Anyone who loses a lot of weight runs the risk that the kilos will fly back in no time. Three Plus readers talk about their experiences.
French Cayaux: ‘Heavy self-control, that’s my motto. I’m on the scale every day. With a pound more the light is orange and I watch out. With a kilo heavier, the signal goes red and I really eat less. But if I’m lighter, I’ll gobble up! That way I stay in balance.’
Frans Cayaux (72) went from 84 kilos to 68 kilos in six months five years ago. His approach: more exercise, drink more water and eat healthier. “Before, I didn’t pay attention to my predisposition to corpulence. I ate what I felt like. But one day I decided to say goodbye to that beautiful life. I was highly motivated, because I got physical complaints, such as cardiac arrhythmias, joint problems and skin complaints. And I didn’t want a bigger dress size all the time. As I lost weight, the symptoms disappeared. And now I feel fit and healthy.”
Diny Roorda: “After countless diet attempts and strict cures, I have now lost weight at a leisurely pace, under the guidance of a dietician.
Just eat healthy, without going hungry. That prevents you from snacking. Exercise – I work out twice a week – is also very important, although it will never become my hobby.”
Diny Roorda (64) has weighed 100 kilos for a year, after she lost more than 50 kilos. “If I hadn’t started dieting earlier, I would never have gotten this fat. Again and again I did a strict cure. The pounds always flew off, but I also gained weight and more. Now I’ve lost weight at a slow pace, it took me three years. I will never become really slim again, but the reactions to my new weight are very nice. Some people don’t even recognize me anymore!”Dorine van Lent: “You cannot lose weight without exercise. I walk my dog four times a day. I also swim, together with a friend, who I visit via the website www.valtaf.nl have met.”
Dorine van Lent (57) now weighs 105 kilos. In two years she has lost 30 kilos. “I was always overweight, but after I had serious knee problems for a while, I really gained weight. My doctor didn’t want to help me, who thought I had to lose weight first. Fortunately, I found a doctor who was willing to operate on me. I am still grateful to that man. I am not yet at my ultimate goal weight, but for now I want to keep this weight. I’ve done a lot for it. For example, I was supervised in the Dutch Obesity Clinic. There I learned to eat well and healthy. I used to eat away tensions very often, but I don’t do that anymore.”
And then this: You can also very well ‘save’ calories by looking for lower-calorie alternatives for the things you eat. Have a look at this overview:
| YOU ATE OR DRUNK: | YOU REPLACE IT WITH: | YOU SAVE: |
| 1x liverwurst on bread (60 kcal) | 1x ham (20 kcal) | 40 kcal |
| 1x hazelnut spread on bread (80) | 1x apple syrup (35) | 45 kcal |
| 1 glass of orange juice (60) | 1 cup of fruit tea (0) | 60 kcal |
| 2 beers (2x 80) | 1 glass of lager and 1 glass of diet soda (0) | 80 kcal |
| 2 cookies (together 100) | 1 slice of whole-wheat gingerbread (60) | 40 kcal |
| 1 bowl of vanilla custard (140) | 1 bowl of low-fat yogurt with fresh fruit (55) | 85 kcal |
| 1 tablespoon mayonnaise (110) | 1 tablespoon ketchup (25) | 85 kcal |
| 1 meatball half-and-half (260) | 1 meatball beef (220) | 40 kcal |
| 6 licorice (together 90) | 1 sugar-free chewing gum (5) | 85 kcal |
Sources):
- Plus Magazine
