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Late 2021 was a watershed moment for Chantelle De Beer, (37), of Witbank. Her health was becoming an issue as she struggled with high blood pressure, asthma, persistent exhaustion, and chronic aches and pains that were interfering with her everyday life.
With continual work stress and being an emotional eater, she was constantly searching for those bits of comfort in food while convincing herself it was okay, just to have guilt set in later. She tried eating healthier and a couple of different other weight loss approaches but found herself slipping back into old habits since she didn’t feel mentally prepared.
Towards the end of 2021, she decided it was time to make a lifestyle change since she couldn’t go on with the constant daily struggles and knew she was suffering from a lifestyle disease that kills more people than we think. She decided to seek medical advice and make an appointment with her GP, Dr. T Holland at the Centre de La Vie in Witbank, who went over the Slender Wonder program with her and discussed the journey ahead.
There were difficulties, as with any major lifestyle decision. And, while the beginning was difficult for her, she found learning to say no to others to be the most difficult, as it seemed harder for others to accept her new lifestyle than it was for her, but she persevered because she had made the decision, “I want to be healthy, I want to live, I want life,” and she repeated those words to herself each and every day.
“One of the biggest struggles for me was not the losing weight part, that was the easy part. It’s the part of your brain that doesn’t allow you to believe the change you see in the mirror. Being open and honest about it with close friends and family is what helped me realize that this is real and I am in such a better head space now due to their continuous support”.
What set Slender Wonder apart for her was that she appreciated being held accountable for her progress; with each appointment to Dr. Holland, who motivated her every step of the way, she witnessed consistent weight loss every time. “Seeing a doctor every two weeks is absolutely a game changer because they are able to monitor any other health issues you may have been struggling with during the journey, and I am no longer on my high blood pressure medication or any asthma medication.”
Chantelle has begun the stabilization phase after shedding an incredible 75.8kg and going from a size 26 pants to a size 10.
When asked whether she had any advice for individuals going through similar challenges, she stated, “Do not think you are a failure, get your mindset right, and don’t be scared. Food is an addiction; you have to be in control of food and not the other way around, don’t give into temptation. It is all in the mind, food is there for nutritional value, emotional eating doesn’t help with emotions, it just increases the guilt tomorrow. Live today, not just breathe but, LIVE!”
