Margaret Homsy's Journey

You live on the verge of healthy. 

You start your 'diet' every other day.

You look at people like me and think - how do they do it and I could never be like that. The truth is getting healthy is easy and YOU CAN DO IT

Health is a mindset! Health is an attitude! Health is what you define it to be. 
There is no one size fits all plan.

You CAN be like me. In fact, you are just like me! 
I dislike getting up early in the morning and doing exercise and watching what I need to eat!
I used to be able to eat a family sized block of chocolate without blinking.
 And I definitely have tried many weird FAD diets too.

Stop looking from the outside and fearing failure.
 Step up.
 Make a decision.
 Create your healthy dream.


You are not alone.

This is part of my story.

I had trouble climbing the staircase and I started to avoid going out unless it was to work.  But I was always the "life of the party", the girl everyone wanted to be around; but was it real?

I was moody and it caused serious problems in my relationships (which would then see me binging). 

I didn't realise it at the time, but now I know I was morbidly obese. What is obese?

The World Health Organisation has termed obesity as a disease of epidemic proportions. "It is a slow creeping killer whose seriousness we refuse to accept. Obesity leads to hypertension, diabetes, heart ailments, joint problems and sleep disorders". In a nutshell, you live shorter and suffer more.

I kept hearing words like you will develop diabetes. You will have a heart attack.  The oddest thing about all those things and to make myself feel better, I would go to the Doctor who would do all the physical tests, like blood pressure, blood tests, and you know what all came back normal.  Who would have thought someone who was breaking the scales at 161kg could be “healthy” according to laboratory statistics.  But in saying that, I was diagnosed with Poly-cystic Ovarian Syndrome and I was told to take “pills” that are given to diabetics.  I never took the pills!  I was insulin resistant!  So in theory whatever I put into my mouth would end up as stored fat in any case!  Well so I thought….. 

All my life I was a yo yo dieter, could never stick to anything and always blamed someone else for my problem.  I could not even go shopping without breaking a sweat and again to hide the pain and make myself feel better, I would purchase what ‘fit” me, SHOES!

I did the same with food!  I would use it not to fuel my body but to hide the void, cover up those emotions and make myself feel better for a short period of time!

I got to the point in my life where something had happened!  Was it the warnings I was always told about?  YES!  It was that point in my life at my heaviest where I was told: “If you don’t lose weight, you will not be able to have children”.   

The Doctor’s words have haunted me for many years!  It wasn’t enough though as I would lose then, gain, as I would not stick to any type of program long enough to see it through!  In this tornado part of my journey, I had shed 40kg, through everything and anything possible.  I wanted the easy way out; but it was not sustainable!

In 2011, I saw a photograph of myself and realised at that point that I was huge.  I weighed in at 121kg and I HAD ENOUGH.  It didn’t help when our local homeless man had yelled out to me as I rushed home to catch the bus.  They say “honesty is the best policy”, but did he have to say it so loud.  He yelled out: “Hey you, you are so fat, you should go on the biggest loser”.  As I held my head down in shame, I pretended I did not hear him and I had a bucket of tears rolling down my face.  Did this man save my life?  Did he give me the freedom I always wanted?  YES and I am grateful for his honesty!  This wasn’t the first time someone had taunted me about my weight, it happened most of my life, but it is the first time that I actually believed it!

I started seriously researching different programs and speaking with various Doctors about a controlled diet that would fix my insulin resistance. Most suggested I go under the knife and do lap banding, or continue to take the “diabex” (which I never took) but I am a chicken and don’t like prescription pills so I could never do that to my body.

I came across Cohen’s Lifestyle Clinic and by 23 January 2012 I signed up and started my plan!  The first few days were hard as my body was detoxing, but after that I felt the weight fall off.  I felt no more heart burn, I had energy, my skin was glowing, my relationships were getting better and I felt incredible.  I lost 55kg on Cohen’s in 10 months and I have kept it off!!!  I shrunk in height by 4cm so my goal weight has shifted into the 50’s.  So I am on plan to lose a few more to get to that goal!  My god, have I ever been that weight?  

When I tell people I have lost 95kg, I don't know if they are shocked or proud.  I'm still shocked!  The funniest thing is when I tell them I still have a bit more to go!!! Priceless!

I am so passionate about this eating plan that I opened my own clinic in Sydney to help others on this rough journey!  I wish the whole world knew about Cohen’s.  It has helped thousands of people all around the world to lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle!

So when you do look at me and think "how did she do it", know that I have had a similar journey and you too can feel as incredible as I do...... 

Stay tuned as my journey continues…