Inspiration Ambassador Michelle
I have battled with my weight my entire adult life. You name the diet, I’ve been on it.
I developed a thyroid problem when I was 35 and that really started a downward spiral. I developed insulin resistance, fatty liver and my thyroid was out of control. A really good pharmacist in Bryanston got to the root of my health problems and that started my road to recovery, health wise.
By 43, I had lost some of the health-problems-weight but I was still obese. I had a gastric band put in. I lost a significant amount of weight but in hindsight, I actually didn’t know how to eat healthily. At 48, I had the gastric band removed as it was causing me discomfort and gut acid problems. By that stage, I was overweight but not something that jumped out at you. Friends and family told me that I was perfectly normal and should stop worrying about my weight. But I hated it. Not just the weight part, but the health problems that come with being overweight. The tiredness, the discomfort, tight clothes, flabby arms and thighs that rub together when I walked and exercised.
At 46, I decided to stop eating meat and chicken. This was mainly for ethical reasons. But that made things worse as I really didn’t know how to eat. When I was 48, my pharmacist suggested I stop eating dairy due to inflammation in my body. So at this stage, I wasn’t eating meat, chicken or dairy. What to eat now? So I ate avos, nuts, olives, biscuits (when you don’t know the ingredients, they don’t count, right?), fish, vegetables and crisps.
At the beginning of March this year (age 50), I realised that I needed professional help. I wanted to become vegan but didn’t know how. My weight was steadily climbing and everyone told me to eat meat again. This wasn’t the answer I was looking for.
So I went onto the I Love Fourways Group on Facebook and asked for recommendations for a plant-based dietician. I was given a few recommendations and I went onto all their sites before I chose Tabitha. She looked approachable, fun and knowledgeable. I booked an appointment for the following morning (I was lucky to get an appointment so quickly).
I met with Tabitha in the morning, went shopping in the afternoon and started the eating plan the following day. The rest is history.
I didn’t need to buy very different foods to what I already had in my fridge and cupboards, so that was easy.
Tabitha gave me a breakdown of how to eat, what type of foods to eat and even better – easy recipes to follow. She sent me for blood tests and we established that my insulin levels were sky high (after having been under control for a while).
I will never forget the first day I followed the plan. The portions were massive. But I had been eating the foods in the past, in all the reverse proportions. It was no wonder I was overweight.
Tabitha taught me how to read ingredients in products so that I can choose easy options that are still healthy. I now get the right amount of protein, vegetables, fruit and good carbohydrates.
My energy levels increased within 24 hours (and that is not an exaggeration) and when I had follow up bloods after 8 weeks, my insulin levels were in the very healthy range (using half dose pharmaceutical products and half dose natural products). The regime was clearly working.
I came out of lockdown 15.3 kg lighter. I know how to choose healthy options in restaurants, I get to eat delicious meals and desserts and no animals are harmed in the process. I also know how to maintain my weight and because my metabolism is healthy, if I do ever go wild, my body doesn’t store it … I know, though, that I have to make healthy choices every day.
Who knew weight loss could be so effortless.
Regards,
Michelle