X
theAsianparent Logo
theAsianparent Logo
Product GuideSign in
  • Awards
    • Parents' Choice Awards 2023
  • Pregnancy
    • Due date calculator
    • I'm pregnant
    • Trying To Conceive
    • Labour
    • After birth
    • Baby loss
  • Parenting
    • Parent's Guide
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Child
    • Newborn
    • Baby
    • Toddler
    • Pre-Schooler
    • Kid
    • Pre-Teen & Teen
  • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diseases-Injuries
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Meal Planner
    • Health
    • Allergies & Conditions
    • Vaccinations
  • Education
    • Pre-School
    • Primary School
    • Secondary School
    • Primary School Directory
  • Lifestyle
    • Money
    • Travel & Leisure
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Fitness
    • Contests & promotions
  • News
    • International
    • Health
    • Celebrity
    • Singapore
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping
  • Press Releases
  • Project Sidekicks
  • Community
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Become A Contributor
  • VIP

'I transformed my health and lost 71kg with two unusual steps'

5 min read
'I transformed my health and lost 71kg with two unusual steps'

Pamela had only one focus on losing the weight—and it all started after chancing upon an unusual Facebook post.

Pamela was stuck in a rut of her journey to losing weight then putting it all back on – until an unusual Facebook post resparked her motivation and transformed her health.

It’s a familiar weight loss cycle, and a few years ago 40-year-old Pamela Ann Davis was fully stuck in it. 

“I’d lose 30 kilos but then I’d stall,” she tells Kidspot. 

Time and again she’d get to this point and then give up, putting it all back on.

But in 2018 she was determined it would be different. Pamela’s daughter, Mackenzie, now 16, took a photo of her mum and the image of the 136kg woman staring back at her shocked Pamela into action.

journey to losing weight

Journey to losing weight: In 2018, Pamela decided to kick her weight loss journey back into action. | Image source: Instagram/spursfirstieteacher

Journey to losing weight: She started strong, but wondered if she could keep it up

In the past she’d started eating salad when she wanted to diet, but now Pamela had come to realise how unsustainable this was.

“This time I researched properly. I spent hours online looking at how to make what I liked to eat healthier,” she says. “For pizza I needed to load up on veg and use light cheese, for example.”

She started walking, too, and gradually the kilos started coming off. Pamela felt great but as the weeks went by, she began to wonder if she really could stay on track.

A chance Facebook encounter

Then one evening she was on Facebook and a post from an old high school friend, 40-year-old Jennifer Trevino, came up. 

She was suffering stage four kidney failure and needed a transplant. In the post, she was making a desperate plea for help. 

“I can’t even explain what happened to me in that minute,” Pamela says. “It sounds so crazy. I hadn’t seen or heard from Jennifer in 20 years but a voice in my head said, ‘this is meant for you’.”

Inexplicably, Pamela found herself typing a reply to Jennifer saying she’d like to find out more.

Nobody could believe her decision

There was the slimmest of possibilities she’d be a match but she went for the tests anyway – and she describes the call telling her she was a match as “the coolest moment” of her life.

Nobody could believe it, least of all Pamela’s family!

“What if one of your kids needs a kidney in future and you’ve given it away already?” people asked.

“What if I don’t do it and my kids don’t need a kidney?” she replied.

I transformed my health and lost 71kg with two unusual steps

Journey to losing weight: The surgery required her to lose weight, and helped to maintain motivation. | Image source: Instagram/spursfirstieteacher

It was a newfound focus

Her mind was made up, but there was just one more big hurdle: she needed to lose another 36 kilos before surgery.

At the usual point where her resolve was weakening, Pamela suddenly had a newfound focus. She threw everything at her new goal, joining a gym and getting super strict with her diet.

By the operation on December 27, 2018, she was 65 kilos. In total she’d lost 71 kilos.

The surgery was laparoscopic so there’d be no scarring, but Pamela was warned recovery would be eight weeks.

“It seemed like nothing knowing Jennifer has been suffering since her twenties,” Pamela says.

journey to losing weight

The focus helped her to lose 71kg. | Image source: Instagram/spursfirstieteacher

“It’s the most fulfilling, positive thing”

Both the surgery and recovery were quick for both women, and Pamela was as thankful to Jennifer for giving her a reason to stick with her diet as Jennifer was for the kidney!

Partner Stories
4 Good Toilet Hygiene Habits for Kids to Have Early in Life
4 Good Toilet Hygiene Habits for Kids to Have Early in Life
Flu in Singapore: Is Your Family Protected?
Flu in Singapore: Is Your Family Protected?
6 Top Ways to Prevent Diaper Rash
6 Top Ways to Prevent Diaper Rash
Experiencing Mood Swings, Irregular Periods and Weight Gain Among Other Things? Here’s What You Need to Know About Hormonal Imbalance
Experiencing Mood Swings, Irregular Periods and Weight Gain Among Other Things? Here’s What You Need to Know About Hormonal Imbalance

In fact, Pamela had such a great feeling donating that months later she researched how to donate part of her liver. In June 2020, after an anonymous match was found, she did that, too.

This time there was no keyhole surgery and she was cut vertically down her abdomen. Doctors took 70 percent of her liver and used it to save someone’s life.

“‘One day you’ll come home with no eye because you wanted to help someone who’s blind,’ my son Tristan jokes,” Pamela laughs.

It’s true – she’d like to help again, but there’s nothing more she can give. Instead she’s focusing on raising awareness about live organ donation. 

“It’s a big deal and I get that people are scared by it but it’s the most fulfilling, positive thing I’ve ever done,” she says.

I transformed my health and lost 71kg with two unusual steps

Pamela feels happier, healthier and more fulfilled than ever. | Image source: Instagram/spursfirstieteacher

For more information about organ donation visit donatelife.gov.au.

This article was first published on KidSpot and republished on theAsianparent with permission.

Lead image source: Instagram/spursfirstieteacher

ALSO READ:

Keto Diet Weight Loss Tips From A PE Teacher Who Dropped 20kg in 2 Years

Korean Mum’s Weight Loss: Tips For Losing Weight Quickly

The truth about losing the baby weight after delivery

https://t.me/theAsianparentSG

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

img
Written by

kidspot

  • Home
  • /
  • Health
  • /
  • 'I transformed my health and lost 71kg with two unusual steps'
Share:
  • Best Vitamin To Take For Weight Loss For People Over 40 Years Old

    Best Vitamin To Take For Weight Loss For People Over 40 Years Old

  • Why Is My Child Losing Weight? Here Are A Few Reasons Why

    Why Is My Child Losing Weight? Here Are A Few Reasons Why

  • Engaged: Jeffrey Xu Plans Beautiful Marriage Proposal but Felicia Chin Nearly Misses It

    Engaged: Jeffrey Xu Plans Beautiful Marriage Proposal but Felicia Chin Nearly Misses It

  • Joshua Tan’s Wife Reveals His Romantic Side, Says Longest Separation Was Only 6 Weeks in 5-Year Long-Distance Romance

    Joshua Tan’s Wife Reveals His Romantic Side, Says Longest Separation Was Only 6 Weeks in 5-Year Long-Distance Romance

  • Best Vitamin To Take For Weight Loss For People Over 40 Years Old

    Best Vitamin To Take For Weight Loss For People Over 40 Years Old

  • Why Is My Child Losing Weight? Here Are A Few Reasons Why

    Why Is My Child Losing Weight? Here Are A Few Reasons Why

  • Engaged: Jeffrey Xu Plans Beautiful Marriage Proposal but Felicia Chin Nearly Misses It

    Engaged: Jeffrey Xu Plans Beautiful Marriage Proposal but Felicia Chin Nearly Misses It

  • Joshua Tan’s Wife Reveals His Romantic Side, Says Longest Separation Was Only 6 Weeks in 5-Year Long-Distance Romance

    Joshua Tan’s Wife Reveals His Romantic Side, Says Longest Separation Was Only 6 Weeks in 5-Year Long-Distance Romance

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Education
    • Events
    • Allergies & Conditions
  • Family Occasions
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Child Safety
    • Health
    • Diseases-Injuries
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Money
    • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diet & Weightloss
  • Normal Delivery
    • Cesarean Delivery
    • Behaviour
    • Secondary School
    • Formula Feeding
  • Ages & Stages
    • Latching & Concerns
    • Festivals & Holidays
    • Education
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • More
    • TAP Community
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Become a Contributor


  • Singapore flag Singapore
  • Thailand flag Thailand
  • Indonesia flag Indonesia
  • Philippines flag Philippines
  • Malaysia flag Malaysia
  • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
  • India flag India
  • Vietnam flag Vietnam
  • Australia flag Australia
  • Japan flag Japan
  • Nigeria flag Nigeria
  • Kenya flag Kenya
© Copyright theAsianparent 2023. All rights reserved
About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

theAsianparent heart icon
We’d like to send you notifications for the latest news and updates on baby care and health.