Hi, I’m Cecilie.
I’m 43, a mum to a 7-year-old, a wife, originally from Norway, adopted from South Korea, and I’ve been living in Australia since 2004. I came here to study and, apparently, never left. We’re currently in Sydney (for now), after moving back here following five years in Brisbane.
I’ve always been active. As a kid I played basketball and did kickboxing. Later it became running and gym sessions. Mostly cardio, because that’s what we were all told was “healthy”. I grew up in the 80s and 90s, which means I watched a lot of women around me diet constantly and fear weights like they were dangerous. Cardio was king. Lettuce was dinner.
I’ve never had major weight struggles, but I’ve had phases. Heavier. Lighter. At one point probably too light. Not from an eating disorder, but from doing too much cardio and not eating properly. At the time, I genuinely thought I looked fine was doing things the right way.
The Sydney slide
Before moving from Brisbane to Sydney in 2023, my husband and I were training regularly. I was running 4–5 times a week. Sometimes 10km a day. I thought that was peak health.
Then we moved. Big life shift. Someone living with us over a longer period of time. Lifestyle changed. We exercised less and ate and drank more. Gradually, without dramatic warning signs, we both became unhealthy.
We put on weight.
We felt average.
We didn’t really realise how bad it was at the time.
I remember not fitting into my clothes and, for the first time in my life, feeling fat. I didn’t even feel that way when I was pregnant. I was constantly bloated, soft, uncomfortable. From the outside I probably looked fine. I got really good at dressing around it.
But just because you’re not obese doesn’t mean you’re healthy. And the physical stuff wasn’t even the worst part. Mentally, we both felt flat and irritable. That lifestyle absolutely affected us both in a negative way.
The mental work (before the fitness comeback)
Before any gym routine changed, I worked on my head. I was anxious, stressed, constantly on edge, ruminating and always forecasting worst-case scenarios. My brain would jump straight to disaster mode without asking for permission. I didn’t realise how automatic it all was.
I didn’t want to "go see somebody about it", so I started reading instead. I’ve always rolled my eyes at self-help books, but I read a few that genuinely made sense. Then I read more and it snowballed from there.
Learning about thought patterns and becoming aware of what my brain was doing — especially catastrophising and living in imagined futures, changed everything. Once I realised I had a choice in how I responded, things started to shift. For almost a year, I worked on that. Quietly. Consistently. No dramatic overhaul. Just awareness and adjustment.
The 5am era
Moving into our new place in 2024 felt like a reset. Mentally, I was in a much better place. In June 2024, we joined a new gym and were excited to get started on our new journey.
I’d just read The 5am Club, so naturally I decided to become a 5am person. I started waking up at 5 and going for a run or a walk outside. Very soon this became a habit, and soon I didn't need an alarm clock to wake up. My body knew what time it was.
Then I tried group fitness classes.
And that’s where things actually got interesting. The 6am classes suited me perfectly. I did them almost every day. BodyPump, Grit and later BodyCombat. I loved them all and I was training 5 - 7 days a week. By January 2025, we were both properly locked into our respective routines. We were feeling better, looking better, and for the first time, it didn’t feel like a short-term phase. We even kept it up on holidays, which felt like a huge victory in itself.
Strength training (the real game changer)
The group fitness classes absolutely improved my overall fitness, and I did get stronger. But eventually, I hit a plateau. I’d be sweating like crazy and be completely exhausted after classes, but I stopped progressing. I remember thinking: with all these weights and reps, surely I should be seeing bigger muscles by now?
Turns out, there’s only so much muscle you can build doing low weights and high reps. I’d basically maxed out what that style of training could give me. So I decided it was time to try something different.
In June 2025, I started proper weight training with a PT. Twice a week.
I wasn’t a complete novice in the weights room, but I’d never lifted properly or consistently before. Working with a PT was a smart move. She cleaned up my form, introduced me to exercises I’d never tried, and targeted my “problem areas” (yes, left shoulder, I’m talking about you).
Now I train 4–6 times per week. Mostly weights. I still try to include cardio, but it’s become more of a chore than a thrill. I no longer get excited about going for a run (shudder). These days, I’ll take a long walk over a run any time.
Strength training has been the most impactful thing I’ve done for my health, both physical and mental. It's changed my body composition, yes. But more importantly, it's changed my confidence, my mindset and how I feel in my own body. I genuinely love it. I wish I’d had the guts to do it properly in my twenties, but no point dwelling. I’m doing it now.
I’m still new to this lifting journey, but the results I’ve seen in six months have been impressive enough to keep me hooked. I actually crave it now. I look forward to going to the gym, and I get impatient on rest days. Very rarely do I not feel like training. I know the rush I’ll get. The dopamine hit is real. Not every session is a 10 out of 10. Some are average. But I’ve never walked out of the gym regretting a workout.
In late 2025, I added Reformer Pilates to complement the lifting. It was a nice addition and balanced things out well. However, moving into 2026, I haven’t kept up with it. I’ve been prioritising weights and walking instead.
What this site is (and isn’t)
The Wellness Hub is basically my documentation space.
I write about what I’ve tried, read, tested, implemented, ditched and learned. Things that worked. Things that absolutely didn’t. It’s a reflection tool for me first.
I’m not a professional.
I don’t have formal certifications.
Nothing here is official advice.
This is MY lived experience.
If you’re in a similar stage of life: juggling family, work, hormones, expectations, shifting priorities — and something I share makes you think, “Maybe I’ll try that,” then great.
If not, that’s fine too.
For me, wellness now isn’t about perfection. It’s about feeling strong, steady and clear-headed. It’s about enjoying good food and wine without pretending I’m a saint. It’s about building habits that actually stick.
And mostly, it’s about not going backwards.
Welcome 🙂
I’m 43, a mum to a 7-year-old, a wife, originally from Norway, adopted from South Korea, and I’ve been living in Australia since 2004. I came here to study and, apparently, never left. We’re currently in Sydney (for now), after moving back here following five years in Brisbane.
I’ve always been active. As a kid I played basketball and did kickboxing. Later it became running and gym sessions. Mostly cardio, because that’s what we were all told was “healthy”. I grew up in the 80s and 90s, which means I watched a lot of women around me diet constantly and fear weights like they were dangerous. Cardio was king. Lettuce was dinner.
I’ve never had major weight struggles, but I’ve had phases. Heavier. Lighter. At one point probably too light. Not from an eating disorder, but from doing too much cardio and not eating properly. At the time, I genuinely thought I looked fine was doing things the right way.
The Sydney slide
Before moving from Brisbane to Sydney in 2023, my husband and I were training regularly. I was running 4–5 times a week. Sometimes 10km a day. I thought that was peak health.
Then we moved. Big life shift. Someone living with us over a longer period of time. Lifestyle changed. We exercised less and ate and drank more. Gradually, without dramatic warning signs, we both became unhealthy.
We put on weight.
We felt average.
We didn’t really realise how bad it was at the time.
I remember not fitting into my clothes and, for the first time in my life, feeling fat. I didn’t even feel that way when I was pregnant. I was constantly bloated, soft, uncomfortable. From the outside I probably looked fine. I got really good at dressing around it.
But just because you’re not obese doesn’t mean you’re healthy. And the physical stuff wasn’t even the worst part. Mentally, we both felt flat and irritable. That lifestyle absolutely affected us both in a negative way.
The mental work (before the fitness comeback)
Before any gym routine changed, I worked on my head. I was anxious, stressed, constantly on edge, ruminating and always forecasting worst-case scenarios. My brain would jump straight to disaster mode without asking for permission. I didn’t realise how automatic it all was.
I didn’t want to "go see somebody about it", so I started reading instead. I’ve always rolled my eyes at self-help books, but I read a few that genuinely made sense. Then I read more and it snowballed from there.
Learning about thought patterns and becoming aware of what my brain was doing — especially catastrophising and living in imagined futures, changed everything. Once I realised I had a choice in how I responded, things started to shift. For almost a year, I worked on that. Quietly. Consistently. No dramatic overhaul. Just awareness and adjustment.
The 5am era
Moving into our new place in 2024 felt like a reset. Mentally, I was in a much better place. In June 2024, we joined a new gym and were excited to get started on our new journey.
I’d just read The 5am Club, so naturally I decided to become a 5am person. I started waking up at 5 and going for a run or a walk outside. Very soon this became a habit, and soon I didn't need an alarm clock to wake up. My body knew what time it was.
Then I tried group fitness classes.
And that’s where things actually got interesting. The 6am classes suited me perfectly. I did them almost every day. BodyPump, Grit and later BodyCombat. I loved them all and I was training 5 - 7 days a week. By January 2025, we were both properly locked into our respective routines. We were feeling better, looking better, and for the first time, it didn’t feel like a short-term phase. We even kept it up on holidays, which felt like a huge victory in itself.
Strength training (the real game changer)
The group fitness classes absolutely improved my overall fitness, and I did get stronger. But eventually, I hit a plateau. I’d be sweating like crazy and be completely exhausted after classes, but I stopped progressing. I remember thinking: with all these weights and reps, surely I should be seeing bigger muscles by now?
Turns out, there’s only so much muscle you can build doing low weights and high reps. I’d basically maxed out what that style of training could give me. So I decided it was time to try something different.
In June 2025, I started proper weight training with a PT. Twice a week.
I wasn’t a complete novice in the weights room, but I’d never lifted properly or consistently before. Working with a PT was a smart move. She cleaned up my form, introduced me to exercises I’d never tried, and targeted my “problem areas” (yes, left shoulder, I’m talking about you).
Now I train 4–6 times per week. Mostly weights. I still try to include cardio, but it’s become more of a chore than a thrill. I no longer get excited about going for a run (shudder). These days, I’ll take a long walk over a run any time.
Strength training has been the most impactful thing I’ve done for my health, both physical and mental. It's changed my body composition, yes. But more importantly, it's changed my confidence, my mindset and how I feel in my own body. I genuinely love it. I wish I’d had the guts to do it properly in my twenties, but no point dwelling. I’m doing it now.
I’m still new to this lifting journey, but the results I’ve seen in six months have been impressive enough to keep me hooked. I actually crave it now. I look forward to going to the gym, and I get impatient on rest days. Very rarely do I not feel like training. I know the rush I’ll get. The dopamine hit is real. Not every session is a 10 out of 10. Some are average. But I’ve never walked out of the gym regretting a workout.
In late 2025, I added Reformer Pilates to complement the lifting. It was a nice addition and balanced things out well. However, moving into 2026, I haven’t kept up with it. I’ve been prioritising weights and walking instead.
What this site is (and isn’t)
The Wellness Hub is basically my documentation space.
I write about what I’ve tried, read, tested, implemented, ditched and learned. Things that worked. Things that absolutely didn’t. It’s a reflection tool for me first.
I’m not a professional.
I don’t have formal certifications.
Nothing here is official advice.
This is MY lived experience.
If you’re in a similar stage of life: juggling family, work, hormones, expectations, shifting priorities — and something I share makes you think, “Maybe I’ll try that,” then great.
If not, that’s fine too.
For me, wellness now isn’t about perfection. It’s about feeling strong, steady and clear-headed. It’s about enjoying good food and wine without pretending I’m a saint. It’s about building habits that actually stick.
And mostly, it’s about not going backwards.
Welcome 🙂