HOW I LOST 60KG NATURALLY!
ELISE REVEALS HOW YOU CAN DO IT TOO
“THERE WERE NO FAD DIETS, NO SHAKES, NO PILLS, NO POTIONS AND NO SURGERY...”
Just 10 months ago, Elise Dunstan tipped the scales at 134kg while her wardrobe was filled with unflattering size-24 clothes.
The 23-year-old from Brisbane was gripped by a dangerous addiction to sugar – constantly snacking on chocolate, cake and ice-cream, while also downing nearly two litres of soft drink a day.
Elise was also plagued with frightening health issues caused by her weight, with doctors warning she may never be able to have kids due to dangerously high cholesterol levels.
And with an extensive history of diabetes in her family, it was only a matter of time before Elise too would be struck down by the disease.
“I’d always been overweight as a child and throughout my teens. I managed to lose some weight during high school, but ended up piling it all back on shortly after graduating,” Elise tells New Idea.
“I was a huge emotional eater and I always turned to food for comfort. I had a real weakness for anything that was loaded with sugar.
“I would snack on chocolate, cake and ice-cream, sometimes more than twice a day. I could never eat just a few squares of chocolate either, it would have to be the entire block.
“Then because of the sweet stuff I’d consume, I would have no problem eating a whole packet of chips to counteract that sweetness. It was such a vicious cycle.”
It was not until Elise saw an unflattering photograph of herself with boyfriend William, 25, that she said she truly realised the gravity of the situation. “I couldn’t believe I’d gotten myself into such a state of bad health,” she says.
“After that, I made the commitment to change my lifestyle and try to regain the happy and healthy life I should have been living at such a young age.”
After discussing her ongoing weight battle with her doctor, Elise was referred to a free health program that was being run in her local area, which focused on helping people manage their diabetes. Although Elise did not have the disease, she was deemed at high risk of becoming a diabetic if she continued her unhealthy eating habits. Elise kickstarted her weight loss by going on a radical juice cleanse which saw her replace all meals with juice for 30 days. The concoctions needed to be strictly 80 per cent vegetable and 20 per cent fruit and Elise was not allowed to consume anything else besides water in order to instigate a proper detoxification. The young woman said this process truly tested her determination, strength and willpower – with Elise even managing to stick to her juice fast while others enjoyed cake at her 23rd birthday party. Following this, Elise transformed her diet by eliminating all added sugars, salts, preservatives, stabilisers, flavourings, colourings and MSG from her meals – instead opting for a clean-eating based approach that focuses on completely natural whole foods. It paid off – with Elise losing 59kg in just 10 months. Now after shedding half her body weight, the business student feels more confident than ever, flaunting her brand-new 75kg figure. And it was only after losing 50kg that Elise began to incorporate any sort of exercise into her regime – working out five days week – which helped her shed an extra 9kg.
“I try to keep my meals as clean and natural as possible,” Elise explains.
“Anything that comes in a packet or a can I will thoroughly scan all the ingredients.
“If there is anything that is not natural in there, I will not consume it.
“It’s hard to believe that I’ve been able to lose so much weight just by focusing on eating natural foods.
“There were no fad diets, no shakes, no pills, no potions and no surgery. Just a lifestyle change and food overhaul which honestly saved my life.
“I now have this boundless energy that is just flowing through me all the time.
“The power of food is incredible.
“I feel happy, healthy, positive and alive. I’ll never look back.”