Actress and director Gugu Gumede made a YouTube return this week after a four-year hiatus.
In her latest video, the Uzalo star opened up about her remarkable weight loss journey.
Gugu also discussed the factors that led to her weight gain and the significant impact it had on her health and daily life.
“No one told me that if you stop breastfeeding you will gain tons of weight… I gained about 15kg and reached a point where I was so unhappy. I was unhappy with the weight and how I felt. Physically, I did not feel good.
“My feet would hurt. I’d go to bed at night, and my heart would be pounding, and I was so scared because I have high blood pressure, which unfortunately runs in my family,” she explained.
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Gugu’s weight loss
Like other celebrities, including Lungile Thabethe, Gugu opted for gastric sleeve surgery, a type of bariatric surgery for weight loss.
“I wanted to get the gastric sleeve because I wanted to limit the amount of food that I was eating. I wanted the portion control to be there,” she said.
However, Gumede emphasised that surgery is not the only option for weight loss.
“I don’t want to say to people that surgery is the only option because we have different things going on in our lives, and we have different lifestyles.”
The actress said she underwent surgery in January this year and is happy with the results.
“I am so happy I have lost a whopping 20kg in two months… It was a very tough journey at first, but now I am not finding it difficult. However, it’s not the same for everyone.
“If you are thinking about this, understand what a drastic decision it is to have this surgery, but some of us need that drastic push in our lives to be healthier and to live longer.”
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