We caught up with Kira, and this is what she had to say about her time with RMR
Before RMR
Tell us about your approach to your health before engaging with RMR.
Before RMR I was a bit out of control, I was drinking heavily and aware that my health was not great since before lock down, I was on Vit D supplements and battling to get my weight down below 84kgs. I have always eaten healthily, but I was eating way too often and too much.
How did you see food?
My father was deprived of food as a child, so when I was growing up we always spoiled him with food. My Mother would cook his special meal or we would give him a special chocolate. The best parts of a roast or meal were always for my Dad. I associated food with love and so making delicious abundant amounts of food for my husband, children, friends and family has been a language of love for me. Equally having special foods, like salami, cheese or imported chocolates were a spoil. I also saw food as an essential need and our social and family life revolved around meals. I have always been an impulsive eater and shopper, but have tried to stick with what I thought were healthy choices and keep the fat intake low. Strangely I also saw my body as an enemy that just kept getting bigger despite all the “love” I was giving it. Insane as this sounds now, as I was abusing myself in the name of Love!! Certain foods would be a treat after a long day and I would reward myself with late night Ice Cream or chocolate. I have never been a person that eats a lot of sugar and prefer savoury foods, so I would also reward myself with a whole packet of cheese straws and hide rusks with cranberries or packets of biltong away for a special occasion.
How did your health make you feel?
Depressed and Old.
How bad was your health, your energy levels? Mention physical stats – weight, blood metrics, any other ailments.
I had a blood test in March of 2020 and the tests showed inflammation, low Vit D, progesterone was low, oestrogen was high and high levels of stress. I became aware that my bowel was incredibly inflamed and suffered from a gnawing feeling in my stomach all the time. I suffered from acid indigestion and was low on energy and constantly felt off, not myself. I often felt incredibly tired after lunch but battled to sleep with hot flushes during the night. I was also pre diabetic.
How did this impact your confidence and other parts of your life like your relationships, your career, love life etc?
My confidence was fine, except for how I looked, which was very podgy and middle aged. This also would affect the physical side of my relationship and I refused to wear a bathing costume and went up river and to the beach in shorts and large T shirts. I stopped swimming and sunbathing altogether.
What made you decide to make the change?
I had Covid 19 in June 2021 and afterwards my digestive issues got a lot worse. I was driving to work one morning and thought to myself “If I have to live the rest of my life feeling like this, I would rather die” The timing of discovering RMR was perfect.
How did you discover RMR?
I bumped into a friend who I had not seen in a couple of months. Her entire body had changed shape, so dramatically that I almost asked her if she had been for surgery. I know she also has battled over the years to keep her weight down. She told me she had been doing RMR and explained a bit about the App and support program. I thought to myself that if it could help her see such dramatic weight loss it was worth revisiting Banting and I signed up.
I already knew about banting, but also knew that achieving weight loss with banting required more information and attention than the first book offered.
What were you expecting?
To lose 10 Kg without going through hell and reduce my blood sugar.
What did you actually get?
I lost weight, but gained so much more! My health has dramatically improved, and I no longer suffer from hormone problems, inflammation, ulcers, acid, hot flushes, and bad sleep. My blood pressure has returned to low, which it always was. My blood sugars are no longer pre diabetic. I have more energy and mental focus and seldom get tired patches in the afternoons. I feel inspired to keep going and live life. I bought a new bikini and got a tan and tried out Kitesurfing lessons at 52!!
What are some of the significant changes in your life that you believe came from RMR?
Awareness of my body and its needs.
I no longer think about food as much and simply plan so that it is available when I need to eat.
Portion size awareness and knowing when I have had enough, so I never feel stuffed.
Making smart food choices and planning for social events to make sure I am catered for as well.
I have loads more energy and feel so much better.
My body has changed shape and I feel comfortable and confident and enjoy buying clothes again.
I enjoy more activities and trying new things that I would not have attempted before.
How did your experience differ from other health or diet experiences you have had before?
When I joined RMR I employed a coach, as I have a stressful job and very little free time. The coaching made a massive difference and my coach recognized my time challenges and sent me the information I needed to support me through my journey. Being answerable and doing the habit program was a huge benefit and kept me on track and growing. I did my own weigh-ins and quickly realised that I was losing cm’s even if my physical weight was not coming down. Once I had a grasp on the program, learnt how to cook, shop and plan, it was easy and I did not feel deprived at all. I have done HCG, the 7 day diet, weigh less, weight watchers and on most diets I lost weight but gained it back quite soon afterwards. Banting is a “for life” decision and I still eat the same way, as I never want to go back to how I felt before this. On other diets, I couldn’t wait for it to end and had no support like this. The RMR program is amazing because it addresses all aspects of weight loss, mental, emotional, psychological and offers you the opportunity to reprogram how you think.
Give us some physical stats. How much weight have you lost? What other physical or mental benefits are you experiencing?
In March 2020 I weighed 89kgs and was pre diabetic.
In March 2021 I weighed 84kgs after doing the 7 day diet, but my blood sugars were still high.
In September 2021 I weighed 84kg and felt terrible after COVID 19 infection.
After starting RMR in September, I lost 4 kg in the first two weeks and immediately started to feel the difference in my health.
My Last Coaching session was at the End of February 2022 and I weighed 73.4kg.
My Waist has gone from 102 to 89cm, but I lost masses of fat on my legs, feet, arms, chest and butt. My Bra Size has dropped from a 38C to a 36B
I continued with Pilates and when I started the RMR program I noticed that I started to get stronger much faster and felt like my muscle density had improved. When I started RMR I was wearing between a tight size 14 and loose Size 16, I now find size 12 is too big and size 10 is a bit tight HAHAHa, The last time I fitted a size 10 I was 16.
What kind of people do you think would benefit from RMR the way you have?
If you’re the kind of person who looks in the mirror and feels helpless about your weight and that your body shape is out of control, RMR is for you.
How has this impacted your confidence?
I feel fabulous, beautiful, excited about each day.
And what has the impact been, if any, on your relationships, your career or your love life?
My Husband, by default, has lost a huge amount of weight, even with his occasional cheat. He is looking gorgeous, and we are working on improving our relationship and doing more activities together. The increase in mental focus has helped me achieve more at work, but the outcome has been that I need to make a change to a less stressful job and make more time for myself, friends and having fun.
Then, if you have any other comments, this is the freestyle section:
The support given by RMR is beyond anything I imagined and I gained so much knowledge about the banting way of eating, and how to handle difficult situations and stressful times of the year in an easy way. We recently went on holiday with our kids and everyone picked up weight except for me. I am so proud of myself for making this decision and improving so many aspects of my daily life, and I am incredibly grateful to the RMR team and my amazing coach for all the support!.
Kira joined the RMR Coaching Program for a more personalised approach!
If you’re new to Keto or Banting check out the Perfect Keto Online Short Course!