As a child, Susanna was very thin. So thin that her parents were even approached by strangers about it. “I guess I took that too much to heart” she says. Over time, it increased more and more. Food was just too delicious. Not only her body suffered from this, but also her Self-confidence. “I often gave myself much less credit than I was really capable of,” Susanna recalls.” My head was always haunted by the specter of, “You have to conform to the standard or you won’t be accepted. Lose weight, don’t eat that!” The thoughts just couldn’t be turned off.
Susanna tried to lose weight with various diets, but the yo-yo effect was not long in coming. “I became more and more” she says. Actually, Susanna liked sports, but the more she weighed, the more uncomfortable she became. She was constantly tired and stressed – quickly went to the ceiling.
She tried counting calories without paying attention to nutrients and also lost weight… but she was still tired. The next attempt: low fat, low carb just made a bad mood.
In 2016, Susanna got to know Foodpunk and completed a 30-day challenge, at that time still as a PDF, which did her a world of good. Nevertheless, the sluggishness returned. Even when the app came out, she was interested but lacked the right drive. She needed that one motivational moment that makes you move mountains.
That moment was in late 2019, when she realized that 5 minutes of romping with her little nephew felt like running a marathon uphill. Hiking through her beloved Allgäu landscape always sounded the same as a steam locomotive tour. Nothing fit her anymore, she couldn’t even look at photos of herself. “That’s when I thought to myself, enough is enough!” says Susanna. “I already knew foodpunk worked – so I jumped back in, and this time, 100 percent!” In January 2020, she and her colleague launched Total Body Reset. Two people are better at motivating each other to persevere, she thought to herself. “I have to be honest: I didn’t dare get on the scale at first. It wasn’t until February that I started recording my weight.”
Paradoxically, she was also helped by comments from other directions: “With our genes, you don’t even need to try that,” or “You’re already married, why do you need to lose weight now?” Susanna thought to herself, “Now more than ever! I’m doing this for ME, for my body and my well-being… no matter what anyone else says.” Her fighting spirit was awakened – and her self-confidence also took a big leap.
She started eating a Paleo ketogenic diet and noticed how well the combination of fewer carbs and no processed foods did her. After a day at the office, she was no longer tired and exhausted but felt like exercising. An additional sports session, a walk in the woods or even taking half an hour for herself and consciously relaxing… Susanna got used to listening to her body.
“I used to make a quick trip to the bakery on my lunch break, eat sandwiches, and then bog down in a midday slump. In the afternoon there was the, at work always available, chocolate, so that I could concentrate again. Today, I eat my delicious foodpunk meal during my break and can continue working at high speed afterwards without any loss of performance. Honestly, sometimes I even forget that I’m supposed to eat! But the body goes along with that without a problem because it knows: I’m getting my nutrients!”
Another benefit Susanna has noticed: she sleeps much better. “I used to wake up several times if I could sleep at all and had to struggle out of bed in the morning. Now I sleep through the night, am wide awake in the morning at just after 5 a.m., and am so fit that I’m on the mat in my sports outfit half an hour later.”
Quite incidentally, the kilos fell. “And that’s despite the fact that I eat portions three times a day that I would never have thought of as “diet” before. On top of that, the food is soooo unbelievably delicious!” In the meantime, Susanna is 30 kilos lighter, 10 kilos may still disappear, she says. However, the diet aspect has gradually moved into the background – simply because she feels good in her skin.
“I don’t let others impose and talk me into negativity anymore! I am me and that’s how it stays! I have learned to pay more attention to ME and my needs.”
For Susanna, this realization is the biggest takeaway from her foodpunk journey.
n summer, Susanna will switch back to 50 g carbohydrates – simply because she loves eating fresh fruit so much. “I did the same thing last year. I continued to lose weight and felt good” she says.
Every now and then Susanna tries foods from her old life again and realizes: “Bread rolls – taste empty and don’t fill you up, pasta – pure sauce filler, sweet stuff – uaghhh! I pull it all together when I taste… SO sweet it is! And you realize how quickly the addiction center kicks in and how addicted you still are. Example: I tried gummy bears at a friend’s house last summer – and even though I didn’t like it, I couldn’t stop.”
To understand what’s going on in her body at such moments, Susanna likes to delve into the Challenges’ knowledge articles. “I’ve always been fascinated by scientific facts as a little nerd. I also find Marina’s tips on self-improvement super. Therefore, I can recommend the Total Body Reset with the daily action steps: Small adjusting screws that make a tremendous difference!”
Meanwhile, many people compliment Susanna who don’t even know her. “The market woman I’ve been shopping with for years recently came up to me and said I was a whole new person. I would look really radiant, great and healthy! I was totally happy about that. My fitness colleagues and friends also see that I’ve gained a lot in quality of life.”
In the meantime, Susanna feels comfortable in her body. She no longer has back pain and is becoming more confident and stronger. “My next goal is another 10 kilos and then off to build muscle, because I noticed that I have abs.” Sports have also improved. “I jog for an hour straight with no problem. When I’m hiking, I can focus on nature again and not on breathing enough. Best of all, trampoline jumping with my nephew doesn’t end with an aunt who, after five minutes, decides she’d rather photograph the kid bouncing than bounce herself… but one who bounces even higher and more exuberantly on purpose!”
Susanna only uses the scale once a month – when she weighs herself for the change of plans. Her newly developed body sense also tells her this way when something changes.
“Foodpunk is not a mundane diet for me. It’s a collaboration of me and my body to achieve the best version of myself! And by the way, the kilos fall quite by accident… I will stick with it!”
Thank you, dear Susanna, for sharing your story with us. We wish you all the best for your further journey!
Author: Juliana Gutzmann
Thousands of foodpunks have achieved their desired weight, more self-confidence and a better well-being with us.
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