My Story | Robyn Snyman
I lost over 60 kg. Then life happened. And here we are.
The story behind RobsLostWhat. The weight I lost, the life I've lived, and the comeback nobody ordered.
- 2020/2021Over 180 kgThe doctor's appointment that started it all.
- Then117 kgMore than 60 kg gone with diet and exercise.
- 2023The gym eraTraining five days a week.
- January 2025Life happenedA hysterectomy, recovery and some weight back.
- 22 October 2026Day one againThe 40 for 40 begins.
- 21 July 2028My 40thThe finish line I'm aiming for.
My name is Robyn Snyman, and the original RobsLostWhat journey started back in 2020/2021. Tipping the scale at a little over 180 kg, I was depressed, and it felt like every attempt at losing weight just didn't work.
I'd heard from SO many doctors over the years that I needed to see a dietician and go into a calorie deficit. Yeah? That's all well and good... but what if your body just says a big fat resounding "NO!"? I tried multiple diets, starving myself, intermittent fasting, this product, that product, you name it! Nothing, just NOTHING worked. I remember sitting and thinking that this would be my reality for the rest of my life.
Until my body started giving up. I couldn't keep food down. Every time I tried to eat just about anything, within a couple of minutes I'd be hugging the toilet, who during that time became my best friend. I know, lame, right? But that was my reality.
My hubby, Shane, was the one who decided it was time I took this seriously and saw a doctor. I was feeling despondent, because every time I saw a doctor I felt like just a number, and so dismissed. I ended up thinking they probably looked at me and thought: this chick! If she'd just lose weight. Well yeah, I was trying, dammit!
After doing some digging, I found a doctor in Cape Town I wanted to see. Purely based on his reviews (5 stars all round), I made the appointment... nervous as hell.
The video that started it all
Wanna know what happened next?
Back in 2020/2021, I shared this video about the appointment that changed everything. This is where the original RobsLostWhat journey began.
He told me, in front of my son,that if I carried on like this,I was going to die.
180+ kg → 117 kg
More than 60 kg gone.
You don't forget hearing that. Not with your child sitting right next to you. That was the moment it stopped being about a number and started being about staying alive.
So I did the work. No magic product, no secret: diet and exercise. I changed what I ate, and I trained five days a week. Step by step, I got down to 117 kg, and I documented the whole thing online as I went.
More than 60 kg. Honestly, I still have to say it out loud sometimes. RobsLostWhat became the place where I shared it all, and where I found people walking the same road. That part mattered as much as the number.
Eliminate the mindset of can't, because you can do anything.
The gym era
Five days a week.
In January 2025 I had a hysterectomy. Between the surgery, the recovery and a few other health challenges along the way, some of the weight I had worked so hard to lose found its way back.
I'm not going to pretend that was easy to watch. But I've also learnt that a body goes through things, and life keeps moving whether the scale co-operates or not.
My life didn't stop being worth documenting just because the scale went in the wrong direction.
So why now? Honestly: the scale was going in the wrong direction, and I was uncomfortable. In my clothes, in my body, in my day. I know where that road goes, and I've already heard how it ends.
On 22 October 2026 I stepped on the scale and wrote down a new starting number. That is the first page of my 40 for 40 chapter: working towards losing 40 kg before my 40th birthday on 21 July 2028.
And it's about more than the weight. It's my health, my confidence and my family. It's enjoying my life, eating delicious food, and showing you the real version of the journey, wobbles included. It's a goal, not a guarantee, and I'm going after it anyway.
- Starting weight
- 140.3 kg
- Goal weight
- 100.3 kg
- The goal
- 40 kg
- Target date
- 21 July 2028
So far: 7 kg gone, 33 kg to go. See every weigh-in
Chapter 05
More than a number
RobsLostWhat is so much more than a scale. It's where I share the whole of it:
- Real lifeThe everyday stuff, the good days and the chaos.
- Real foodDelicious, approachable recipes that actually work.
- FamilyShane, Owen and the people who keep me going.
- GrowthLifestyle, habits and becoming a better version of me.
- 40 for 40Every weigh-in on the way to my 40th.
- Real talkHonest conversations, humour and the messy middle.
Real life. Real food. Real progress.
