- A humiliating moment at a Gold Coast waterpark became the wake-up call that inspired Iezcha Awhitu to reclaim her health
- After gastric sleeve surgery and discovering Brazilian jiu jitsu, she lost 51kg and transformed her lifestyle
- Now healthy and active, Iezcha says her biggest motivation has always been being there to watch her daughter grow up
Here, Iezcha Awhitu, 34, tells her own story in her own words.
Sun shining, I took my daughter Novella-Eve’s hand in mine.
It was July 2022 and a gorgeous day on the Gold Coast where we lived, so we were at Wet’n’Wild waterpark. Lining up for a ride, it was our turn to be weighed to ensure we could go on it safely.
‘Ready?’ I asked Novella-Eve, then five, as we were called forward.
As I stood on the scales, the light above lit up red.
Shame flooded through me as I realised that meant I was too large to ride.
There were almost 20 people in the queue behind us as I led my daughter away from the gates.
READ MORE: I lost 148 kilos: ‘I couldn’t tie my shoelaces’
‘Why are we leaving?’ Novella-Eve whimpered.
‘Let’s try another one,’ I encouraged her.
I was mortified but wouldn’t let her see it.
I’ll never let that happen again, I vowed.
Ever since I was young, I’d struggled with my weight. Developing earlier than my peers, by age 10 I had womanly curves.
When I was 12 and started high school, at 60 kilos and 154cms I realised I didn’t look like the other girls in class. While they were growing up, I was growing out.
Not long after turning 14, I left school to take up a cheffing apprenticeship in a high-end cafe. I loved being in the kitchen and learning new skills, but working long hours on my feet with short breaks meant I was always snacking or grabbing quick meals.
Before work I’d eat a ham and cheese croissant or toastie with a large milkshake or energy drink.
During my shift, for lunch I’d fill up on chips or burgers and pick on leftovers at work.
The weight stacked on, and by the time I was 17 I’d gone from a size 12 to a 16.
READ MORE:I halved my weight eating roast potatoes!
‘No-one trusts a skinny chef,’ my colleagues said.
So I didn’t really see my weight as an issue.
My portions sizes steadily increased until, ashamed of how much I was scoffing, I’d binge in secret before eating in front of people so they wouldn’t know.
Sometimes I ate so much I’d be sick.
By 19, weighing 85 kilos, I gave up restaurant work and started a hair and beauty apprenticeship at my stepmum Joanne’s salon.
Working with her, I found my stride styling bridal hair. I loved making women feel amazing, even if I didn’t always feel so myself.
After five years in the salon, at 24 I fell pregnant.
I figured I was eating for two, so kept up my oversized portions of pasta, curry and greasy chips and burgers. By my due date I weighed 90 kilos.
When my daughter Novella-Eve was born on October 28, 2016, it was the happiest day of my life.
I’ve got to be around to see her grow up, I promised myself.
But being a new mum wasn’t easy, and my old habits were hard to shift.
Eight months later, I needed my gallbladder removed. It had become so inflamed from my high-fat diet I was in agony. After surgery, and with my body trying to cope with haywire hormones, I gained 15 kilos.
Then, heartbreakingly, on July 9, 2021, I lost my birth mum, Davina, suddenly to suicide, aged 45.
Deep in grief, I turned to my comfort – food.
At my heaviest, I tipped the scales at 115 kilos. My body wasn’t coping, my breathing was laboured, my legs developed varicose veins and would turn a purply-blue colour due to poor circulation, and I had sores where my belly was overhanging on my front.
I started a new role at Apple as a technician but struggled with painful plantar fasciitis from being on my feet all day, and I needed a medical note to take breaks. It was so embarrassing.
Still, I never let my girl see my pain. But as we were turned away from that waterslide, I knew things had to change.
Visiting my GP that week in July 2022, I asked him to help me.
‘I need to be around to see my daughter grow up. Would I be suitable for a gastric sleeve?’ I asked, knowing my life was on the line.
‘Your BMI indicates you’re morbidly obese. With your health issues, it’s a good option for you,’ he agreed.
Unable to front the huge fees, I changed my health insurance and had to wait 12 months.
READ MORE: From 148kg to Ironman: Emma lost 80kg and 10 dress sizes after a health scare
But on July 12, 2023, I finally went under the knife.
Recovery was tough and, as my body slowly adjusted, I sipped on broth before moving to soft foods.
By three months post-surgery, I’d lost 20 kilos.
Determined to keep going, I tried joining a gym but I felt so intimated I couldn’t stick to it.
Then one day in March 2024, when I dropped Novella-Eve at her Brazilian jiu jitsu class, the trainer invited me to come and try.
Stepping onto the mat a week later, I loved how strong my body felt as I grappled. So I joined up.
After one year of training, and eating small, high-protein meals, I was down to 55 kilos. I’d lost 60kg!
Next, I started running around the block while Novella-Eve rode her bike alongside.
‘Go Mummy,’ she’d cheer.
After six months I could run 4kms non-stop!
Now a healthy 64 kilos, I’ve never felt more ‘me’.
I walk or run for 20 minutes each day and hit the gym twice a week lifting weights.
Lunch is miso soup with tofu and dinner is steak and rice – but I still love a treat, just in moderation.
Novella-Eve, nine, is the light of my life and my reason to stay well.
Follow her on Instagram
For support with disordered eating see butterfly.org.au
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