‘I put things away, and then I ate something again to feel better’
Singer Eva Simons radically changed course on January 1 last year and opted for a completely healthy lifestyle. Now she is very happy with her new body and new life: “I will be forty in April, and for the first time I am really myself.”
Not happy
“I don’t want to feel that miserable anymore, I thought after the corona lockdowns. As a musician I could no longer perform, everything came to a standstill. During that period I started drinking more and using more drugs,” Eva says candidly in the latest Glamial. “That was easy, because everyone was in their own bubble. But I wasn’t happy. Not even when we came out of the last lockdown.” The singer knew that she wanted something different, a fresh start. “Previously I would have looked critically at the furnishings of my house; what could be better? A new car would have been a wonderful way to feel better quickly, but that euphoria is short-lived. And it doesn’t address the real problem.” That’s why she went to rehab twice. The first time to quit drugs and then quit alcohol: too often I saw a reason to drink red wine or cognac ‘enjoyably’.”
Addiction-prone ADHDers
“Now I haven’t had a drop in a long time. I have no problem with that, because I now know that I have ADHD,” Eva continues. “I barely produce dopamine, so I started looking for external stimuli to relax. People with ADHD are therefore more susceptible to addiction, for drinks, drugs and food… I had no idea, that was a real wake-up call for me, and also very sad in a way,” says the singer. “Life would have been easier if I had gotten to know myself earlier. Then I would have set stricter boundaries, for myself and for others.”
Blood sugar diet
“I would put things away, and then I would eat something again to feel better. At one point I weighed 115 kilos, and that hurt,” Eva says honestly. “Literally pain, on the soles of my feet. I rotated through seven pairs of leggings because nothing suited me anymore. I had wanted to lose weight for some time, but I always started eating again after five kilos. Because that’s such a rewarding moment in the diet world: ‘You can now have one cookie,’ it said, but then I took the whole roll. Maybe I’m addicted to sugar, I thought, and that’s how I came across the blood sugar diet after researching.” Eva started this on January 1. Little by little I lost weight, and now – a year later – I weigh 71 kilos.
Heavy in the head
“Now I am slim, but in my head I am still fat,” Eva continues. “I still buy jeans in a size that is too large and I still think they will pinch in the car. Or I worry that the button won’t close.”
“On the other hand, my husband is now experiencing me wearing real lingerie for the first time. And yes, he really appreciates that,” she says. “I will be forty in April and now I am really myself for the first time. Even my big orange crest is gone. Because I had bald spots, after years of sewn-in fake hair. That crest was also wonderful to hide behind, like a kind of mask. I don’t need that anymore, because I have more self-confidence and can really be myself. It’s nice that I’ve lost weight, but I’m especially happy with how I feel and how much fun my life is now. Especially without alcohol and drugs.”
You can read the full interview with Eva in the latest Glamial. Kim Feenstra and Djamila Celina also explain how they start the new year happy & healthy. Now in store!
Text: Agnes Hofman | Image: Julian Pechler
