My loss weight journey in Germany

My Erasmus+ experience

In 2016 I had the opportunity to have an exchange program in Tübingen University, in Germany. It was the best choice I've made in my life! It turned me into an educated, experienced, happy and a more fulfilled person. This mobility program gave me a unique opportunity to interact with other cultures, people and a different educational system. It was both a challenge and an opportunity to explore and identify ways of improving myself. Every day was different, I interacted with many people through my travelling in Europe, which enhanced my leadership skills and made me an independent person. I also started to learn German. The Erasmus+ mobility truly changed my life, not just intellectually, but also physically.

My story started 15 years ago. 15 years of being unbelievably overweighted. On the 17th of May of 2016, I was 168 Kg walking daily with almost 80 kilos extra weight on my body, as if I am holding a person on my back, it was slow death to me. I started to have ankle problems, I couldn't jump, I couldn't walk for long distances without complaining of how tired I was, I would always take the elevator instead of the stairs, and I'd take a taxi for a distance which is almost a 10 minute walk. Before almost 14 months from now I decided to go on a diet and go to the gym. It was really hard at the beginning, changing your lifestyle of 15 years into something you barely like and wishing everyday to quit the the gym as I couldn't handle it, but no, this time was different, I challenged myself, I said: if I don't do it this time, I won't be able to do it anytime and I'll always live in regret and fear of sickness. I started to walk and do lots of exercises, a strict diet, and even sometimes I would walk for 30 km! Now I've lost 85 kilos and I am so close to my ideal weight. It's so strange that now people look at me so differently, they're more accepting. Even little kids stop starring at me in the streets. The funny thing is that I can buy clothes that fit me, because I never used to find my size, so I had to let my brothers in England send me big size clothes. Now when I go shopping for clothes I automatically look for the biggest sizes, something like a 4XL or 5XL, and then I realize I'm not that person anymore! Or when I go pass a hill I know I'm like: "I can't go up that, I can't, it will be too tiring", then I realize I am a new me and doing it is totally easy now. Sometimes I used to feel embarrassed to go to people's houses because I didn't fit in their chairs!

What made me take this decision was the fear of being overweighted all my life and being a person who is unable to live life's adventures from the smallest details as riding a ride in a theme park because I won't fit, to big details as not being accepted to jobs for my weight and, of course, most importantly, for my health. What motivated me is that I was in Germany for a exchange program through Erasmus+ for one semester. I arrived Germany and I was 170kgs walking daily with almost 85 kg extra weight on my body. As I arrived, I isolated myself from all those harmful food and started a diet and exercising. I was inspired from the beautiful nature and the healthy food. This mobility was my turning point. I've now lost 85 kg and I am now in my ideal weight, all thanks to Erasmus+.

Now I am a new person, I can run, walk, play every sport I hadn't played in 15 years, I am now accepted by more people not judged by my weight but now judged by my character. The point of saying all this is to let you know that anything is possible if you change your mind. I am not saying it's easy, but it is totally worth it. I am a totally different, happy person with more opportunities and, most importantly, a healthy lifestyle! In the end, I would like to give a piece of advice: while doing a diet you might not lose weight for a week or two and that might devastate you, but it's totally normal. Then the week after it you'll lose double the weight, so don't worry! Also, sometimes you are forming muscles instead of fat, so a scale is a double edge sword, don't let it put you down! Keep going with your progress and for sure you'll get the results you've been waiting for!

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