“Love this lifestyle!”

Before and after

With a change of lifestyle, Natasha has improved her sleep, gotten rid of acne and massively increased her energy – congratulations! In addition, she has lost 27 kg (60 lbs) in only six months.

How did she do it? Keep reading:

The Email

What was your life like before?
I was a skinny kid. Tall, bony and very skinny. Up until my early teens that is. By age 13, I steadily started to gain weight. It escalated as soon as I graduated. I moved to Paris just after graduating where I gained 10 kg (22 lbs) in a matter of months. When I moved back to South Africa I lost some of the weight by portion control and low-fat high-carb eating. The weight loss did not last long and it was a constant up and down struggle. I would gain and then lose and then gain some more again.

​This continued throughout my 20s. By age 28 I weighed in at 96 kg (212 lbs). As I got older it got a lot harder to lose weight and I was fed up. I was tired of the constant struggle of gaining and losing. I was tired of struggling with acne. I was always exhausted. I had inexplicable heart palpitations nearly every day. I had nothing to wear anymore and my self esteem was at the lowest point that it has ever been.

What happened that changed things?
I can’t remember exactly how it happened and what made me decide that enough is enough but it was as though a switch had been flipped! On 13 March 2015 I made a decision that I was no longer going to eat sugar, pasta, rice and anything containing wheat. I started reading about Paleo, low-carb and Banting. I think in the back of my head I always knew what carbs was doing to me. It was easy for me to understand the science behind Paleo.

What is your life like now?

​I lost a total of 27 kg (60 lbs) in six months. My weight has been pretty stable since then. I also do not have acne anymore, I am energetic, have a positive mindset, sleep well, my hair and nails are healthy and strong and most of all I gained back my confidence! I am not self conscious anymore and wear my shorts with pride! I do not hide behind bags and cardigans when full length photos are being taken and the biggest change of all is my mindset. I truly believe that food is medicine and I think with the improvement of my gut health I have also had improvement of my mood. I have a lot more zest for life!

What was your biggest challenge and how did you approach it?
My biggest challenge was hearing people say that this way of eating is not sustainable and that I am restricting myself. I live in a country where LCHF is very unknown. Luckily, I had the support of my husband (whom also lost 20 kg+ – 44 lbs!). If it was not for the support of my husband I don’t think I would have been able to follow this lifestyle. We are now both very eager Paleoists and love this lifestyle!

What do you wish you had known when you started?
I wish that I have known about this lifestyle when I was much younger. But I see myself as one of the lucky ones that asked questions and did research instead of just accepting my fate.

Every day is an opportunity to be the best version of myself!

Natasha

Comments

Congratulations Natasha, and thank you for sharing.

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