Suzy Wengel

“I was tired of being the one who canceled the class reunion” – Suzy Wengel

I was 32 years old and had just given birth to my first child, Valdemar. And for the first time, I realized that I wasn’t just overweight. I was also seen by others as overweight! With a weight of over 88 kilos and a BMI of 33, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise to me, but until then, I had probably thought I could hide it. Apparently, I couldn’t. At that point, I decided that it had to end. I didn’t want to be overweight anymore.

I was tired of being the one who canceled the class reunion because I was afraid of what others would think when they saw how much weight I had gained since school. Tired of constantly adjusting my blouse to hide my rolls. Tired of the constant bloating. Tired of not feeling feminine and attractive in my relationship with my husband. In short: Tired of my body.

My problems with being overweight started in high school. Back then, I wasn’t actually overweight, but unfortunately, I compared myself to all the tall, thin girls, which you shouldn’t do when you’re only 1.63 meters tall. I just didn’t think about that, so I started one distorted diet after another. I often managed to lose weight, but soon I started eating unhealthily again.

Suzy Wengel: “After 20 years of yo-yo weight, I finally realized there is no quick-fix”

From my mid-20s, my weight constantly fluctuated by 15-20 kilos. Like many others who are overweight, I lived a life where I was either on a diet or completely letting go while planning my next diet. Later, when I married my husband, we established our company, which quickly gained momentum. This meant lots of meetings, hotel stays, fast food, and restaurant visits. That lifestyle didn’t exactly help my overweight problem. But no matter how much I tried, I couldn’t find the solution to my weight problems.

Shortly after the doctor’s visit, I became pregnant with my second child, Albert. Instead of starting the weight loss immediately, I waited until it fit into my life. And it did from the day Albert was born: April 18, 2011. At that time, I weighed almost 100 kilos, and I clearly remember the sight of my gigantic legs next to his small body. Now it had to be different. Now I wanted to be happy and feminine instead of sad and overweight. This time it had to last!

Like most people struggling with weight loss, I had previously hoped – and believed – that there was some kind of quick-fix. But after nearly 20 years of yo-yo weight, I finally realized that there isn’t. I decided to bring reason into my weight loss. Instead of jumping on some random diet, I researched what actually works when it comes to weight loss and made my own rules. For the first time, I adapted the diet to my life instead of adapting my life to some random diet. In practice, this meant I had plenty of meat and vegetables but far fewer sugary carbohydrates. I also allowed myself to feel good. For example, I had a cup of cocoa every day.

Suzy Wengel helps overweight people of all ages do what she has done for herself

After nine months, I had lost 40 kilos. The weight loss has lasted because I found a way of eating that has allowed me to maintain the weight ever since. Of course, there are still days and periods where it can be harder to resist temptations, but I know exactly what to do to get back on the Sense track after one or more days of indulgence – just get back on the horse and return to the structure of the Sense principles. It works every time.

Experiencing how significant diet is for both health and quality of life has led me to educate myself in health and nutrition and write books about Sense. Today, my primary focus is on SenseMyDiet, because what matters to me is helping people of all ages and sizes to live healthily and well. Reason – and a solid knowledge of nutrition – makes all the difference.