The Pressure to Lose Weight Broke Me—Finding Zing Wellbeing Helped Me Heal After Trying 38 Diets

Today the amazing Zena is sharing her very personal weight loss journey and how the pressure to lose weight broke her but how finding Zing Wellbeing has helped her to heal.

Zena's weight loss story

"For most of my life, I’ve been chasing diet after diet, desperately trying to lose half my body weight just to feel like I finally belong—to fit into society, even if only for a moment.

Every GP appointment, every pregnancy, every bootcamp reminded me that I was seen as 'less than.' The only solution ever offered to me was weight-related. It became my job to keep everyone happy, constantly dieting and chasing an unrealistic number on the scales, bound by the expectations of others.

Diet after diet, program after program—I've done it all. Injections, tablets, Healthy Mummy, even surgery. I was five seconds away from skin surgery. You name it, I’ve tried it. And in the eyes of the world, I 'failed' every single time. After 38 different programs, the cycle repeated: self-sabotage, depression, and weight gain. The shame of 'failing' yet another program felt like a personal betrayal to everyone around me.

For the past three years, I’ve had to go deep into therapy to confront my mental battles and redefine what health truly looks like for me. At 37, I’m finally trying to find my worth outside of a number on the scales and without social media dictating my success.

And that’s how I found Zing Wellbeing.

I needed a safe place. I was scared, but I knew I needed somewhere to belong. Society never seemed happy with my choices—whether I was dieting or not. If I lost weight, it wasn’t fast enough. If I had surgery, it was considered the 'easy way out.' It was exhausting.

But Zing Wellbeing, in my eyes, is different. It’s inclusive. Because one idea of health does not fit everyone. Our health goals are personal. Our capacity, finances, and family life don’t match.

One minute, we might try keto, and the next, we realize we need high protein. But what makes Zing special is the respect for each person’s journey. No judgment. No 'keyboard warriors' tearing others down.

In 2017, after the birth of my son, I weighed around 118kg. Just a year earlier, I had suffered a late-term pregnancy loss and the devastating suicide of my brother. The grief was unbearable. After eight months of breastfeeding, I decided to get healthier and stumbled upon Rhian’s previous program, Healthy Mummy.

I threw myself into it—exercising, meal prepping, even running free bootcamps with friends as a qualified PT. I went from 118kg to 82kg. Then, in late 2018, I was flown to Sydney to meet Rhian and other inspiring women. It was an incredible experience. But when I returned home, I found out I was unexpectedly pregnant.

The months that followed were brutal. My two-year-old son was hospitalized for two weeks, I suffered another pregnancy loss, I was in a car accident, and my grandfather passed away. Grief came flooding back, and my weight skyrocketed. The pressure to be 'perfect' in the Healthy Mummy community was overwhelming. I wasn’t losing weight. My life was falling apart. I couldn't keep up the facade. I spiraled, returning to unhealthy coping mechanisms and abandoning my health altogether.

By 2020, I knew I needed therapy. No more dieting, no more programs—just deep, heavy emotional work. Weekly EMDR and schema therapy helped me pull my mind apart and piece it back together.

In 2021, I convinced my husband to try for another baby. I hadn’t weighed myself in years but knew I wasn’t healthy. I started eating better, exercising, and registered for pregnancy support at a local hospital, hoping for guidance. Instead, I was humiliated. I was told I needed to lose 30kg and that they couldn’t help me. I left in tears, vowing never to try again. But life had other plans—I was already pregnant. In December 2021, I gave birth to my daughter at over 120kg.

My weight ballooned, and I felt trapped in my own head. I believed losing weight again would fix everything, so I pursued weight loss surgery. In September 2023, one month after my son’s Autism, ADHD, and PDA diagnosis, I had a gastric sleeve procedure. It wasn’t an easy way out—it was another step in my lifelong battle. The first six weeks were brutal. Liquids, purees, soft foods—while navigating stress and losing my usual coping mechanisms. It was overwhelming.

By November 2023, I was diagnosed with ADHD, along with my husband. The year that followed was one of the hardest of our lives. I stayed in touch with my dietitian and surgeon, but I still couldn’t get it right. Protein, low-carb, half a cup of food at a time—it felt like I was always failing. My weight stalled at 85kg, just like before. I turned to coffee instead of meals. Then I’d binge on 'slider foods.' History told me exactly where this path led.

On my 37th birthday, after too much alcohol, I clicked on the Zing Wellbeing link and joined. It was time to start over. A new year, a fresh start, and a massive 1400km family move to slow life down. I joined a gym, committed to my health, and finally found a program that supported me as I was.

Weight loss surgery wasn’t the easy way out. I had already spent two decades fighting my weight. What I needed was support. Real, lasting support that allowed me to embrace different approaches to health without judgment.

Now, I’ve quit alcohol. I use Zing Wellbeing’s high-protein and weight loss surgery filters to create a plan that works for me.

I’ve joined F45. My favorite recipes are the High Protein Chocolate Rice Bubble Crunch, Salted Caramel Latte with Vanilla Protein Powder, Mango and Lime Smoothie, Easy Tuna Lettuce Cups, and Bacon and Egg Cups—plus anything with salmon. And once we settle into our new home, I’ll be a baking queen!

My 2025 goal is to slow life down and embrace our sea change. I need to focus on ADHD management, eating better, drinking more water (and less coffee!), and continuing therapy for binge eating. I want to stop chasing weight loss and start chasing true health.

Will I finally get under 85kg? I don’t know. But will my body thrive on good food and my brain benefit from strength training? Absolutely YES.