I grew up in a family where all the women were overweight. I was taught that being fat is “in our genes” and that sooner or later I would also become heavy.
I started gaining weight as a teenager even though I was eating the same foods as my skinny friends. At the age of 17, I went on my first crash diet (cabbage soup diet). It made me so weak that I fainted and lost my period for more than 6 months. This was the beginning of my unhealthy relationship with food which took me years to get back in balance.
Things got worse when I moved to a big city to pursue my career. I was working very long hours, and eating a poor diet of primarily packaged processed foods. I was in such a rush and sleep deprived that I didn’t have the time or energy to prepare healthy food or exercise.
My body was so low in energy that I was constantly bombarding it with stimulants just to get by. I would have coffee and sugary packaged foods for breakfast and snacks. I loaded up on ham sandwiches, steaks and other forms of meat.
I didn’t exercise at all and it really started to show. At 23, I was overweight, stressed out and exhausted. My face was puffy and I had rings around my tired eyes.
I developed various health conditions: chronic back-pain, chronic bladder infections, sore throat and other cold symptoms. In addition, I was suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. My body was trying to send me a message, by going on strike and shutting down. My body was telling me to stop and to change my lifestyle.
The Moment of Clarity
One day a friend suggested doing an exercise to define my life’s values. I then realized that my first and most important value was health. I was a little shocked. Deep inside I wanted to be healthy and I knew that was the most important thing to me. However, it wasn’t conscious and I didn’t express it, therefore my actions and habits didn’t reflect it. Health was the most important thing in my life, however, I smoked, ate processed foods, refined sugar, meat and dairy. I drank alcohol on weekends and I just wasn’t taking a proper care of my body.
That was my wake-up call and the beginning of my journey to health.
My Weight Loss Journey
In 2010 I started improving my diet and doing research on nutrition, weight loss and health. I read every single book about raw foods and nutrition I could put my hands on. I read peer-reviewed studies and articles in scientific magazines, watched hours of documentaries and tutorials and searched for success stories throughout the internet.
In 2011 I switched to a plant-based diet that was 70-100% raw, depending on the season and fruit availability. I have tried different raw food approaches, including gourmet raw, high fat, low glycemic and high carb raw vegan.
Most of the time I was balancing between all these approaches and incorporating some cooked foods in my diet. My energy and health improved dramatically. I no longer suffered from Chronic Fatigue, infections or illness. My weight settled at 65 kg/143 lbs. I was happy and finally beginning to enjoy what life had to offer.
The first 22 lbs fell off pretty easily. I had stopped eating unhealthy processed food and reduced animal products dramatically. It was effortless until I reached 143 pounds and the weight just froze there. No matter what I did, it would never go under 143 lbs. (65 kg). I was healthy, but still wanted to look better and be more toned. I also wanted to be a shining example, inspiring people to embrace a healthy lifestyle.
In 2013 I decided to take my fitness and health to the next level, so I started exercising regularly and committed to a 100% raw vegan diet. As a result, I lost another 17.6 pounds in 90 days.
The positive experience of changing to a more healthy diet and lifestyle inspired me to become a nutritionist and health coach so that I could help others. During my independent research and studies at school I have gained invaluable knowledge which I felt I had to share with the world. I’ve shared my story openly through my website and my FREE weight loss video training series. In this 4-part video training I share everything I did to change my diet and mindset, in order to reprogram my body to want to be fit and slim.
If you want the similar results, I’m willing to show you how you can get it, too. You’ll have to put the work, but the feeling of being healthy, vibrant and full of life is absolutely worth the effort!
Osha Key is a life lover, certified nutritionist, weight loss expert and the author of "MASTERY IN WEIGHT LOSS",
which you can get for FREE when you visit her website www.becomethebestofyou.com and subscribe.
After losing 40 pounds, Osha is now on a mission to help women do the same.
