The best decision I ever made for weight loss

symply with you mentoring

I remember thinking “what’s wrong with me, why can’t I stick to this diet?”

When I weighed 100 kilos, I was on a permanent diet roller coaster… moving from one diet to the next. I’d starve myself for the first 2 days of the week, give up by Wednesday and then comfort eat for the rest of the week because I felt like such a failure! Only to do it all again the following week.

I remember thinking “what’s wrong with me, why can’t I stick to this diet?” I know now it was the crazy diets I was choosing and I doubt if anyone could have stuck with them!

Those diets left scars that cut deep into my sense of self-worth, and the best decision I ever made was to quit dieting…

More on that in a moment, but first let me reflect on my journey – both what got me started and what I did to stick with it until I reached my goal weight.

I went on my first diet at the age of 13! And my on-going battle with the bulge continued well into my late 30’s – I was desperate to find the easiest way to lose those unwanted kilos that had been so easy to gain…

Annette-Sym-before-photoThe moment that changed everything for me was receiving a photo in the mail. My best friend Kimmy sent a bunch of photos she’d snapped while on holidays with us. Among them was a photo of me walking out of the water, bulging out of my swimsuit at Mooloolaba Beach. When I saw that photo, it was like a slap across the face, a huge reality check.

I cried so hard that day, all my past attempts at dieting had left me feeling like a failure because I was the biggest I’d ever been.

Now, I could have just ripped that photo up, but I didn’t… instead I made the decision to quit dieting and become a healthy person. I noticed that healthy people weren’t caught up in this yo-yo dieting cycle and surely if I acted like a healthy person, I’d have to lose weight!

So, what changed?

The first thing I had to change was my mindset. Once I changed the way I thought about my weight loss, the decision to stop dieting was easier. So, rather than thinking that I was depriving myself of food and missing out on the food I loved… I thought about the food that would make me healthier.

I started looking for healthier ways to include my favourite food. I remember my first big aha came when I created my ‘healthy’ lasagne recipe. I lost weight that week and so I started to convert all my old unhealthy favourite recipes into delicious healthy options. {I had no idea it would lead to me creating 9 fabulous cookbooks!}

I worked out how much food I needed to eat and included some exercise into my days and, for the first time in my life, the weight started to come off and stay off.

Was it all smooth sailing? Absolutely not! There were many obstacles I had to face and overcome along the way. But for every challenge, I found a solution, which lead to my weight loss success. I lost 35 kilos in 20 months and have been in my healthy weight range now since 1993.

Fast-forward to 2017 when I decided I really needed to step up and help others who struggle to lose weight and so I created my ‘Symply With You’ mentoring program drawing on all my past weight loss challenges and solutions for inspiration.

Are you ready to make the best decision of your life?

Are you ready to stop dieting and become a healthy person, just like I did?

I invite you to come into my world of healthy living, where I’ll help you:

  • Take the guesswork out of the food to eat and how much to eat
  • Navigate the everyday pitfalls that hinder weight loss so you can stay on track
  • Eat food you love and still lose weight

I’ll give you the tools and techniques you need to live a healthy lifestyle, so you never have to diet again.   You’ll discover that healthy habits can be learnt quickly and before you know it – making healthy choices, acting healthy and being healthy will be your normal way of living.

Are you ready to quit dieting?

My Symply With You mentoring is available 365 days a year

You’ll get all the support you need:

  • Weekly menu plans packed with deliciously healthy meals and snacks to suit your weight loss needs
  • Videos and articles filled with knowledge, tools, and inspiration to teach you how to live a healthy lifestyle and navigate all the hurdles you’re likely to face
  • Direct email access to me via the ASK ANNETTE tab to answer any questions you have along the way
  • A private Facebook community where you’ll be inspired and supported by like-minded people who are walking the same path as you
  • And, once you’ve achieved your goal, there’s a maintenance plan to teach you how to maintain your weight long-term

And all this fabulous support is $99 for your first 8 weeks of membership, and then should you wish to continue it’s just $19.95 per month to remain a member for as long as you need help to stay on track!


I hope you’ll say yes and join me and the other successful slimmers who are walking the same journey as you in my Symply With You mentoring program.

Because… If I can do it, so can you! I’M EXCITED!!!


Marie lost 25 kilos in 20 months

“Annette’s mentoring program was exactly what I needed to get my weight under control. The weekly menus were easy to follow, and the delicious meals very easy to prepare. My husband ate all meals cooked from the plan and he was very happy when there were portions leftover for him to take for lunch the next day. The ongoing support of videos, tips, and one on one support direct to Annette if needed were amazing and such a great help. I lost a total of 25 kilos in 20 months. It’s been 12 months since I reached goal weight and I am still healthy and following the daily menus.”

Maree Troy


Lorraine lost 12 kilos

“I was 80.8kg when I decided to join your mentoring program. With the help of your cookbooks and menus I am now 68.8kg (12kg loss in 19 months). I have my days where unexpected circumstances arise and I go off track, but straight back on track the next day. I am happy, confident and my clothes hang from me, which I am so excited about. I still have a few kilos to lose but I am not pushing myself because then it becomes a chore, and I want this weight loss to be permanent. It is a slow process but a process which is working for me and is going to get me to my target weight soon.”

Lorraine Mills