Vanezya lost 14kg

I'm 30 originally from Jakarta, Indonesia but I moved to Sydney in my teenage years. So far I have lost 14 kilos. My starting weight at 74 kilos and my current weight is 60 kilos. My goal is 55 kilos which I know I can achieve.

I was put in a child pageant at the age of 11 months old and this continued for the first 11+ years of my life. While in the pageant I could only eat certain food to make sure I would fit into my costumes as pageant children can't be overweight. So I believe my overeating was triggered after I got out of pageants when I was turning 12. I was finally able to eat whatever I wanted. I never got to a point where I was obese but chubby enough to be made fun of by children at school. I'd say about 10 kilos heavier than what I should be.

I've never had any physical constraints or other health risks at my heaviest because I was only slightly overweight. But this is dangerous because I kept thinking I'd never get that big whenever I saw those who were a lot heavier than myself. So what really triggered me to lose weight is the hurtful comments made by relatives. I come from an Asian background where fat-shaming is considered socially acceptable. My aunts would ask me right to my face why are you so fat or have you gained weight. So I decided enough is enough. I can't control what other people said to me but I can control my own weight.

So at the age of 16, I tried diet pills. It worked because I lost 13 kilos in 3 months even though I was suffering a lot. When I was on the pills, it was very painful when I had to go to the bathroom and it made me so dizzy that I always fainted after. It affected my mood negatively too. I was constantly in a depressing mood so I knew this wasn't sustainable. I gained my weight back a few years later and decided to try the keto diet, and the pescetarian diet, I tried using low cal ready meals. All was only successful for a very short term before I gained my weight back again.

End of 2021, I turned 30. I knew I really had to get on my weight loss journey because while I'm still young I'm not that young anymore and if I don't do it now, I will regret it later on.

The below picture on the left is at my Brother's wedding. For my brother's wedding, I spent so much money on a makeup artist, hairstylist and the dress itself just to look beautiful. In the end, I was still very disappointed in myself for how I looked and felt. I went into my dressing room just before the party ended, locked the door and cried alone. It was my brother's and my sister-in-law's special day so I didn't want them to see my pain and made it all about me. I didn't even say goodbye to the rest of the guests because I just felt so horrible.

I started to be very discipline by the start of this year and the result speaks for itself. So far 14 kilos lost in 7 months and I've thoroughly been enjoying the journey. It's not just about reaching the desired weight. I got to love myself in the process, I got to learn about food and enjoyed healthy food that I didn't enjoy in the past. I've gained valuable knowledge about nutrition to make sure this will be sustainable for me. I'm a lot more confident and happier now. I start to love seeing myself in the mirror which is a feeling I haven't felt for so long. Just to prove to my relatives that I'm not that fat couch potato they thought I was, it gives me satisfaction and a sense of achievement. The biggest change is how I love healthy food and this is a permanent change for me.

The biggest challenge for me was the mental game. Thinking that I'd never be able to do it, thinking I wasn't strong enough or motivated enough because I had tried so many diets and failed them all. So once I decided that I will prove to myself that I'm a strong woman that can achieve the goals I set for me, I was able to pass the obstacles and started seeing results.

So my biggest recommendation to anyone who is still hesitating, you need to be in the correct mindset first. As long as you follow the TLS guidelines, you will see result. It won't be an easy journey. You will have your ups and downs, it might not be as fast as you want but persevere because it works! If I can do it, I believe in all of you that you can do it too!