New Zealand

I grew up in a family who were nearly all overweight. By the age of 14, I weighed around 95kg, and had trouble sleeping at night.  I would often feel my heart fluttering and beating irregularly, so my mother took me to a cardiologist. After numerous tests, I was diagnosed with heart arrhythmia and was prescribed medication to control it.

I was quite active, enjoying tennis and sport, but was advised to stop exercising because of my condition. As result, I spent more and more time indoors.  At an age when I should have been enjoying my teenage years, I began to feel very depressed and my weight continued to increase. I was bullied because of my size, which made me feel even more isolated.

After graduating, I could only undertake sedentary work during my conscription because of my heart condition. By the end of the first year, I weighed 145kg. 

One afternoon, I suffered a very bad headache and had to be taken
hospital. My blood pressure was dangerously high and the doctors were worried that I would have a stroke. I was kept in for observation and placed on medication to lower my blood pressure. A few days later, I visited my cardiologist who hadn’t seen me for a while. He was shocked at my weight gain and told me that if I didn’t lose weight, I wouldn’t live to see my 30s. He advised me to have a gastric band fitted or to find another fast weight loss method to avoid having a heart attack or stroke. I was shocked and finally realised that my weight was not a joke.to

 

A friend had recently lost weight and so I asked him how. He told me about Cambridge Weight Plan and put me in touch with his Consultant, Despo Kozakou. I followed the programme during my last year in the army, which was in itself a challenge. Living on the army base, I had to follow the diet in front of the other soldiers. However, I stayed strong and by the time I was ready to leave, I had lost 40kg. Four months later at Christmas, I had lost another 18kg. When my family saw me they were shocked and over the moon!

I am delighted to report that I no longer take any medication for my heart arrhythmia condition. I am fit and healthy once more. I feel like Cambridge Weight Plan has saved my life.

 

*The weight lost and/or timeframes are particular to this slimmer. Everyone’s weight loss journey is unique to them.