My name is Etisoni Vea, and my wife is Meleane Vea. We moved from the Waikato Region to Dunedin to support Meleane’s studies. Since being here, we’ve found joy in fishing and exploring hunting spots for pigs, sheep, and venison for we love cooking and eating in our spare time.
After settling in the South Island, we felt right at home. But around 7-8 months into our stay, we both started feeling unwell, with repeated visits to the hospital. Despite many tests, the doctors couldn’t identify the cause of our illness, and we spent almost three months going back and forth between hospital appointments. Eventually, it was discovered that our diet was to blame for we were eating too much, a habit we call kaivale in Tonga.
To focus on our health better, we decided to move into a smaller accommodation with limited space especially the storage space to decrease having large amounts of meat, fish, and island foods in storage. We reached out to PTO for help with housing, where Sellina Sa'u introduced us to Finau Taungapeau, the dietitian.
At first, my wife wasn’t keen on meeting with people from our community right away, but we eventually met with Finau, who explained the importance of a healthy eating and lifestyle and mindset. We found that it was exactly what we were looking for. Finau encouraged us to attend regular education sessions and review our diet quarterly. With Finau’s guidance, we made several important changes:
1. Reduced the portion sizes of our meals.
2. Followed a healthy eating food guide with structured mealtimes.
3. Attended weekly exercise sessions run by PTO.
4. I became the boxing instructor for the PTO
After 6 months of gradually implementing these changes, I lost 10 kg, and my wife lost 4 kg.
Before:
• We struggled to bend down and tie our shoelaces.
• Our portion sizes could have fed five or more people, and we ate four meals daily.
• I had difficulty sleeping due to shortness of breath.
• My feet were sore at work from standing while being overweight.
• We couldn’t stop snacking on junk food and drinking fizzy drinks.
Now:
• We can tie our shoelaces without leaning on a wall or sitting down.
• We’ve learned to manage portion sizes and make healthier choices when shopping.
• I can sleep peacefully, breathing clearly and easily.
• We can both stand longer at work and have the energy to work more hours thanks to the weight loss.
• We are saving money by buying only what we need and choosing healthier foods.
This journey has been life-changing for both of us and we’re grateful for the support and education provided by Finau and PTO. We are committed to continually improving and maintaining the healthier lifestyles we have adopted, as we are now experiencing and enjoying the positive outcomes in our lives. Also, we are actively encouraging and inviting others to connect with Finau for support and guidance for their health.
