A 21-year-old woman whose weight spiralled out of control after food became her coping mechanism has dropped six dress sizes.
Alex Boon-Tennet, from the Gold Coast, lived off an unhealthy diet where she was binging on whatever food she could get her hands on – a lifestyle that saw her tip the scales at a staggering 114.9 kilograms.
The beauty therapist wore size 22 clothing, couldn’t walk 400 metres without being out of breath and suffered from debilitating pain in her joints – and on average, she was eating for two every day.
But her turning point came after a visit to a doctor left her in tears when she was asked to step on the the scales for the first time.
Alex Boon-Tennet lived off an unhealthy diet where she was binging on whatever food she could get her hands on – a lifestyle that saw her tip the scales at a staggering 114.9 kilograms
Before and after: The 22-year-old woman has gone from a size 22 to just a slim size 10-12
Her weight spiralled out of control after food became her coping mechanism in her life
‘I was reduced to tears. I couldn’t even fathom the numbers that flashed back at me. I knew it would be bad but I didn’t know it was that bad,’ she told Daily Mail Australia.
‘It put everything into perspective for me – the pain, the suffering, everything.
‘Everything sort of slapped me right in the face in that moment and I knew I had to do something to change my life as soon as possible.’
Before embarking on her weight loss journey, Alex said she found comfort in food.
‘I was eating for the sake of eating,’ she said.
‘I would eat at any chance I’d get. I would eat through my emotions, I would eat if I was bored, I would eat when I was stressed.
‘All I did was eat. Food was like a safe haven for me but the thing is, it was restricting me of my life. It was literally killing me.’
Before embarking on her weight loss journey, the woman said she found comfort in food
She would consume whatever she could get her hands on because she ‘never felt satisfied’
She said she would consume whatever she could get her hands on because she ‘never felt satisfied’.
‘I could never have one or two biscuits, I would have to finish the entire packet. I would never feel satisfied. It was all sorts of foods,’ Alex recalled.
‘Even healthy foods I’d binge on. It was like I was trying to fill an empty void but really it was all emotionally related.
‘In one day I would have the average amount that probably two people would eat. Some nights I would finish one whole large pizza to myself.
‘For breakfast, lunch and dinner, I would literally eat anything I could get my hands on. Mostly foods that were sweet and that I would feel would satisfy me.’
Alex described her relationship with food as an ’emotional connection’.
‘It was like I had an emotional connection with food,’ she said.
‘If I achieved something great or feel upset, I tend to reach for sweet things or unhealthy food choices because my mind tells me that it’s satisfying and rewarding but I don’t have that connection anymore. When I do it now I just feel gross.’
The 21-year-old said on average, she was eating for two where she lived off an unhealthy diet
Before and after: Alex said at her heaviest, she struggled to find clothes that fit her
As her heaviest, Alex said her ‘everyday life was a constant struggle’.
‘[I couldn’t do normal things that you wouldn’t think of like walking up to our apartment, I would have to stop to catch my breath,’ she said.
‘I couldn’t walk 400m without being out of breathe. Towards the end, I started to find it increasingly difficult to breath – even just sitting being still was hard.
‘I was always in pain. All of my joints were always aching and it ended up being quite debilitating.
‘Going to shopping centres would almost cause me to have a panic attack because I would feel like everyone was staring.
‘Going on a plane and having to squish into the seat and almost having to ask for an extender for my seatbelt.
‘Buying clothes was so difficult and on many occasions I’d almost be in tears – I would always have to reach to the back of the rack and even then, it still wouldn’t fit.’
‘My life was literally a living hell.’
As she continued to indulge in food, Alex said she lost track of her weight, leaving her a size 22
But after undergoing a gastric sleeve surgery, Alex dramatically shed 44 kilograms
The 21-year-old woman now looks unrecognisable after going from a size 22 to a size 10-12
Her weight started to take a toll on her life.
‘Mentally, it was so tough. I was always at war with myself,’ she said.
‘I didn’t feel worthy of anything. I didn’t even like myself so how could I expect anyone else to feel that way about me?
‘I made excuses for myself – and I told myself that the way I was feeling was normal but now from hind sight – it was not normal.’
As she continued to indulge in food, Alex said she lost track of her weight, leaving her wearing a size 22.
For more than two decades, Alex said she struggled with her insecurities.
‘Ever since I was little, I have always had weight issues,’ she said.
‘I was always the bigger kid in kindergarten and at school. I’ve struggled for the past 22 years.’
She tried every diet imaginable, including weight loss programs and following a strict diet – but to no avail.
The beauty therapist said she found strength to turn her life around after a whirlwind journey
For 21 years, Alex said she struggled with her insecurities – now she lives an active life
Determined to start fresh, Alex said she cleared out her kitchen pantry by binning all the unhealthy snacks – and stocking up her shelves with fresh produce
Determined to start fresh, Alex said she even cleared out her kitchen pantry by binning all the unhealthy snacks – and stocking up her shelves with fresh produce.
‘I changed my eating habits and tried to eat more wholefoods which nothing worked for me. I would lose weight and I would gain it all back plus some more,’ she said.
‘I cannot even begin to describe the frustration that brings. Being so young as well, I was sick and tired of being so restricted with my food and diet choices.’
‘When I decided to step back on the scales, I was horrified when I saw the number flashing back at me had gone up. Again, I was in tears. All that hard work for what?’
But in March 2017, she made a tough decision to turn her life around for the better by going under the knife – where she dramatically shed 44 kilograms.
‘Choosing to go down this path was not a decision I took lightly,’ Alex said.
‘It was a very big and life-changing decision for me. Getting the gastric sleeve was the furthest thing from my mind to tell you the absolute truth.
‘I tried every single damn trick in the book and nothing ever changed hence why I turned to surgery.
‘The thought of going under the knife on my own free will was something I had never thought of until about six months after I had found out my weight at the time.’
But in March 2017, she made a tough decision to turn her life around for the better by going under the knife – where she dramatically shed 44 kilograms
Her turning point came after a visit to a doctor left her in tears when she was asked to step on the the scales for the first time. More than a year on, she now feels happier with herself
Nearly one year since undergoing surgery, Alex now looks unrecognisable after going from a size 22 to just a size 10-12.
‘I cannot even begin to put into words how I feel,’ she said.
‘I look in the mirror and I don’t even recognise myself anymore. I catch my reflection in the window and I have to do a double take.’
Since tackling her food obsession, Alex now lives an active and healthier lifestyle by getting at least 10,000 steps a day.
‘I don’t really have a fitness and health routine,’ she said.
‘I just try my best to enjoy every day and live an active and healthier lifestyle by spending my weekends going to walks, spending my days at the beach, going for a bike ride along the water and at least getting in 10,000 steps per day,’ she said.
‘Prior to this journey, I would spend every single day sitting at home not wanting to leave as I was so ashamed. It was horrible.’
She does at least 10,000 steps a day and spends her weekends at the beach or bike riding
She now leads an active and healthier lifestyle where she’s eating smaller portions of meals
By telling her story, Alex wanted young people to draw hope from her experiences
By telling her story, Alex – who documents her healthy lifestyle on her Instagram Positive Loss – wanted young people to draw hope from her experiences.
‘My advice is that your weight does not define your beauty,’ she said.
‘How thin or thick you are does not define you as a person. You are who you are, no matter how big, small, tall, short, dark or light you are. You are beautiful.
‘You should never let numbers on a scale determine how you and others see and think of you. As long as you are happy and healthy – nothing else matters.
‘For people who are struggling to lose weight – a lot of the battle is with ourselves. Make conscious decisions to change your life for the better.
‘Make small little goals and make it a big deal when you reach them because the small victories are just as important to be celebrated as large ones.
‘Small steps in the right direction are better than none. After spending years trying to lose my weight, I know what it is like.
‘Do I regret my decision? No. Would I recommend doing it? Yes. The life you gain is just unfathomable. I can’t put into words how great my life is now.
‘I can do “normal” things without being in pain all the time. I can go out in public and not feel like every pair of eyes are laid on me.
‘I am not a prisoner in my own body anymore and man does it feel good or what?’