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By Melissa Fleur Afshar
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A Belgian woman's dramatic weight loss transformation has sent the internet into a spiral, after a striking before-and-after clip of her went viral in May.
Back in March 2021, Chanika Castermans had challenged herself to lose 15 kilograms (about 33 pounds) in a short but undefined space of time. She managed to achieve her goal after spending eight weeks on a strict, "self-made" workout plan, and a short video documenting her journey and how she has since stayed slim has recently gone viral.
In August 2021, five months after embarking on her transformation, Castermans underwent a gastric bypass to help her achieve her ideal weight. Still, she kept on at her new workout and meal plan. Antwerp-based Castermans went on to lose 60 kilograms (over 130 pounds) in just one year after deciding to make the change.
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"In March 2021, I decided to change my life," the TikToker wrote under her post.
"It's hard to keep the weight if you don't keep on track and just decide to eat and do whatever after [a gastric bypass] surgery. I have been the same weight for almost a year now and I couldn't be more proud of myself. No matter if you had surgery or not. Every journey is a hard journey," she added.
The viral clip is made up from a montage of shots of Castermans at different weights every month of her journey. As the video progresses, the now-slim woman changes form until she reaches her lowest weight at the end of the clip. By the end of the video, the young woman is practically unrecognizable. Impressed by her results, Castermans now sells her self-made workout plan on social media.
Since it was shared to the social media platform on April 7 by Castermans' TikTok account @ChanikaCastermans, the post which can be seen here has been viewed over 13.4 million times. While her profile only consists of a few posts at the moment, Castermans' weight loss looks to be her main content. In other TikTok posts, she answers questions about how her weight loss transformation impacted her skin and how she remained mentally resilient along her journey.
She wrote under a different post: "If people ask me what's the hardest part of losing weight, I won't say it's the physical part. Whether you had surgery or not. It is physically hard, yes, but mentally it has been the hardest. Constantly fighting your own thoughts, still feeling big, the addiction to keep losing weight. It's been a whole rollercoaster."
What Are the Healthiest Ways To Lose Weight?
Exercise physiologist and program director at South Carolina's Hilton Head Health, David Chesworth, shared his top safe weight loss tips with Newsweek.
"Exercise alone is a poor weight loss strategy. It's best to think of exercise as the perfect co-pilot to nutrition when it comes to losing weight. So include it to gain all the other benefits that exercise has to offer such as improved heart health, increased energy, stronger bones, muscles and joints and improved mobility," Chesworth said.
"Although exercise by itself is a weak predictor for weight loss, it is the number one predictor for weight maintenance upon reaching your goal. The best reason to exercise during weight loss is to establish the habit of being an active person," he added.
Dietitian Kimberly Gomer agreed with Chesworth that nutrition should be your main focus when trying to lose weight. Gomer, who has over 25 years of experience in coaching clients on health and wellness, told Newsweek that individuals trying to leverage a new diet for weight loss should avoid processed foods at all costs.
"Foods that are processed include all those foods, the thousands, that sit on grocery store shelves and last for weeks. These foods contain added sugars, processed flours, and loads of additives and chemicals," Gomer said.
"These additives are addictive, or obesogenic. Manufacturers hire food scientists to make the foods hyperpalatable and addictive. They are the number one enemy for weight loss. Instead, choose a diet full of whole foods including vegetables, fruits, whole grain, starches, and legumes," she added.
Like Chesworth, Gomer said that it's important to consider long-term goals and lifestyle changes when losing weight, instead of losing the extra pounds to never maintain the ideal weight again. The dietitian went on to tell Newsweek that the real key lies in not restricting yourself to a strict diet, but in selecting foods that can help you in your journey.
"Dieting is the most restrictive and potentially unhealthy thing you can do to achieve weight loss. The key is to make a lifestyle change that works for your lifestyle, one that is sustainable and healthy," Gomer said.
"Make vegetables the foundation of your diet. Simply by making vegetables the largest part of your meal, you will gain vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients that will help with health, energy, and weight loss," she added.
Gomer's last tip for individuals hoping to lose weight in a healthy way is that they commit to drinking more water, specifically large glasses before each meal.
Newsweek reached out to @ChanikaCastermans for comment via Instagram.
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