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“Don’t wait till you have issues to pay attention to your health” – she warns
Megan Cilliers aims to be fabulous at 50!
Pretoria, 22 November 2021: For Bloemfontein Mom of three, Megan Cilliers (49), 2020 was her most difficult year yet. Not only was she diagnosed with dangerously high cholesterol and insulin resistance, but hearing the word “obese” and being told that this was the root cause of her health issues was tough to digest. A few years back, she had already been diagnosed with abnormal thyroid counts. To make matters worse, she often felt tired and had started to lose her hair…
In the background, Megan was struggling with a few deeply personal issues too. Her eldest daughter was getting married that December and she realized that she may become a granny soon. The prospect of this made her question what kind of granny she would be, and how much of her grandchildren’s lives she would get to enjoy when she was grappling with so many health issues simultaneously. Consequently, she felt like her life was being cut short and that there was still so much she wanted to do.
As if heaven sent, it was actually her daughter that found the solution and led her to general practitioner Dr. Phoebe Nel, who recommended the Slender Wonder medical weight loss program. At their first appointment, Megan resolved to lose 20 kg. Like many women, she did not know her exact weight at that time and didn’t want to know either, but when offered the opportunity to be guided on this journey, with the support of a doctor, she knew that her turnaround had started.
What Megan didn’t know was that this would be the start of many life lessons that were coming her way. She bought a new diary which runs from August 2020 – January 2022 and promptly wrote the words “20kg” on the very first page, putting ger goals into words. Thereafter, she would diligently document her progress after every doctor’s visit.
Industriously, Megan started to reorganize her life, so that her daily routine could set her up for success. She only bought the foods she was allowed to eat and, at the start of every week, she would weigh, cook, freeze and pack her meals in advance. When visiting friends or traveling, she would take a small cooler box containing fat-free milk, crackers, fruit, and coffee, so all temptation was removed. Given that she enjoyed her gin and tonics, she brought KolleGin Non-Alcoholic gin, when socializing. Nobody was any the wiser and she enjoyed herself just as much as before. She started using the Slender Wonder cookbook so that her meals were not only lean but also tasty.
Soon, these changes started to form new habits for the motivated mom. And, as she started losing weight, she started feeling better in various ways. Her breathing started becoming easier, she had more energy and her cholesterol levels dropped. By the middle of November, she had lost 10kg, with another 2kg lost that December.
More importantly, Megan started enjoying life again. She and her husband recently completed an off-road motorbike ride for a charity, among other things. She also plans to start strength training for toning and training for her third Midmar Mile shortly. Her cholesterol levels have now been normal for months and her hair is in much better condition. She also has way more confidence and loves her life in her new body.
Megan shares five lessons she has learned in this journey:
- You are not just a number on the scale. You are so much more than that.
- Identify one person who understands you and will support you no matter what. They are your sounding board.
- Learn to say no. Chocolate doesn’t taste as good afterwards.
- Go and be more than what you have become. Do not let anybody push you off course.
- The time to start is now. Don’t wait until you are ill to start taking your health and body seriously.
To date, Megan has lost 25kg, and aims to lose five more to reach her goal of being “fabulously firm at 50!” By the look of things, this determined lady is well on her way to achieving this!
For more information about the Slender Wonder medical weight loss program, go to www.slenderwonder.co.za.
