I lost more than 70kgs in three years - Were

Were before and after the weight loss. Courtesy Photos

Hadassah Were is a passionate traveller who could not travel for years because of her excessive weight. The mother of four embarked on a journey to lose weight and achieved her goal in three years using a combination of exercise and diet.

“My dream has always been to travel the world and I could not do it before because I was overweight and airplane seats were torture. In 2013, I embarked on a radical weight loss journey which resulted in me losing more than 70kgs,” Were recounts.

Turnaround
For more than 10 years, Were struggled with weight loss and always came out on the losing end until that fateful day at her son’s fourth birthday party when she crashed to pieces the chair on which she was sitting.

‘As I lay there helplessly waiting for people to come pick me up, I looked at my son. The embarrassment I saw in his eyes made me realise that my life as an overweight woman was not only sucking life out of me but was hurting those around me. I decided there and then to lose the weight at all cost. I had developed high blood pressure and always carried packets of medicines for my constant headaches, knee and back pains,’ she recounts.

Her decision was supported by her husband who had always encouraged her in her weight loss attempts. “After every baby I would go on diets, do some exercises, and lose some weight only to pile it back on in a few weeks.
I had my first son in 1999 and my last born in 2004 and never took the time to lose any of the baby weight so it crept up on me, and by the time I realised what was happening I was too far gone,” Were relates.

No sugar, fats
In May 2013, Were booked an appointment at Avane Clinic on Accacia Avenue to see Dr Chirag Kotecha to consult about the possibility of a stomach reduction. She was told it would be possible, provided she lost some weight.

“I decided to start by cutting out the things I knew were wrong such as sugars and fats. By August I had lost 5kgs I was 135Kgs,” she reveals.

At Avane, she was taken through a series of tests and was put on a protein and fruit diet and was advised to eat at regular times. “For one year, I stayed away from carbohydrates. I started running marathons, exercises, and drinking plenty of water,” Were reveals.

New diet
Were has become a cautious eater preferring to stick to the safety of fruits and vegetables best eaten raw.

Were’s tip
Learn how to cook
Healthy food can be boring but you can spice it up in different ways if you learn how to make a variety of dishes using the same ingredients.

Different exercises
Were says she runs, does kick boxing, dance aerobics and swimming. This way, she does not get bored with the fitness regimen.

Drink plenty of water
Replace soda, fruit juice, energy drinks, and other sugar-laden beverages with water. Water has zero calories and helps support body functions.