Dawn Marsh learned the hard way that there really is ‘too much of a good thing’ when it comes to fruit and vegetables.
Aged 55 and a long-time follower of a relatively healthy diet, Dawn was suffering excruciating inflammation in her joints, a dull complexion and low energy.
Little did she know, the sugary fruit she was indulging in every day was doing her more harm than good.
After totally overhauling her diet, the travel sales consultant not only lost an astonishing 18 kilograms in three months, but she is out of pain, glowing, saving money and brimming with energy.
And although there was once talk of knee surgery, that’s now off the table.
‘I felt that I had a pretty healthy diet but my body had a lot of inflammation. My joints were hurting, my energy levels were low and my doctor brought up my sugar levels,’ Dawn, from Adelaide, told FEMAIL.
‘I’d torn my meniscus in my knee and had slowed down in my exercise and carrying 93kg on my inflamed knees was making life difficult.
‘At 55 I refused to accept that this was my life path and that I’d never enjoy feeling fit and healthy again.’
Aged 55 and a long-time follower of a relatively healthy diet, Dawn was suffering excruciating inflammation in her joints, a dull complexion and low energy

After totally overhauling her diet, the travel sales consultant not only lost an astonishing 18 kilograms in three months, but she is out of pain, glowing, saving money and brimming with energy
Feeling extremely nervous about her future and sitting once again in the doctor’s surgery having her blood pressure taken, Dawn knew it was time to make a change.
This is when she discovered The Fast 800, a comprehensive weight loss program based on science for long-term health.
It was co-founded by Dr Michael Mosley and Dr Clare Bailey Mosley and today offers a team of doctors and weight loss experts who craft evidence-based, personalised plans for people of any age.
Typically, calories are reduced to around 900 a day for the first 12 weeks but there is an option to follow a 5:2 approach for a more gradual journey. Each offers more than 800 recipes, shopping lists, home exercise, health coach support and online tracking.
Dawn weighed in at 93kg and within three months had dropped to a healthy 75kg. She’s maintained her weight ever since.
‘The inflammation was caused by eating the wrong foods. I thought I was healthy as I lived on fruit and veggies mostly, however, I was choosing high-sugar fruit and high carb veggies,’ she said.
‘I would start the day with coconut water or juice and a bowl of fruit. I would snack on fruit throughout the day and then have mango for dessert. It was just sugar, sugar, sugar. I didn’t realise that my “healthy” choices were spiking my sugar levels.’
Dawn tracked her progress through the app and was astounded at how quickly things changed.

Feeling extremely nervous about her future and sitting once again in the doctor’s surgery having her blood pressure taken, Dawn knew it was time to make a change

Dawn weighed in at 93kg and within three months had dropped to a healthy 75kg. She’s maintained her weight ever since
‘I couldn’t believe the numbers I was recording as I hadn’t been able to shift weight in a very long time,’ she said.
‘I dropped around 5kg in the first month and although it was never about the weight for me, I really enjoyed watching it drop away.’
Dawn followed the meal plan and quickly developed a love for cooking.
She was able to plan her shop to ensure she was only buying what she needed so over time her food waste drastically decreased and she was saving a fortune on groceries.
‘I was super strict with ensuring I was cooking all the meals fresh and eating when I was meant to. Once I realised that I was able to meal plan, cook ahead of time and be time savvy I started to batch cook, keep leftovers in the freezer and make an extra portion of dinner to have for my lunch the next day,’ she said.
Dawn swapped her heavy fruit and vegetable-laden diet for natural yoghurt, healthy muffins, hearty salads and dinners of protein-laden salmon, chicken and beef.
She still had a very small portion of fruit in the morning when she felt like it, but didn’t eat it every day.
While she has never indulged heavily in alcohol, she did give up her other vice: fast food.

‘I couldn’t believe the numbers I was recording as I hadn’t been able to shift weight in a very long time,’ she said
‘Having a busy week, it can be easy to pick up something on the way home but it would always result in not feeling so great,’ she said.
During the program she kept up her daily yoga but didn’t engage in any extra or high intensity exercise.
‘Compared to my first blood check my doctor is now very happy with my bloodwork and everything appears to have settled down. I have more energy and my sleep has improved,’ she said.
Her mental health has also improved, with Dawn describing cooking as an almost ‘meditative’ process each night.
And so has her complexion, with the 57-year-old now boasting a healthy, youthful glow.


Dawn urges anyone who is feeling unhappy with their health or weight to remember it’s never too late to make a change
‘My routine may not inspire too many people as I don’t really have one but I wear very little makeup and put on moisturiser every morning,’ she said.
‘I wear sunscreen when I go out in the sun but I do believe my skin is a result of my clean and healthy diet, drinking lots of water, very rarely drinking alcohol and gifting my body with daily yoga practice, preferably outside in nature.’
Dawn urges anyone who is feeling unhappy with their health or weight to remember it’s never too late to make a change.
‘I started yoga in my 20s because I wanted to be mobile and active in my 90s and here I was at 55 realising this wasn’t the vision of the person I wanted to be,’ she said.
‘One of my main purposes in life is to inspire people to be the best versions of themselves, which I do through my business. Being able to walk the walk has also inspired my clients because they saw my progress.
‘Give it a go. It is the best thing I ever did.’
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