How I Stopped Obsessing Over My Weight & Finally Lost It

I’m Jen, I’m 26, and I live in Johannesburg. Let me share How I Stopped Obsessing Over My Weight & Finally Lost It.

If you’ve ever stood in front of your wardrobe trying on outfit after outfit, ending up in the same baggy T-shirt you swore you’d never wear outside again, then you already know the kind of headspace I was in.

I wasn’t just tired of my body. I was tired of thinking about it all the time.

The Mental Weight Was Worse Than the Physical. FitlyIQ LeanBalance is not just physical but emotional too building confidence and getting that lost energy back.

Let’s get one thing straight: I wasn’t massively overweight. But in my head, it was all I thought about.

I’d scroll through Instagram and every second post seemed to be a girl my age with perfect abs, flawless skin, and “effortless” style. The more I scrolled, the more I compared.

I tried every quick fix out there:

• Juice cleanses that made me dizzy.
• Low carb plans that left me miserable.
• Gym challenges that I quit halfway through.

And each time I failed, I felt more convinced that there was something wrong with me.

When “Healthy” Became Unhealthy

There was a point where I wasn’t just dieting anymore, I was obsessed. I’d feel guilty for eating bread, I’d avoid going out to dinner with friends, and I’d punish myself with workouts if I thought I’d “messed up.”

That’s not healthy. That’s just a different kind of problem.

The truth? I didn’t need another diet. I needed to stop fighting with my body.

Finding FitlyIQ (and My Sanity)

One night, after yet another Google search for “easy weight loss tips,” I came across a blog from a South African woman who’d lost weight with something called FitlyIQ.

At first, I rolled my eyes I’ve seen enough “miracle” programs to know better. But she was talking about things I’d never heard from a diet plan before. She mentioned Zoe, an AI coach that asked her about her actual life before giving her a plan.

That caught my attention.

When I signed up, Zoe didn’t just ask my height, weight, and goal. She asked things like:

• What’s your meal routine right now?
• How do you feel about your body?
• Do you prefer fast changes or slow and steady?
• How’s your stress and sleep?

It felt like the first time anyone had looked at the whole picture — not just the number on the scale.

The First 21 Days Without the Diet Misery

Here’s what shocked me: Zoe didn’t ban my favourite foods. She didn’t tell me to spend hours cooking or prepping. She gave me a plan that fit into my life in Joburg — busy workdays, traffic, social dinners, all of it.

Some of the changes were so simple it almost felt like cheating:

• Swapping my sugar loaded morning coffee for a lighter version I actually liked.
• Eating more protein so I stayed full longer.
• Timing my meals better so I wasn’t raiding the fridge at 10pm.

There was no “you’ve ruined it” speech if I had pizza on the weekend. Zoe would just check in on WhatsApp, give me tips to balance it out the next day, and we’d move on.

The Results and the Surprise

By Day 21, I’d lost 6kg.

Was I happy about the weight loss? Absolutely. But the bigger win was how I felt:

• I wasn’t obsessing over food 24/7.
• I could go out with friends and actually enjoy the meal without panic.
• I felt… lighter. Physically, yes, but mentally even more.

For the first time since I was a teenager, I wasn’t punishing my body. I was working with it.

Why This Was Different

I’ve thought about this a lot, and here’s why I think FitlyIQ worked for me when nothing else did:

1. It was personalised to my real life. Not some unrealistic plan designed for someone with a private chef and a gym in their house.
2. It focused on habits, not restriction. I wasn’t counting down the days until I could “eat normally” again.
3. It gave me permission to live. Nights out, birthdays, braais I didn’t have to miss out.

The Old Jen vs. The New Jen

The old me:

• Couldn’t pass a mirror without picking apart my reflection.
• Cancelled plans because I “felt fat.”
• Thought willpower was the only way to succeed.

The new me:

• Takes quick walks before work because I like how they make me feel.
• Eats pizza without guilt (and without overdoing it).
• Knows that one “bad” day isn’t the end.

If You’re Stuck in the Same Cycle

If you’ve been carrying the mental weight as much as the physical… if you’ve spent years trapped between dieting and giving up… if you’ve convinced yourself that nothing will work for you, I’ve been there.

And I can tell you this, you don’t need to punish yourself into losing weight. You need the right plan for you. LeanBalance is part of this plan for you, click here.

For me, that was FitlyIQ. In 21 days, I dropped 6kg without losing my sanity, my social life, or my love of food.

If you’re ready to stop obsessing over your weight and finally lose it for good, give yourself 21 days with Zoe. You might just find you gain something even better than a smaller number on the scale peace of mind.

Join FitlyIQ today and start your own transformation.