Having an underlying disease, unable to fast and exercise, Ms. Loan Thanh (45 years old, Ho Chi Minh City) with a BMI of 37.1, has lost weight dramatically from 86kg to 67kg after 9 months.
Ms. Loan Thanh before and after successfully losing weight at Tam Anh Hospital Weight Loss Center - Photo: Tam Anh Hospital
Ms. Thanh is 1m52 tall, weighs 86kg, and is facing severe gastroesophageal reflux disease, dyslipidemia , grade 2 fatty liver, knee pain, and blood sugar disorder. Losing weight on her own is an obsession for this woman.
However, she had a dramatic change when she lost nearly 20kg at Tam Anh Hospital Weight Loss Center and continued to persevere to reach her ideal weight.
Nearly ten years of obsession with weight
* How has your weight of 86kg caused you difficulties in your daily life and activities, ma'am?
- In 2013, after giving birth, I seemed to gain weight uncontrollably. Before giving birth, my weight was only 45-48kg.
At that time, because I had to take care of my baby every night, I only slept for 2-3 hours, plus my diet was irregular and I had to eat a lot to have milk to breastfeed my baby.
Besides, with the nature of my office job, I often work overtime at night, so I ate late at night continuously, causing my weight to skyrocket from 45kg to 60kg and then to 86kg.
The climax was during a health check at work, when I stepped on the scale, it was 86kg. I fell into "weight obsession", feeling like "just breathing air makes me fat".
* Are you thinking about losing weight?
- Of course. That was a haunting time, and it's still horrible for me when I think about it now. I tried many weight loss methods but failed.
The weight gain made me constantly short of breath, every step was heavy, even going up and down the stairs in the house was too much for me.
In addition to my obsession with body shape, I also suffered from great psychological trauma. Many people around me criticized me, causing me to fall into a state of depression, anxiety, and become increasingly withdrawn.
Except for the time at work, I rarely socialize or meet friends.
But my biggest concern is still health issues . Before losing weight, hospital tests showed that I had high blood pressure and fatty liver.
Not to mention if my weight continues to increase, I am also at risk of facing diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer...
The reason I can't lose weight is because I have acid reflux, so dieting and exercising are very difficult for me.
At first, I followed the Eat Clean diet, Keto diet, abstained from starch, intermittent fasting... but the constant acid reflux made me vomit, have difficulty swallowing, heartburn, chest pain, acid reflux ... I couldn't continue.
Many times, because I believed in the "winged" advertisements on the internet, I bought weight loss pills, tea, candy... After only 1-2 times of taking them, I immediately experienced symptoms such as dizziness, fatigue, vomiting and had to stop using them immediately.
All methods were ineffective, I was desperate, gave up everything because there was nothing more I could do.
After losing weight, Ms. Loan Thanh felt her body was healthier, her visceral fat index and blood pressure were balanced - Photo: Tam Anh Hospital
Dramatic change when losing weight
* As you said you gave up everything, so where did losing nearly 20kg like today come from?
- In mid-2024, accidentally introduced by a friend, I held on to the last bit of hope and went to the doctors at Tam Anh Hospital Weight Loss Center for advice.
I was consulted and examined very carefully by doctors to find the cause of overweight and obesity. After the examination, I was treated according to the regimen along with a healthy diet and gentle , appropriate exercise.
At that time, I myself did not believe that I could lose as much weight as I did now because I already had an underlying disease, so it was very difficult to lose weight. If I did lose weight, I would only lose 4-5kg , but I would feel very tired and lack vitality, and would have no energy to work.
But no, miraculously from July 2024 to March 2025, with the support and dedication of the doctors, I lost nearly 20kg , but not too much, my complexion was still rosy.
Many of my friends were surprised that even though I lost a lot of weight, my skin was still not sagging. My spirit was relaxed, I was always more cheerful, and my work efficiency was also better.
It is worth mentioning that after losing weight, the test results showed that my fatty liver, dyslipidemia, and blood sugar disorders were gone, my gastric reflux was reduced, I could walk easily, and my knee pain was reduced, with my BMI index at only 28.1.
* So how did you diet and exercise?
- According to the doctors' instructions, I don't need to abstain too much, just eat enough nutrients. But instead of frying, I switch to steaming, boiling, especially limiting sweets , grilled foods, and fats.
In addition, I also usually spend 20-30 minutes a day exercising, I prioritize walking and light sports. When sitting at work, I can continuously warm up my arms and legs.
The doctor always reminds me that losing weight too quickly is dangerous for my health, about 4kg per month maximum, so I need to be persistent and follow the treatment.
* What do you want to say to women and those who are trying to lose weight?
- Losing weight is a long and persistent journey. For people with underlying diseases, losing weight is even more difficult, however today with the help and development of medicine, losing weight is no longer a concern.
Therefore, overweight and obese people, especially those with underlying diseases, should choose reputable facilities to receive weight loss guidance according to the treatment regimen of medical experts.
Never believe in "winged" advertisements. about tea, weight loss functional foods of unknown origin on social networks to use to avoid "losing money and getting sick".
After 12 years, confidently going to parent-teacher meetings with my husband
Dr. Lam Van Hoang, Director of the Weight Loss Center at Tam Anh Hospital, shared: "What makes me happy is not only helping Ms. Loan Thanh lose weight successfully, push back fatty liver to level 1, stop blood sugar disorders, stop knee pain, stop gastric reflux..., prevent complications of overweight and obesity in the future, but also help her confidently enjoy life.
During a follow-up visit, she burst into tears in front of me because for the first time in 12 years, she confidently walked with her husband to a parent-teacher meeting for her child.
Dr. Lam Van Hoang said that Ms. Loan Thanh's case was overweight and obese for a long time.
She gained weight uncontrollably even though she had tried many other ineffective weight loss methods.
It is worth mentioning that her psychological factor is a big problem. She feels discouraged because she cannot control her weight and meals, so her weight gain becomes more and more severe.
When she came to Tam Anh Hospital Weight Loss Center, through learning about her lifestyle and habits, we understood that this was a case of long-term overweight, disappointed with failed attempts to lose weight, so she gave up, became discouraged, and did not want to try to lose weight anymore.
Therefore, the doctor evaluated and advised the patient to understand overweight and obesity, diagnose the cause, and create confidence for the patient in multi-modal treatment: combining nutrition, physical medicine and internal medicine with drugs.
This is a drug licensed by the Ministry of Health, evaluated and recognized by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and medical associations around the world as safe in the treatment of overweight and obesity.
Patients use the drug under close monthly monitoring by a doctor, we have not recorded any side effects in patients using this drug.
It was the successful weight loss in the first month that gave her confidence and motivation to persevere in the following months, helping her achieve a goal that she previously thought she could never achieve.
For patients who are overweight or obese for a long time and have difficulty losing weight, psychological factors are very important. Most of them have a feeling of giving up and being discouraged due to being overweight for a long time and not being able to control their weight. Solving the psychological problem is the first step for patients to be successful in treatment.
Ms. Loan Thanh once shared about the moments when she did not dare to go out to meet people because she felt self-conscious and ashamed about her body shape.
The significant improvement in her current weight has given her more motivation and confidence, and is a source of encouragement to everyone around her that it is completely possible to lose weight effectively and safely.
Struggling with '1,001 ways to lose weight'Source: https://tuoitre.vn/lot-xac-sau-sinh-nho-giam-can-tu-86kg-xuong-67kg-20250307204859524.htm
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