I am Linda Bernadie and I did a weight loss course at The Weight Control Clinic. Uhmm.. With many doubts in my heart but also with much motivation in my head as well I started this journey.

Uhm… I didn’t see a sign of hope at that time. I am 62 years old and I started last year October and I was 61.5 years old. It is a lot more difficult to lose weight if you’re older. I tried many things after I gained much weight during my menopause period, so much so that when my scale at home hit 84, 85, I got my head on straight and said “Till here and no further. It cannot go on like this.”

I made the appointment. I spoke to my husband about the money that we’d have have spend on it, which was also a hurdle for me, but no money in the world can compare to the peace you experience when you look at yourself in the mirror again and say “Where were you hiding? Where were you? And you are back.”. No money can buy that for you. So the money that I paid for this 2 month course or 8 weeks is long forgotten, but what I got out of it is joyous.

I came and I knew there would be a success story at the end of the day, but I knew it would depend on me. It won’t depend on Anri or the clinic, it wont depend on the pills, it won’t depend on exercise alone, it won’t depend on the diet alone, or the correct eating, it will depend on me. And I said that I was going to make it work. And with God in my heart and the faith that I have with it I took on this fight and I started walking the path. And it was very difficult the first week when I started and I want to tell you and the person that will listen to this speech, please please give up in the first week. It is q very difficult week, it’s a week with total changes in your eating habits, it is medication that you drink, pills that you consume, it is a total change in your eating habits with things that you are not used to at all. Your body craves what you are used to, how you live becomes a habit and your body craves that sugar and that starch and everything. It was a horrible week for me and you may not even eat fruit the first week. And I am a fruit lover. I pushed through and said ” This I am going to do for myself. It is for myself. Not for my husband who hammered on it and criticized me now and then, not for the mirror that showed it to me, not anything.. not my clothes that don’t fit me anymore. It was for myself.” And I said I was going to push through.

And the second week it went a bit better. And with the motivation I receive from Dr Arien and Anri… The motivation that they give that you maybe think at that stage ” Yes, I’m listening. But is it going to work?!” Believe Me, it works.

I did the 2 month course. I lost 7.5kg’s worth of fat. Even during Christmas, I lost weight because I adjusted my life accordingly. I adjusted my eating habits. And if one, during Christmas, what’s to cheat as they call it, yes now and then you crave something… Do it, but go back to your normal, new eating habits and way of life that you teach yourself.

People, push through. I thought it was impossible and I think in total now I’ve lost over 8kg’s since the start of October. It is not a quick story, it is something you must work hard on. You must motivate yourself if no one else does. Here you get it at the clinic but further you must do it yourself. Tell your doctor what is going on so they can see because  we don’t always see. Take in what other people say to you. Take in what the mirror says to you. The scale is not always accurate. Anri taught me not to be too dependent on my scale. Focus on your new way of life. Believe me it is a success story but you won’t stop there. I am now on the maintenance program where I only come now and then and I still get my pills and I still keep losing weight. It is the most wonderful feeling. I think it is a goose bumps moment when you get on that scale and you see the weight is decreasing and decreasing. As I said, don’t just look at that. Look at your new way of life, it is healthy.

I feel healthier and I know I’ve added a few years to my life. I feel as though I can look life in the eye as I look people in the eye. And i know there is a good path laying ahead of me. Don’t give up, especially in those first 2 weeks where it’s extremely difficult because after that it gets easier. But you must stay and hold on to what you are told, do as you are told and believe me it is a wonderful way of life. It is a healthy way of life and everything you do means that you add something better to your body. I feel better, I feel like a new person and I want to say hang in there even when you go through a dip. I went through it. Tomorrow you’ll be out of that dip and you’ll see the improvement again. I hope it will go as well with everyone as it did with me. Because I am a new person and I know I am going to continue with this new way of life because it is healthier.