Woman loses 42kg in preparation for first date

Thuy had always eaten whatever she wanted whenever she felt like it since she was a kid.

As an adult she lost total control of what she took into her body and she gained a lot of weight.

She didn’t like it, but she also didn’t have any motivation to shed the pounds off.

The situation lasted until she got to know Nguyen Viet Dung, her current husband, during the 2021 social distancing period.

The two first came across each other on the Internet, but that did not affect their thoughts of how well they matched each other. They decided to meet in person once the pandemic was under control.

After the two set up a date, Thuy finally felt the need to lose weight, though she had started feeling exhausting walking not long before that. But only until now, did she have a reason to be even more determined to lose weight and regain her slender and attractive figure.

Thuy (L) when she was 102 kilograms. Photo courtesy of Thuy

After researching various forms of weight loss, she tried adapting her diet. She started composing her meals meticulously: each one would consist of 50% protein, 30% carbohydrates, and 20% good fat.

By maintaining this high-protein diet, Thuy was able to avoid losing her muscles while losing weight, which helped prevent her skin from wrinkling and sagging.

She also prioritized steamed and boiled dishes in her daily meals, while avoiding deep fried, stir-fried, processed, and salty dishes. Animal skins and organs were limited as well.

Thuy also strictly controlled the amount of calories she took in and burned. She said experts have proved that one of the most important principles behind weight loss is keeping the calories in lower than the calories out. The former refers to the energy taken into the body through foods and drinks, while the latter refers to energy spent on daily activities, including breathing, sleeping, and exercise.

Thuy calculated the amount of water she had to take into her body using the formula of 40 milliliter of water per kilogram of body weight per day. This aligns with recommendations by Dr. Huynh Tan Vu, a professor with the Faculty of Traditional Medicine at the HCMC University of Medicine and Pharmacy.

Drinking an abundant amount of water also helped reduce Thuy’s feelings of hunger, and thus, helped limit the amount of food she took in.

Thuy after losing 42 kilograms. Photo courtesy of Thuy

According to Thuy, the thing she found most challenging after adopting this new lifestyle was how she had to force herself to follow her new rules of diets and exercises.

"I constantly reminded myself of my date with Dung to control my appetite," she said.

As someone with a sweet tooth, Thuy gradually turned to eating more healthily.

In addition to adapting her diet habits, Thuy took on new habits such as exercising for around 30 minutes a day, five days a week. She alternated between running, doing yoga, and hitting the gym.

All of those efforts helped her to burn calories, gain muscles, and reduce her body fat. In turn, since muscles burn more calories compared to fat, the more muscles she gained, the higher amount of calories her body naturally burned.

Thuy managed to reduce her weight to 60 kilograms from 102 kilograms after six months. Her body measurements also became fitter.

She and Dung met in person for the first time late-2021 as promised. The two then started dating and got married not long after that. Thuy got pregnant in June 2022, and the now husband-and-wife welcomed their first son at the beginning of this year.

Thuy regained some weight during her pregnancy and weighed 96 kilograms when she gave birth to her son. But she rapidly recovered her pre-birth, post-weight loss body with her healthy diet and exercise habits.

Thuy and her husband, Dung, after getting married and welcoming their first child. Photo courtesy of Thuy

Recalling when they first met, Dung said he thought about cutting contacts with Thuy the moment he saw her photo. But he dropped the idea after realizing how well they complemented other personality-wise. So he started encouraging Thuy to lose weight, for her to not only have a better appearance, but also lead a more healthy lifestyle and become more confident.

"I admired her attempts," he said.

Meanwhile, Thuy wanted to spread a positive message with her weight loss battle. She believed that those wanting to lose weight without harming their health must research well about their body conditions and strictly control their eating and exercising habits.

"I hope people who have bodies like how mine used to be won't give up," she said.