Before and After

“It takes patience and self-insight to change your life”

About Heidi
Heidi Rasmussen
36 years old
Works part-time as a cleaning assistant
Lives with her 11-year-old son
Lost 53 kilos with Sense over five years and now maintains a stable weight with Sense

Heidi Rasmussen has gone from 110 kilos to 57 kilos in five years. From the beginning, she focused on the mental aspect of her weight loss. 53 kilos of excess weight involve much more than just food and weight, says Heidi – the body and mind are undeniably connected, and it takes patience and self-insight to change your life. Today, Heidi maintains a stable weight with Sense, and she says about her significant weight loss: “It’s so wild to think that I’ve lost half a Heidi – but the feeling that I got all of Heidi back is the wildest part.”

Restlessness and anxiety stole all my energy

In 2011, I became a mother to the most wonderful boy, and it opened my eyes to the greatest self-awareness. In my motherhood, I found myself confronted with my own childhood and a difficult upbringing – a pain I had carried for many years but never processed. Facing my childhood wounds so insistently triggered increasing restlessness and anxiety in me. To soothe and deal with that pain, food became an immediate solution that I found comfort in. This caused my weight to escalate along with the challenges that came with it.

Even in my teenage years, it became clear to me that I struggled with stress and anxiety. It was very hard for me to meet the demands of high school and later – in my adult life – the job market. Therefore, today, after a long and strenuous employment clarification process, I am granted a flexible job. This means I now work with adapted conditions and hours, allowing me to have energy for myself and my family. Finding this balance has given me immense peace.

The feeling of being overwhelmed and anxious became increasingly evident over the years, peaking in my motherhood. The symptoms manifested both emotionally and physically as increased weight. I didn’t have the energy to take care of myself, and I gave up on my relationship with food, eating, and weight. I became indifferent to how I looked and what I weighed. Looking back on that time in my life, I understand that I used food to soothe unresolved pain. Eating my emotions became a means of survival because I didn’t have the resources to understand and handle my childhood wounds differently.

After several years of overeating, it wasn’t just my body but also my mind that suffered. The many difficult emotions I struggled with during that period led me into a long-term therapy process. Here, I processed the feelings I had so diligently tried to hide and later eat away. Through therapeutic work, I learned that change doesn’t happen overnight but is part of a long and patient process.

Allowing myself time to feel and heal changed my view of myself and the world around me. With more self-compassion, I recognized the importance of my own well-being and learned how to take responsibility for it. I slowly began to embrace the feeling of being significant, loved, and irreplaceable. My son and my motherhood became a central beacon in this realization process, acting as a catalyst for my weight loss journey.

Moderate amounts and a fine-tuned composition

In the spring of 2017, I reached a point in my mental process where I felt ready to acknowledge and address my overweight. At that time, I weighed over 110 kilos, and my body had started to protest. I felt pain in my body every day, and I noticed how the physical pain intensified with each gram I gained. It was at that moment of pain that I decided it was time to stop overeating and mistreating my body. I had previously heard about Sense and kept the concept in mind. I knew that when the day came to tackle my overweight, Sense would be my path. So when I decided in the spring of 2017 that the time had come, I had already taken the first mental step.

I used to drink a lot of Coca-Cola but never overindulged in ice cream, cake, chips, or other snacks. I have always loved food, and my overweight is a result of overeating regular meals. This made it easier for me to adjust my mindset and food to Sense. I could largely continue eating the same foods, just in more moderate amounts and with a fine-tuned composition.

It was easy, manageable, and economically feasible for me to eat according to Sense principles. I didn’t need to invest in many new specialty items or spend time and precious energy making different meals. With Sense, my son and I could continue eating the same as before – for me, just in more adjusted portions and with more vegetables. My son quickly became curious about the new and broader variety of vegetables on the table. This way, his food repertoire also developed in a healthier direction. Inspiring him this way has been a significant side benefit for me.

My weight loss has been relatively consistent and stable from day one. The kilos have steadily decreased. Early in the process, I realized that, like my mental process, the physical process also needed time. Understanding that there is an undeniable connection between the mental and physical body, I remained persistent in my weight loss journey. It required patience and self-insight to embark on such a significant lifestyle change.

Recognizing that 53 kilos of excess weight involves much more than overeating and food has been crucial for my weight loss goal – to stand stronger. Not just in terms of weight but also mentally. I often think of it this way: overweight is about an internal imbalance – for me, a mental imbalance. If this applies to others, it’s important to acknowledge and work on it to lose weight and then maintain a stable weight. Self-insight and self-development are ongoing processes, just like life – constantly evolving.

New connection to my body’s signals

My weight loss journey created a connection between my body and mind on a much deeper level than I had ever experienced before. I slowly got to know my body so well that I could see how my cycle affected my body and weight. Since I no longer used food to soothe, my body’s other signals became more tangible. It became possible for me to recognize when I was heading into stress – I started what I call stress-eating. Today, I understand how to pause and listen to my real needs instead of eating away my feelings. Giving my emotions a place means I can separate them from feelings of hunger and fullness. Emotions I previously couldn’t distinguish and completely ignored.

Experiencing a heightened body awareness was entirely new to me. I continually learned more about myself and my body. At the same time, I noticed how the structure in Sense brought calm to my body and nervous system because I got the right amount of nutrients. My body was no longer overworked concerning my food intake, positively affecting my anxiety and stress levels. I used to feel nauseous daily because my sugar levels fluctuated throughout the day. I was constantly hungry, affecting my energy and mood. The diet composition in Sense stabilized my blood sugar completely, and my nausea disappeared. Overall, I felt much more balanced and energized by eating according to Sense.

After a year, the scale showed minus 30 kilos. It was a fantastic milestone. At that time, my son and I were facing a move to a completely new city. Away from our familiar surroundings and relationships. The move significantly affected my energy and capacity. Focusing fully on settling well into our new environment, I let go of my eating habits. I started eating larger portions again, and with my newfound body awareness, I knew exactly why. To be part of that process, I allowed myself to let go a little – without panicking or beating myself up.

The weight crept back up slowly, and when I was close to regaining 10 of the lost kilos, I got back on track. I knew that as soon as I returned to the Sense structure, it would turn around. And it did. Today, I have lost 53 kilos, I am weight stable, and my biggest challenge now is that I shouldn’t lose more weight. Instead, I need to find a new balance as a weight-stable senser. I have found that it’s a challenge to adjust my mindset to allow for a bit more of everything.

Now that I’ve reached this point, I’ve found a balance between long walks, work, time with my family, and time for myself. If I encounter difficult periods, I’m no longer worried. Even if it affects my weight. I know exactly what works for me and how to get back on the Sense track if I stray. I’ve found inner peace and balance, both mentally and physically. I feel much more energized, and I’ve never felt as good as I do now. I feel like I’m living my life instead of just surviving. And it’s wild to think that I’ve lost half a Heidi – but the feeling that I got all of Heidi back is the wildest part.

As a single mother, Heidi knows how to stretch her budget – including for good and healthy food. Heidi has put together a budget-friendly meal plan for Sense club members, sharing her best recipes.

Find inspiration for a healthy lifestyle in the many recipes and meal plans from SenseMyDiet.

Get Heidi's meal plan