Ariana Omipi reveals how she lost 68kg after three failed attempts

Ariana Omipi has always suffered from a toxic relationship with food, making weight loss challenging for the young blogger. Photo / Instagram

Ariana Omipi always suffered from a toxic relationship with food, making losing weight incredibly challenging for the young blogger.

At her heaviest, the 24-year-old weighed 130kgs, but as of 11 months ago she'd lost an incredible 68kgs.

However Ariana, who lives in Auckland, New Zealand said her yoyo weight loss hasn't been an easy ride, describing it as one of the toughest experiences of her life.

"My portion sizes were just out of control. It wasn't that I was eating bad food — I was eating relatively healthy food — but my consumption was just too much," she told news.com.au

Ariana Omipi, 24, from New Zealand, lost 50kgs only to put it back on again. Photo / Instagram

"I would have three servings of breakfasts a day with plates full of scrambled eggs and bacon so I wasn't necessarily eating high in sugar foods or fat, but it was just too much."

In 2014, the digital marketing director and Instagram influencer had shed an incredible 50kgs by following a keto and low carb diet.

She began documenting her weight loss journey on social media and gained an army of loyal followers who were inspired by her story, but by 2018 she had put the weight back on.

She attempted two more times to trim down but couldn't sustain the diet.

"It wasn't sustainable for me because I still had a huge appetite which was an underlying cause for me to keep regaining," she said.

She had several failed attempts at keeping the weight off due to her toxic relationship with food. Photo / Instagram

She stopped sharing photos about fitness and exercise with her then 75,000 followers, instead posting pictures food.

"I couldn't do normal, day-to-day tasks anymore. I'd get so tired doing the simplest things, even going out with friends and socialising became a chore because I would get so hot and sweaty and wouldn't be able to walk as far as my friends — I just wasn't having a comfortable life anymore."

She said she had never seen herself as being obese and it wasn't until she had lost the weight again recently when she realised how it was affecting her life.

"A bunch of my friends and I went on a trip to Rotorua and due to my weight I couldn't do a lot of the activities and that was confronting. It hit me hard that I couldn't physically go any of the activities because it was unsafe as I weighed so much to the point it would harm me."

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MONDAY MOTIVATION! 💪🏼 I always feel so strong and happy after working out which is why I schedule in two sessions a week with @h.feaver_er at @theexerciseroomnz. Not only do I feel accountable but I’m also in the hands of a professional who understands all things exercise! It’s incredible what happens when you invest in people who are experts in their field! 💕 Here’s todays workout: 1. Kettlebell Swings (8 kilos) x 12 2. Left Arm Kettlebell Squat & Press (6 kilos) x 12 3. Right Arm Kettlebell Squat & Press (6 kilos) x 12 4. Squat Catch & Throw Ball (6 kilos) x 12 5. Planking Mountain Climbers on Ball x 12 6. Squat & Lob 10 kilo ball before squating to the ball and back x 16 7. 30 second plank hold on yoga ball I warmed up with a few minutes on the stair climber and then repeated exercises 1-3 through 3 times, 4-5 through 3 times and 6-7 through 3 times for a full workout before stretching out to finish. Crop: @kmartaus Pants: @cottonon Sneakers: @puma

A post shared by 𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐀 𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐏𝐈 (@arianaomipi) on Dec 3, 2018 at 1:44am PST

Hesitantly, she decided to undergo gastric sleeve surgery in a bid to shed the weight once more.

"If you had asked me over a year ago if I were to do it, I would have said 'oh no, I don't need to I lost it on my own before, I can do it again, I have to keep trying' — but when I realised it was an option that worked so well on others, I thought why not."

She underwent the surgery in March last year that removed 90 per cent of her stomach through keyhole surgery.

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In March 2018, I will be undergoing bariatric (weight loss) surgery via gastric sleeve! I wanted to share this with all of you as I’m incredibly excited and want to be able to OPENLY and HONESTLY share my experience with you all. 🙌 💕 Over the years, my weight has been something I’ve worked REALLY REALLY hard on. My discipline, determination and lifestyle changes have helped me to achieve significant weight loss in the past however my constant hunger is something that has made maintaining a healthy weight INCREDIBLY difficult. Within the last 5 years, I have lost, maintained, gained, lost and gained weight. This has been exhausting, physically and emotionally. 😱😥😩 So know that I haven’t made this decision lightly and that it doesn’t come from a place of hate towards my appearance or any negative feelings about myself. I have made this decision for MY long term health, to be able to maintain a manageable healthy weight for ME and not feel the constant desire to need multiple servings of HEALTHY food in one sitting. 💛🌸 For those of you who don’t know what this surgery is about, it will reduce the size of my stomach by approximately 90% while also reducing the hunger hormone (ghrelin) by a significant amount. This surgery is not sponsored nor publicly funded and I am grateful to be in a position where I am able to afford to have this done through the private system at a hospital close to where I live. 🙏🌟 This is just a snippet of what I have to share about this experience and there will be plenty more coming! If there’s anything you want to know about it or would like me share, let me know below. ☺️💭

A post shared by 𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐀 𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐏𝐈 (@arianaomipi) on Feb 25, 2018 at 11:13pm PST

She explained that while it resulted in resounding success, having removed the hunger hormonal Ghrelin, it was important she kept consistent with her training and exercising.

"You can't solely rely on it — you really need to utilise it by building a healthy routine as that's what's going to be sustainable long-term," she told news.com.au

Ariana has managed to lose all of the weight she gained, shedding 63kgs and revealed she no longer has a constant feeling of hunger.

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A quick pic outside @bombaysapphire‘s The Living Gallery event a few weeks ago! 🍸 This outfit was so different for me but sometimes I think it’s fun to get adventurous with your style and try new things! What did you think of this little number? 💜 The dress is from @hm and the shoes are my new staple, the Brecken Siren from @andreabianishop ✨

A post shared by 𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐀 𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐏𝐈 (@arianaomipi) on Dec 5, 2018 at 9:21pm PST

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I’m actually eyeing up a bee in this pic. Ya girl does not want to get stung. 🐝🙅🏻‍♀️ ⁣ ⁣ Swimsuit: @glassons ⁣ Kimono: @piagrams ⁣ Scrunchie: @sandandscarf

A post shared by 𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐀 𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐏𝐈 (@arianaomipi) on Jan 24, 2019 at 9:23pm PST

Before the surgery, she also had issues with her knee and sweat would make her break out in a rash, which led to her despising exercise. Now she works out twice a week for 45 minutes with a personal trainer and switches between cardio and weights.

"I feel great. I'm really living my life now which is one of the most rewarding things to have come from this whole journey."

Ariana said she now has control over her food consumption which mainly consists of a vegetarian-based diet.

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Just a friendly reminder that loose skin, stretch marks, belly rolls and cellulite are completely normal for lots of women - including me! ❤️ They may not be obvious at every angle and they can look different depending on the light but they exist! ✨ I’m not afraid to show them because having them doesn’t change any part of the person I am 🙌🏼 i know that when I look back on this photo, I’ll remember the fun time I had lounging out in the sun and swimming with my friends ☀️ I believe the more we talk about these things along with practising self love and acceptance (no matter what our bodies look like) the more comfortable we can all feel with ourselves ☺️

A post shared by 𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐀 𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐏𝐈 (@arianaomipi) on Dec 16, 2018 at 6:06pm PST

"I have transformed far beyond physical appearance and weight loss this year and I am so immensely happy that I am excited about my life and what is to come for my future again."

In August this year Ariana will also undergo cosmetic surgery for a tummy tuck and breast augmentation.

"My breasts have a lot of lose skin and obviously have dropped hugely and the same with my stomach. It's not overly noticeable, but it's still there."