April Ieremia never treads water for long. The former Silver Fern, who last year shed 30kg in 30 weeks, is on the move again – this time into uncharted waters.
“I’ve lost my weight – now I’ve lost my job, and I’m a published author!” says April (44), who last week left her job at Sky’s Food and Living channels after six years.
“Once again in my life I’m taking a chance, putting my hand up and deciding it’s time for a change. I’m coming out of my cocoon and becoming a butterfly – hopefully I’ll be able to fly!”
While writing a book is something April’s always wanted to do – “I can tick it off my bucket list!” she says – leaving her job is a big step for the mother of two, who is travelling the country this week with her book before flying to South America next month while she considers her options.
“Everything’s on hold and the stress levels are a bit up as I’ve never left a job without having another one in place before,” she explains. “I’m living a bit in survival mode, wondering how I’ll pay the bills – but I’m optimistic that everything will be all right. I don’t know how exactly, but I have all this energy, and I want to use it.”
And she’s got plenty of ideas, including teaching others some of the skills she’s learned herself. “Maybe my time for presenting has passed – I’ve been in front of the camera for a long time,” explains April, who was a PE teacher in Christchurch before becoming a presenter.
“I’ve learned a lot about the production, funding and sponsorship sides of television. I think in your forties you head into a different phase of your life. You become a bit more responsible and serious, more interested in how the business side of things works.
“But I also like the idea of writing, and coaching presenters, which I’ve done a bit – I’ve just finished working with Colin Mathura-Jeffree, which was wonderful. People think presenting is easy, but they should try it and see if it’s as easy as they think!”
Teaching others seems the perfect next step for the woman who’s just written a book that helps others find the motivation to lose weight, and shows them how to do it.
“If you want to lose weight, you have to be bloody-minded to stay committed,” she says.
“If you’re going to lose a lot of weight, you need to put in a big-time commitment, so find a motive then just think, ‘Okay, for these months in my life, I’m going to suck it up, just to see if I can do it.’ I guarantee, if you stick to it, the rewards are good.”
And for April, they’ve been great. Not only is she healthier and happier, but she says the changes in her life – which include a relationship with a man she’s known for 30 years, who she describes as “really lovely and familiar” – are all in no small part due to the mental makeover her weight- loss has given her.
“I have more energy and I’m much more confident,” she says. “So I have no idea what will happen from here, but I’m aiming for the sky. “If you dream big, then wherever you land isn’t going to be bad, even if you don’t make it the whole way.”
April’s top tips for winter weight-loss
Pick a time you want to lose weight and stick to it. May to December is perfect – between the Easter eggs and Christmas pudding!
Drink loads of water. I have three 1.5-litre bottles a day. If you drink enough water,
you won’t want to eat.
Exercise between Monday and Friday, and allow yourself to cut loose a bit at the weekend. If you exercise regularly you can eat almost anything you want while maintaining your weight.
Really push yourself when you exercise and try and eat within an hour of exercising. Your body will metabolise the food faster.
Watch the wine. Alcohol takes longer to process than food, so by the time your body gets around to processing the food, it’s too late.
If you go out for a meal, enjoy it – but don’t have a huge blowout then eat nothing else all day!
April Loses It (Penguin, $29.99), is available at bookstores.
