In just a year, Barbara Koster has overcome a nagging weight issue
In February 2014, 55-year-old kindergarten teacher Barbara Koster weighed 106.8kg – far too heavy for her 5ft 7in height.
Barbara had always struggled with her weight and had an on-off affair with exercise.
“I did ballet when I was younger, but then the centre closed down,” she explains. “Exercising in the gym was next in line, then walking. Neither lasted. When I moved from Kuwait to the UAE in September 2008, I stopped exercising altogether.”
Everyday Barbara grabbed breakfast from McDonald’s or binged at a hotel. “I’d eat four breakfasts a day,” she says. “I’d have sugary cereal; buttery toast with jam; scrambled eggs with cheese; turkey bacon, beef sausages and hash browns, and a doughnut.”
At lunch, Barbara would gorge on pasta at work. “Dinner was a problem, too,” she recalls. “I can’t cook so I’d eat in a food court or order takeaways. I spent AED 2,000 a week on food and always craved more.”
A combination of bad eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle escalated over the years, but with low self-esteem, Barbara wasn’t motivated to diet – until one afternoon in February 2014.
She says, “I couldn’t see my computer screen. I rubbed my eyes, but everything was blurry.
I managed to walk home, but that evening I couldn’t read texts, see the news or set my alarm.”
The next morning, Barbara was admitted to the emergency department until the evening because of low blood sugar.
Barbara was diagnosed with type two diabetes, and an endocrinologist – a doctor who specialises in hormone imbalances caused by diabetes and thyroid disorders – advised her to slim.
She started buying diet biscuits and sweeteners, but knew that wasn’t enough. “I needed professional help,” she says.
Friends recommended Perfect Weight Slimming and Beauty Center, a weightloss clinic on Delma Street, so Barbara joined in April 2014.
“The dietician was professional and realistic,” she says. “He asked me about my lifestyle and why I wanted to change. He recommended vegetables, fruit and lean protein such as chicken and fish to keep my body energised, and told me to avoid processed food including soft drinks, cakes and pasta.”
Barbara learnt that crash dieting is a big no-no in the world of healthy weightloss.
“I was told to eat five times a day to kickstart my metabolism and practise portion control,” says Barbara.
“The diet is strict and it takes resolve to stick to it. I start the day drinking hot water with lemon and ginger, an egg, a slice of brown toast and low fat cheese or turkey ham.
“Around 10am I treat myself to an Atkins diet chocolate bar. An hour before lunch, I have three cups of water every 15 minutes.
“At lunch, I’ll have grilled chicken or fish. I have tea at 3pm, then an apple, two kiwi fruits, a pomegranate or three dates at 4.30pm.
“I also have three cups of water before dinner at 7pm. I usually have canned tuna in water, six pieces of chicken tikka, hammour or salmon.”
Barbara now spends AED 500 a week. “I buy chicken, meat or fish, fruit and vegetables and water. By planning ahead I save AED 1,500.”
Barbara meets her dietician weekly to get weighed and for a motivational pep talk. They discuss her progress, and the dietician performs a body composition analysis – a process that helps determine body fat percentage.
After a month, Barbara had lost 11kg. “It was motivating when results started showing in May 2014.”
As a reward, Barbara’s allowed a weekly ‘cheat’ meal. “I can eat something different, within reason – usually grilled chicken with coleslaw, ice cream and liquorice.”
By January 2015, Barbara weighed 65.2kg – just shy of her 64kg target.
She is now looking for a gym to suit her schedule and budget. “In the meantime, I’m walking daily.”
Barbara marvels at her success. “My friends praise me and my endocrinologist has reduced my medicine. Losing weight wasn’t easy, but I got used to self-discipline. I’m proud of my achievement.”
A consultation from Perfect Weight Slimming and Beauty Center costs AED 600 for a month-long programme and AED 5,000 for a year. Delma Street, opposite Zayed University. For more information contact: 02 445 5514.
If Barbara can do it, so can you
- Don’t wait; start your diet today
- Exercise everyday
- Seek professional help to
- stay motivated
- Believe in yourself
- Be realistic – recognise weightloss is a process, which takes time
