10 things every weight loss programme should have
1.Is the programme recommended by medical doctors?
This is probably the most important aspect of all. If a programme is not supported by doctors or dieticians, there is probably a reason why. Weight loss may be important to you, but so is your health. Don’t choose one over the other.
2. Does the programme provide you with an eating plan that enables you to enjoy variety and taste in your food?
If not, you probably won’t last long on it. Nobody can eat boiled cabbage forever. Changing your eating habits is ultimately a long-term commitment if you want the weight to stay off. Your weight loss plan should enable you to adapt to healthier eating habits that will help you retain your goal weight.
3. Does the programme give you options for eating in and eating out?
It’s almost impossible to be the only one in the home that is on a diet while the rest of the family continues with their usual eating. A weight loss plan should assist you to cook healthy food that the whole family can enjoy through providing a recipe book full of healthy and delicious meals.
4. Does the weight loss programme take your medical history into account?
Your weight loss programme should lead you to a healthier, more fulfilled life. Choose a programme that takes your medical history & medication into account. For example; when you are a diabetic or you have high blood pressure your condition needs to be monitored, your medication might need to be adjusted as you lose weight too.
5. Does the programme enable your body to break down its own fat?
Crash course diets that puts your body into starvation mode yield short-term results, but in the long run, your whole body needs to be part of the process. Choose a weight loss programme that enables your body to break down your body’s excess fat and teaches you how to keep the weight off.
6. Does the programme offer a holistic approach?
Choose a programme that is carefully planned to give your body the right support at each phase, which includes stimulation, detoxification, weight loss, stabilization and maintenance.
Exercise is almost always a positive enabler of weight loss; however, modern-day life often poses time constraints on this. Choose a weight loss programme that has a sensible approach to exercise, and that helps you with suggested exercises that you can adapt to fit your lifestyle.
7. Has the programme been tried and trusted for many years?
There is a reason why certain weight loss programmes have stood the test of time, and been refined many times to keep improving. Look for a programme that has been tried and trusted, so that you know your investment will be worthwhile.
8. Does the programme offer additional support to help you along your weight loss journey?
It’s hard to walk the road alone, and there is no reason why you should. Every day, thousands of people are dealing with the same challenge as you are. Choose a weight loss programme that enables you to connect with people who are on the same path as you are, share tips, support each other, and perhaps even make lasting connections in the process via channels like a social media support group.
9. Does the programme manufacture its products locally?
There is a reason why local is lekker… local diets are also tailored to suit the climate and conditions of a country and so are their products. Having products of high standard made locally under legislation in an accredited laboratory will also give you ease of mind before just putting anything in your body.
10. Are there benefits, reported by others, who have been on the programme?
Whilst weight loss is a great benefit, there should be health benefits of losing weight too and the best recommendation is from what others experience like, increased energy levels, reduced headaches and migraines, reduced irritable bowel symptoms, less joint paint, improved sinuses, reduced asthma symptoms, less heartburn and reflux and more.
SO…
If you answered ‘yes’ to all of the above, you’ve probably already found Slender Wonder, the medical weight loss programme that has been tried and trusted by South African men and women for over forty years. If not, please pay us a visit and discover why we’ve been helping people live healthier lives for decades. Your journey to your best self can start today.
Living her best lean life
When Amanda Currie’s size 40 jeans became too tight, she realized that she needed to do something about her weight. Years of thought-less eating, mostly meat, bread and potatoes had caused the 46-year old Edenvale resident to reach 85,2 kg.
Her gynaecologist had told her about Slender Wonder, but it was only when people she met at a game lodge personally recommended the programme to her, and shared their before & after photos that she realized that the solution she needed was ready and waiting for her.
Upon returning from her weekend in the bush, Amanda started the programme with Dr Bianca Cowen. “The first month was very hard. I even cried at one point, telling myself I needed my favourite foods” Amanda admits. “I made sure to prepare my meals from the Slender Wonder recipe books. This opened a world of flavour to me and now the foods I previously ate no longer seem appealing”.
Amanda lost 17,5 kg in weight and 16,1 kg of fat in six months. When asked what the difference was between Slender Wonder and previous programmes she had tried, she cited the support system. “Slender Wonder holds your hand from the beginning to the end. They stay with you, making sure you don’t fall off the wagon, and if you do, they help you get back again. They support you all the way until you are settled in your new body and new lifestyle. That is the ultimate support from anybody. Slender Wonder is like my family”.
While previously she slept in, Amanda now walks 3km with her dogs every morning. She has maintained her weight position of 67.7 kg for two years and ten months and prides herself in her healthier, leaner lifestyle.
When asked if she would recommend Slender Wonder to anyone, she says ”Definitely! Slender Wonder will change your life. If you really want to be slim and healthy, you have to work hard, and you will succeed. Anybody that puts their mind to it can do it” concluded Currie.
For further information and to view other success stories visit www.slenderwonder.co.za
Contact your Supreme Aesthetics practice to start your Slender Wonder journey today.
MD Greyling’s remarkable journey to a healthier body and mind
For 33 year-old radio presenter, musician and dad, MD Greyling, life at 120 kg was becoming exhausting. He had tried every diet and exercise plan on the market, but nothing had worked. He had hit a wall. His clothes didn’t fit him, he didn’t look good in photos and he had no energy… He was stuck. He knew he need to lose weight but didn’t know how.
MD stumbled on Slender Wonder by chance. Little did he know that it would be the start of turning his life around. His first appointment with Dr Thea De Villiers was only a few days before a planned trip to Israel during which he would be leading a group of 36 people around historic sites for ten days. In the back of his mind, he wondered if this was the right timing to start something like a new diet, but went along anyway, knowing that very little in life is ever ideal. And off he went, straight into the programme… passport and all.
When MD started Slender Wonder, he was initially scared of the small portion sizes it required. However, these turned out to be his greatest lesson along the way in terms of how important portion control is in the long run. Initially, he found the detox phase a little tough, but it passed quickly. “I was very impressed by the fact that I had no side effects, unlike on all the other diets I had tried” said MD.
On his trip to Israel, MD stuck to his personal commitment of “no cheating” and additionally, cut out all alcohol. He walked a lot on the tour, sometimes up to 15 km per day. The spiritual component of the journey reinforced his commitment to push through. Given that he was not able to see his Slender wonder doctor while he was away, he made other plans to ensure that he stayed committed to the programme until when he returned home.
In only ten weeks, MD lost 15 kilograms. He has adjusted his eating habits, changes his portion sizes and now exercises frequently. He went from wearing a size 40 pants to a size 36… now that is determination!
“Slender Wonder taught me the basics of eating healthy. I now use an app to help count my calories in the protein, fat and carbohydrate categories of what I eat every day” said MD. He now eats six meals daily and weighs himself regularly. “The less you weigh, the less you want to weigh” he added.
MD never realized how much social pressure is placed on eating and drinking and used to struggle with setting boundaries in this area. “Slender Wonder gave me the conviction to say no. It also taught me how to finish things, and most importantly, how to eat.” He has now also registered for a B.Com degree via correspondence studies, which he works on between 8 – 11 PM in the evenings, towards this bucket list goal.
“When you are healthier, you have more time available to do things.” MD now has more energy to play with his children, aged 2 & 3, with their boundless energy, and finds this easier than ever before. “This was not only a physical journey, but also an emotional one. Everything in life has become easier… and this has certainly made me a better dad.”
For further information and to view other success stories visit www.slenderwonder.co.za
Contact your Supreme Aesthetics practice to start your Slender Wonder journey today.
Benoni-mom shares lifestyle victory
For 47-year-old Benoni mother, Karen van Zyl, the reward for finally overcoming two decades of fluctuating weight issues, and yoyo-ing diet routines, was only not in taking part in her first IFBB Bikini Beach Competition, but also conquering her emotional-eating demons and the peace in finding self-confidence.
“One thing I have learnt from my journey is that you have to change what you do daily to change how you look and feel. Being overweight or lean is just a symptom of your daily actions, so when you change your daily routine, your results also change,” says Karen.
Karen’s battle is sadly not uncommon. Fluctuating through repetitive cycles of either being overweight or anorexic, from doing absolutely no exercise, to over-doing it, her past two decades have been a rollercoaster driven by her struggle as an emotional eater.
Karen’s divorce in 1997, triggered her emotional eating. From a carefree, unhealthy student lifestyle, she swung to the opposite extreme by losing an unnatural amount of weight. “I ended up being borderline anorexic at 48kg – skinny but not healthy,” admits Karen.
However, three years later, after meeting her current husband and feeling happy with her life, Karen began to once again lead an unhealthy lifestyle. As time passed, she became the heaviest version of herself.
“I started to train with a personal trainer to lose some weight before our wedding but, after that, I slowly picked up more weight, enjoying married life, eating out a lot and not exercising at all. I fell pregnant and never lost the extra 12kg I had picked up,” says Karen.
Finally, in 2017, miserably unhappy with her lack of energy, poor sleeping habits and having tried just about every diet, pill and quick fix on the market, Karen had an epiphany that forced her to change her perspective. Karen came across an advert while watching television that resonated with her struggle and struck a chord of change within her.
“I realised I was losing weight for all the wrong reasons – to impress other people. I was desperately trying to figure out who I was, what my purpose was and dealing with some nasty demons from my past. I started the Slender Wonder lifestyle in May last year; weighing in at 82,7kg. I focused on the diet, figuring out meal preps, portion sizes and handling weekend social events. After three months, I started running seriously again; following a beginner’s 5km training programme and, two months later, I started to add some weight training to my fitness routine. What started as training for a 10km race, resulted in the completion of my first 21km in January this year,” says Karen.
Karen would never have believed that just 10 months after her lowest point, she’d be training for her first bikini competition. Excited to see where her hard work takes her in the IFBB Bikini Beach Competition, she is open to where her fitness journey leads – hoping to complete the Comrades Marathon someday.
“Transformation for me is just as much internal as it is external. Working out as part of a healthy lifestyle changed the way I respond to situations and how I deal with them,” says Karen.
Recognising that her struggle is one that affects many emotional eaters, she has some advice for those who can relate to her story. “Lose weight for you and no one else, impress yourself, deal with your deepest issues and figure out what makes you happy. I didn’t change. I just found myself! If I can do it, anyone can,” says Karen.
For further information and to view other success stories visit www.slenderwonder.co.za
Contact your Supreme Aesthetics practice to start your Slender Wonder journey today.
Brand brothers complete one of SA’s toughest hikes after struggle with weight loss
Kempton Park brothers, Barend (43) and Mark (39) Brand, dreamt of completing the Otter Trail, and set out to complete the hike together in September 2016. Unprepared for the extreme physical and mental challenges that the arduous five-day, 45km hike, with a 20kg bag, in wild terrain along the Garden Route demanded, Barend dropped out on day two. Feeling disheartened, failure to complete the well-known hike together was a wakeup call for the brothers, who were both overweight.
While their causes were different, they had the same goal – they wanted to live healthier lives for their families, as fathers to two girls respectively. Determined to achieve their fitness goals, Mark entered them into “Slank” Season 2, a documentary lifestyle series on KykNet aimed at helping and motivating participants who have already tried every diet and health drink on the shelf, to lose weight.
“They put us on Slender Wonder; a medical weight loss programme that treats the causes of obesity and weight gain. With the support of Dr Gerda Scholtz, we began the journey in February last year with open minds and eager to succeed,” says Barend.
By May 2017, the brothers had reached their weight loss goals, with Barend losing 28 kg and Mark losing 30 kgs in just over 16 weeks. The two have both maintained their weight postions for over a year. In the past few months, Mark has completed four half marathons, and Barend has completed his first half marathon.
Two year later, the two have achieved their ultimate goal – together they completed the Otter trail. “Completing the Otter trail is a milestone that represents how far we’ve come. We have also grown through achieving this journey together. The feeling is indescribable,” says Mark.
Other than their physical achievements, they also feel psychologically stronger. “My mind-set is stronger and I have developed self-respect. I have also regained control over my outlook towards food and will never let it control me again,” says Barend. “I am more confident within myself and feel less stressed. Subconsciously, being unhealthy effects your state-of-mind – something you only realise when you become your healthiest and happiest self,” says Mark.
The Brand brothers are eager to inspire others to achieve their health and fitness goals, regardless of their current circumstances. “The most difficult part of the journey is to actually start. Keep persisting with the process and you can achieve your goals,” says Barend.
“We all start somewhere and we all fall back into bad habits at times. Remember why you started and keep envisioning where you want to be,” says Mark.
For further information and to view other success stories visit www.slenderwonder.co.za
