Melinda Spiteri feels healthier and fitter in her 50s than she did in her 20s.
The project manager, from Melbourne, led an active lifestyle with healthy food choices for most of her life — but she couldn’t resist regularly snacking and drinking alcohol throughout the week.
The 55-year-old began experiencing shortness of breath, exhaustion, brain fog and poor sleeping habits, leaving her to worry about her health as her age put her at a higher risk of a heart disease and diabetes.
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Weighing 81kg at her heaviest, she was determined to start a health kick.
She went from a size 14 to a size eight after she lost 21kg in just 10 months — without depriving herself of her favourite foods such as pizzas, burgers and Thai takeaway meals.
“I can’t remember feeling this good since I was in my early 20s,” she tells 7Life.
Before her weight loss, Melinda says she always enjoyed a healthy diet with “lots of salads and vegetables”.
“I would usually include rice, potatoes, bread, pasta and legumes in my meals,” she says.
“(But) I loved my snacks and alcohol was a regular feature during the week.
“I would snack on chips, and biscuits and cheese or dips in the afternoons, and lollies and sweet treats after dinner.”
She started to notice she was out of breath when she was exercising and walking up stairs or hills.
“I was feeling sluggish, and would wake up tired. I lacked energy and was starting to find it difficult to concentrate,” she explains.
It wasn’t until her friend suffered a heart attack that she realised she needed to get on top of her weight.
“A good friend who is the same age as me suffered a mild heart attack which forced him to totally change his diet with great success,” Melinda says.
“This made me re-think my own longevity and inspired me to explore alternative diets to lower my risk of future health issues.”
Melinda tried everything from fad diets to calorie counting — but she never saw results.
In February 2023, she stumbled across Australian weight loss nutritionist Bec Miller’s podcast called Body Bites with Bec where she discussed her eating philosophy that promotes feelings of fullness without the hunger, restriction or sugar cravings.
She began following the 80/20 dietary approach where eats nutritious, lower carb and gluten-free foods 80 per cent of the time and 20 per cent of anything she wants, within reason.
“I started creating some of her free recipes from her website and loosely following what I understood to be her diet principles, which resulted in steady weight loss,” Melinda says.
She then joined Health With Bec’s three-week Body Reset program in June 2023.
“I then consolidated what I had learnt about following a new healthier lifestyle,” she says.
By the end of year, Melinda shed a total of 21kg.
“It took me 10 months to lose the weight and I have been able to maintain it for over two months now,” she says.
“I now feel so much healthier — my sleep has improved, my skin is clearer and I rarely get headaches.
“I cannot remember feeling this healthy and not feeling like I need to go on a diet to lose weight.”
Melinda says she made tweaks to her diet — including simple food or drink swaps.
“I no longer drink alcohol during the week. Instead I drink kombucha, sparkling water or non-alcoholic gin with sugar-free tonic,” she says.
“I have replaced my sugary snacks after dinner with a homemade sweet treat.
“I do not feel the need to snack before dinner as I no longer get the cravings or the hunger.
“I have more energy now and I have started running twice a week. I am now able to run up hills and stairs without losing my breath.”
For breakfast, she usually enjoys a berry bowl with Greek yoghurt, protein powder and chia seeds.
At lunchtime, she eats leftovers from the previous night’s dinner or a serve of protein with salad such as chicken rissoles with salad or zucchini slice with salad.
Every night, she enjoys a homemade meal, which includes teriyaki salmon with vegetables, chicken biryani, low carb lasagna and prawn and avocado salad.
Instead of eating smaller portions like most dieters would, the program encourages people to consume larger servings containing pro-inflammatory foods that are nutrient dense and low-calorie while rich in high quality proteins and healthy fats.
“The meals are large filling serves, easy to prepare and delicious,” Melinda says.
“After dinner I have a herbal tea with a homemade sweet snack. My favourites include pumpkin bread, banana bread or a chocolate brownie with Greek yoghurt and berries.
“Over the years, I had attempted to count calories using a calculator which was stressful, confusing and time consuming.
“I love that Bec’s recipes are all calorie controlled which removes the pressure of having to worry about counting and recording calories.”
Since following the meal plan, she no longer has cravings for sweets and snacks.
However, she still treats herself to the foods she loves.
“I do still have takeaway like pizza, burgers, Thai and dine out at restaurants on the weekend — with no guilt,” she says.
“I do not drink alcohol during the week but allow myself a couple of drinks over the weekend.”
Every morning, she starts her day by incorporating a 30-minute walk or run.
“I also enjoy high-intensity workouts at the gym at least two times a week and incorporate at-home strength training with dumbbells on most days,” she says.
After dropping three dress sizes, Melinda — who’s now 60kg — says she now feels healthier and happier than ever.
“I don’t have an overly negative reaction seeing old photos of myself as, while I have tried a number of diets over the years, I have never been focused on achieving the perfect body shape,” she says.
“My aim over the years has always been to shed a few kilos.
“However when I see photos of myself now compared to 12 months ago, I can see that I am at my healthy weight.”
For those struggling to lose weight, Melinda says: “Invest in your health”.
“It has literally changed my life,” she says.
“The only thing I wish I had done differently was to start earlier in my life. I wasted so much time looking for the right diet.
“I now realise that these diets didn’t work as they were too restrictive and not sustainable in the long term.”
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