is just as important as healthy eating.
5. Being healthy is not a diet, but a way of living, and for me that was the biggest one. I’ve made being healthy a bit of my everyday life now”
Liz Golding. Harbour Sport. Success Story July 2015
Demi Infield – Referred by Jamie Leighton, North Shore Hospital Paediatrics – started January 2013