Daniella's Ramblings

I have written about my weight loss journey in the past and whilst I am hardly a weight loss blogging guru nor a dietician nor fitness genius I am finally at a ‘happy place’ with my weight and I thought I would share this with you.

As you may know I have had a somewhat variable overall state of health over the last ten years. In 2011 I fell very ill and required two separate thoracotomies to treat what was suspected to be an auto-immune condition resulting in inflammation of and fluid build around my heart and lungs. The long term treatment of this condition included the daily administration of cortisone and other anti-inflammatory drugs.

As a result of this prolonged cortisone use I put on weight. A lot of weight. I was bloated. I was fat and I was not happy about it. I went from a fit and healthy 66 to 68 kgs when I was at my fittest in my late twenties, to around 85 kgs. I exercised as much as I could but it was hard to shift the weight. The cortisone stimulated my appetite to the point where I would eat and eat without end. I manged to reduce my weight a little

I continued on this course for a number of years. I tried coming off the cortisone but would relapse and my doctors insisted that I keep taking the cortisone. Then in August 2016 I fell ill with drug induced hepatitis.  This resulted in me being told I had to stop the cortisone for the sake of my liver. I gladly gave it up. Suddenly the weight started to shift. The combination of a healthy diet and regular exercise resulted in me shedding a lot of weight. I manged to get to around 65 kgs (sometimes more) and I was feeling better about myself.

Then last year I fell ill, again. I needed to have my gall bladder removed and there were complications. It was not pretty. I had an extended stay in hospital and was either on ‘nil by mouth’ or a liquid diet for a long time. When I was finally released from hospital I was told I should go onto a low fat diet for a few months, which I did and I resumed normal exercise as quickly as possible.

The nett effect of this is that I am now down to around 60 to 62 kgs and I have stabilised at this number. This has given me a body mass index on the lower end of the ‘healthy’ scale. More importantly I am much happier. The little bits of residual flab have gone and whilst my bum is much smaller. my waist is smaller and my arms a lot less bulky.

I am in a happy place. I feel my clothes fit better and I think I look better in the same clothes. I present a few pictures by way of comparison.

White cocktail dress December 2018

Same dress February 2015

Pink top January 2019

Shopping trip January 2015

Suntanning January 2019

Suntanning December 2015

The moral of this story is that losing weight can be hard. You can oscillate and your will power will be tested. However, if you stay focussed on living healthily and make your goal being healthy rather than just losing weight you will persevere. The weight will disappear and when it does if you have established good healthy eating and exercise habits it will stay off.

Good luck.