Yvette Koedam’s viral story shared on Humans of Amsterdam shows how from 103 kg in 2014, she managed to turn her life around
Weight loss stories are always inspiring. They tell tales of individuals overcoming obstacles and fighting their inner demons. A similar tale has been shared by Amsterdam resident Yvette Koedam, who ran the New York Marathon last year. To put things in perspective, in 2015, Koedam weighed 103 kg and suffered from borderline depression. Her story, which was shared by Humans of Amsterdam, has since gone viral.
Koedam, who says she was in an unhealthy relationship with her boyfriend, added that she was an emotional eater. “Whenever I felt bad, I would eat. My boyfriend and I had been together for almost 5 years and both of us were unhappy. I felt that he projected many of his insecurities on me and instead of encouraging me he would bring me down. It was my first relationship so I figured it was normal and that things would get better,” she said.
The day Koedam found out she weighed 103 kg, something inside snapped. Her doctor had told her that she was on the edge of depression. “The first big step I then made was ending my relationship. My ex-boyfriend didn’t like to travel, so when I ended our relationship I booked a trip to Thailand seven months prior. I was afraid to travel alone, but I did it,” she said.
After ending her relationship, Koedam began working out again with her dad. “I could barely run 20 meters and I felt terrible but my dad made me feel safe. Instead of judging me he would encourage me. After that, I adjusted my diet and I started working out almost every day. Some months I would barely lose any weight which was frustrating. That year I lost 30 kg in total. It was a big physical change but most of all a mental transformation. When I started my journey I made a promise to myself to stay single. I was building a relation with myself and therefore I was not ready to build a relationship with someone else,” she said.
In 2016, Koedam began rebuilding her life again. “I was looking at my life from a whole different perspective. I decided to challenge myself again by booking a trip to Indonesia. Booking that ticket was the moment I went from being a girl into an adult woman. It was a decision I made all by myself,” she added.
The highlight for Koedam, however, was running the New York Marathon with her father. “It is my biggest accomplishment so far. Imagine that two years prior I could not even run 30 meters and now I ran a real Marathon. I have come a long way and I feel this is only the beginning,” she said.
You can check her Instagram profile here
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