My amazing bikini body – AT 63!
Ththe bubblybbbl TV start revealsl howh she dropped almost 60kg two decades ago – and kept it off
It was the firestorm of hate she received after wearing a revealing dress to the 1995 Logies that inspired Susie Elelman to transform her life.
The backlash after daring to wear the low-cut, figure-hugging dress when she weighed more than 125kg was extraordinary.
“It was crazy a dress could spark such controversy and abuse. I felt embarrassed, humiliated and totally ashamed of myself,” admits Susie, with her usual disarming candour.
“People would wind down their car windows and hurl insults at me, and I was verbally assaulted in the street. I topped an array of worst-dressed lists, and talkback radio callers said horrendous things. It was devastating and it left me in tears.
“I’ve been in television for 43 years and never been on the receiving end of anything so relentlessly hurtful. But looking on the bright side, those insults became my wake-up call.”
Susie was then at her heaviest. She’d stopped weighing herself at 125kg after a series of blows, including the loss of her dad, Bill.
“My romantic life was a shambles, and for too many years I’d had an unhealthy relationship with food,” she says. “Chocolate, chips, cheese and Diet Coke were my best friends.”
Then came that awful public fat-shaming. But rather than breaking Susie, it inspired her to take back control of her life.
“I set myself a goal,” she says. “I was determined to transform myself from flabby to fab. It took several years, but I went from a size 22 to a 14. I’m now a 12 and feel fitter and happier than ever.”
‘I reckon I’ve lost more than Posh ever weighed’
Susie gave up alcohol and meat, became a vegaquarian (a fisheating vegetarian) and adopted a low-carb, healthy-fat diet.
“The truth is, it’s hard work losing weight, and it’s even harder
work keeping it off – but it’s well worth the effort,” she says.
“When I set out to drop the kilos, I was so big I feared nothing would work. Most people give up, but I refused. That’s the secret… don’t give up. Take it slowly, and regular exercise is crucial – it clears the mind and eases moodiness and anxiety. Power walking became my secret weapon. Now I can’t live without my daily power walk.
“I no longer have scales. I threw them out years ago. Thanks to simple, healthy eating and regular exercise, I’ve lost well in excess of 55kg. I reckon I’ve lost more than Posh Spice ever weighed!”
PROUD TO POSE
With a body women half her age would envy, Susie admits she still found the thought of doing a bikini shoot confronting.
“Put it this way, at 63 I never thought in a million years I’d be posing in a bikini for Woman’s Day!” she says.
“It’s scary, it’s confronting, but it’s also liberating. I’m embracing the moment because I’m proud of what I’ve achieved.”
Susie, who revealed her weight-loss secrets in her 2005 book Half My Size, says she was inspired to write the sequel, Still Half My Size, because so much has changed.
“We now know there are good fats, which actually help with weight management,” she says. “And I’ve gone through menopause – and that was a challenge when dealing with weight management, which I explain in my new book.
“For me, giving up refined sugar has been a lifesaver. If there’s one thing you should eradicate from your diet, it’s refined sugar.”