My 60s is glowing: I am 62 and in the best form of my life after throwing away 42 kg of course – here is my secret

Suzanne van Dijk sailed through life in fairly good form – until everything was unraveled when she hit her 50s.

The mother, of AdelaideWas gardening when her husband randomly took a picture of her – one that would come back later to chase her.

“When I saw the photo later that night, I was terrified with how terrible I looked … What I had become … I hated it,” said Suzanne, now 62, told Femail.

She could no longer recognize the size 22 woman who stared at her.

The wage adviser had always led a healthy and active lifestyle – but when menopause Started at the age of 53, her weight began to climb and eventually reached 108.6 kg.

She started to feel from a kind of species – body pain, pain and heel marks on both feet that made unbearable.

Desperate to get on top of her weight, Suzanne began to follow the 80/20 rule -80 percent whole, nutrient -tight food and 20 percent of everything she wanted reason.

She turned to a size 10-12 after losing almost 42 kg naturally in just a year, simply by adjusting her diet -without giving up her favorite treats, including chocolate -paddle pop -ice and cola.

For her incredible weight loss, Suzanne enjoyed what a normal life seemed.

But when the menopause struck, she started to struggle with her eating habits.

“Everything changed for me. I was not doing well with the menopause because I was unable to control the weight gain, and it started to stack, “the mother explained.

She met doctors and specialists to consult about her sudden weight gain.

“They said this happens to some people … This was not useful, because I really came to myself and started to withdraw,” she said.

“As the weight progressed, I got hip, knee and lower back pain, and then I developed heel tracks on both feet, making it extremely painful to walk in most shoes.”

Her daily diet consisted of white bread, pasta, steak, chicken and potatoes on rotation – while salad, fruit and vegetables were never on the table.

“Working full -time and spending an hour and a half in the car driving to and from work were the meals on the fast side of things,” Suzanne said.

Her turning point came in November 2020 after her husband had overwhelmed her when he took a picture of her to cut the lawn in their front garden.

“I was so depressed about how terrible I looked and felt,” she said.

Her daughter told her about Cindafit Nutrition, an Australian weight loss program founded by former paramedic Lucinda Porcelli.

“She told me that her High School friend did the program and she showed me a picture of her – she looked great,” Suzanne said.

She started her journey for weight loss in February 2021 after she signed up for a 20 -week program.

The program offers a non-limited approach to healthy eating and offers Dieters personalized routines and meal plans tailored to their individual goals for weight loss, lifestyle and body.

The 80/20 rule encourages people to eat a balanced, nutritious diet for 80 percent of the time, while they can make room to enjoy their favorite food in moderation.

“I eat a whole series of different foods such as you can eat what you want – it’s about exchange to exchange better alternatives,” Suzanne explained.

“Every now and then I can have culprit pleasures – and still be able to maintain my weight … My relationship with food has changed forever.”

The biggest challenge for her was trying to find the time to prepare and plan all her meals.

‘Everything I did for exercising was walking. I was slow in the beginning when I was so heavy, but when the weight started to come, I got the pain in my feet, knees and hips fade and my confidence started to return, little by little, like every week, “she said.

It is remarkable that she lost more than 40 kg for a period of 60 weeks.

Suzanne – who now weighs 67 kg – said she feels happier and healthier in her 60s than in her 1950s.

“I am happy and confident in my body again,” she said.

“My only regret is not to do the weight loss program before, because I would have been fitter, healthier and happier.”

Suzanne believes that the program ‘has changed my life’.

“Here, four years after I started with Cindafit, I was still keeping my weight and happy with my life,” she praised.

For those who want to lose weight, Suzanne said: ‘Don’t wait, don’t keep apologizing for yourself … Just make a leap in the faith. Believe in yourself that you can do this.

‘Take the first steps to get control of your life back and feel good about yourself. Take the time to give yourself some love and attention, you will be a better person for it, “she added.