At the time of writing this, I’ve gone from weighing 104kg to 70.4kg, with a goal weight of 70kg. It’s staggering to know I’ve basically lost a third of myself, going from size 14 to size 8-10.
I wanted to make sure the details in this post were accurate, so I went back through medical records from two doctors dating back to 2021, when my weight issues really began, and cross-checked parts of the story against data from my Garmin and Apple Health apps.
This post wasn’t easy to write. I got emotional reading the medical notes because it took me back to a time when I felt exhausted, upset, frustrated and not like myself. It also reminded me of just how far I’ve come in terms of the weight I’ve lost.
I wanted to hug that old version of me and tell her to keep going, because it would work out.
Where it started
I never struggled with my weight in a way that affected my confidence, mobility or mindset like I did when I hit 104kg.
I absolutely hated how I felt. Every day was hard, and I was extremely angry at myself for letting it happen. This was especially difficult because I’ve always had high expectations of myself and had always lived a relatively healthy lifestyle when it came to eating and exercise.
After my second baby, Olympia, was born, I weighed just over 90kg. Six weeks after giving birth to her, I started exercising again and getting back to eating better. Olympia’s birth was great, she was healthy, and I felt strong enough to exercise.
But then Covid lockdowns happened, and the late-night Uber Eats habit started. In early 2021, we were at home in lockdown, caring for our two-year-old son Hercule and baby Olympia. During this time I also experienced mild postnatal depression, which is something I never thought I’d go through.
After the kids finally went to sleep, food became my comfort and coping mechanism. I used food to manage feeling flat, stressed and overwhelmed, and that contributed to my weight going past 100kg.
When my weight ballooned, I lost some mobility. Simple things like sitting on the floor and getting back up became hard, and small daily tasks started to feel challenging.
The mental load of being overweight was insane. It was the first thing I thought about every morning, and it stayed in the back of my mind every single minute of the day. It drove me crazy.
On top of all of this, I was also dealing with the stress of fighting not my first but my second unfair redundancy while I was on maternity leave. It was a lot to handle, and I broke down many times.
But I knew the only way to fix things and feel better was to take action. No one else could do it for me.
The health issues I had to fix first
Before I could really exercise properly, I had to address some health issues.
One was a weak left hip from giving birth to Olympia. I spent months working with a physio to strengthen it before I could push myself to do more intense strength-based exercises.
Another major issue was my iron levels, which consistently tested extremely low for years. This explained why I was so flat, foggy and exhausted for such a long period of time. My iron should have been well over 100, but at its lowest, it was around 12. When my iron was that low, it was simply impossible to have any sort of energy to do the normal things during the day.
After a failed iron infusion, I tried again and it was successful and it changed everything! Once I strengthened my left hip and improved my iron levels, my energy went through the roof. I finally had the focus and foundation to not only exercise properly again. But I now had the capacity to take on more strength training and high-intensity cardio gym classes.
What I tried for weight loss
I tried a few different things, including two different weight loss programs, various meal delivery companies, a dietitian, and a temporary gastric balloon, which I swallowed and stayed in my stomach for four months. You can read that crazy experience here.
But the most successful combination by far, and the one that really dropped the weight for me, was weight-loss injections combined with gym classes four times a week burning between 400 and 500 calories per 45-60 minute session. This was something I did under medical supervision.
The weight-loss injections worked wonders. They took away and completely eliminated the constant thinking, worrying and second-guessing around food and eating. My appetite was suppressed so I naturally ate less. It simply wasn’t possible to consume the same amount of food as before.
While on the injections, I was still eating real food. My meals were not extreme or overly restricted. The biggest shift was that my appetite was lower, my portions were smaller, and some nights I simply did not feel like a full dinner.
I also made sure I kept protein and exercise in the mix because staying strong mattered just as much to me as losing weight.
Why strength training mattered
When it came to exercise, I made a very deliberate decision not to rely on cardio alone. I leaned more into mid- to high-intensity training, especially strength work, because I wanted to change my body composition, not just lose weight.
It was never just about getting smaller, it was about being leaner and stronger. I wanted to preserve muscle, support my body as the weight came off, and avoid chasing fast weight loss at the expense of strength.
I’m so grateful I stuck with that approach because my body now feels lean and strong, and I haven’t experienced the loose or saggy skin that can sometimes happen with significant weight loss.
All that trial and error from 104kg to 84kg paid off, and strength training became one of the things that helped me feel strong as the weight continued to come off. Once I hit 84kg, my weight loss accelerated to my current weight of 70.4kg.
The unexpected changes no one talks about
After carrying extra body weight for so long, I noticed some funny things as it came off. It was obvious that I would need smaller clothes, but what I didn’t think about was needing smaller bras, undies, swimmers, socks and shoes. Most of my shoes had to be donated because I lost between half a shoe size and a full shoe size.
My rings had to be resized, and I’ll probably need to have them resized again. One of the strangest changes has been my hands. I keep staring at them because they look so different now. I can see veins and contours I had forgotten were there. It sounds silly, but it’s really noticeable to me.
The other very expensive change was the fact that my sunglasses and reading glasses had to be replaced because they were too wide for my now much slimmer face.
Another small change I love is being able to wrap a towel all the way around myself with room to spare. It’s such a simple thing, but it’s one of those daily reminders of how different my body feels now.
The kids still touch my stomach because it feels so different now, and that always makes me smile.
Another thing I’ve noticed is that I don’t sweat as much, and I’m not always hot anymore. I used to feel hot all the time, but now I feel cold much more often. I’m not sure if it’s simply because I’m carrying less weight, but I notice it a lot.
The real cost
It took years, ongoing discussions with my doctor, plenty of trial and error, and a significant financial commitment.
Weight-loss injections alone were costly. When I factor in meal delivery programs, personal training and gym memberships, the gastric balloon I swallowed, medical appointments, and replacing my entire wardrobe more than once as my body size dropped, the total investment was at least $19,000.
Maintaining my weight means staying strong and active. I continue to invest in my health by getting help with food prep and housekeeping, which frees up my time to keep enjoying my gym sessions.
I’m almost finished with my weight loss injections, so the next stage will be learning how my body responds without that same appetite support.
I’m curious, but also realistic that maintenance will need just as much structure as the weight-loss phase, but in a different way.
More than anything, I feel proud that I kept going, I never ever gave up! It was not quick, cheap or simple. But I feel like myself again, and that is worth everything.
