Supernanny Pia Penttala decided that she is not going to hide her bariatric surgery in public. Although there is a drastic lifestyle change, Penttala received a diagnosis from the doctor more than a year ago, which he did not expect.
Pia Penttala, a professional in the field of education and known from Supernanny Finland, sat at the doctor’s office more than a year ago. He couldn’t believe what the doctor told him.
– The doctor heard a strange noise from my heart, Penttala recalls.
In the end, the cause was revealed to be the flutter of the heart’s atria, or “flicker” known in the vernacular. In atrial fibrillation, the atria of the heart do not contract normally, which causes a rapid heartbeat. Symptoms can be, for example, dizziness or fatigue.
– After the diagnosis, I realized that I had been terribly tired for a few months.
Pia Penttala is the Supernanny of all of Finland. Pete Anikari
In addition to this, Penttala had previously been diagnosed with hypertension.
He was Ari-with his spouse visiting his parents. Penttala felt bad and dizzy. When Penttala’s father measured his daughter’s blood pressure, the readings were wild.
At first, the diagnoses worried me.
– I thought I was a completely healthy person. I realized I was a walking time bomb. When something like that comes completely out of the blue, at first there is astonishment.
Today, Penttala approaches her long-term illnesses with a calm mind. He gives thanks to the health care experts for the support and help he received.
– I’m getting used to living with these diseases. I am very regular with my medication and have a health check every six months.
To publish or not?
Penttala had struggled with being overweight for a long time. Hypertension made him realize that the situation requires a radical change. After learning about bariatric surgery, Penttala decided that the operation might be suitable for her.
The operation was performed on him four years ago.
After the surgery, Penttala was faced with a completely new situation. How would he tell about it in public or would he keep the information completely to himself?
Penttala is aware that many people are ashamed to tell about their bariatric surgery. It still seems to be a taboo that many keep quiet about.
A conversation with his own son opened Pentala’s eyes.
– My son is the most honest in the world. He looked at me and encouraged me to talk about the surgery.
Penttala decided to trust his son’s advice. He went to see Dancing with the stars program on the spot in the studio. There were also journalists who noticed the changed appearance of Pentala.
When reporters asked how Penttala had managed to lose weight, he decided to speak openly about his surgery.
– I’ve often thought that if I hadn’t had that conversation with my son, would I have started to tell you how I’ve lightened my diet. That would have been the stupidest thing in the world.
Pia has invested in her own well-being. One change has been losing weight. Pete Anikari
Remember to eat
Bariatric surgery alone is not the key to happiness, but after that the hard work begins.
For Penttala, one of the biggest stumbling blocks has been eating. He has never been a fan of junk food, but his eating rhythms have been irregular. In the morning, only a toothbrush could go in his mouth, and in the late afternoon, Penttala noticed that he was eating for the first time.
– The root cause of my weight was that I ate far too little. The body went into saving mode and stored everything as fat.
Pia makes sure that she remembers to eat regularly. Pete Anikari
Even after surgery, you may sometimes forget to eat. Bad habits are hard to break. Then Pentala has to make a move. This was the situation in the spring of last year, when Penttala had received permission from the doctors to move normally again. When Penttala focuses on training, the appetite disappears.
– I have to take performance months, during which I make sure that I have snacks and make sure that I also eat them.
Before the surgery, Penttala had been a vegetarian for years. Of the animal products, he ate fish. After the surgery, filling the protein stores seemed challenging. That’s when he took red meat back into his diet.
– Now I intend to radically reduce or completely stop eating red meat. I would like to learn to use more vegetable proteins.
In everyday life, ordinary home-cooked dishes such as a box of macaroni and salmon soup are delicious. For a snack, Penttala provides fruit or an energy bar. The savior of the morning is fresh porridge, in which Penttala puts chia seeds.
Actually, Pentala has not had to give up any food, but she has learned to avoid certain foods. Chocolate and carbonated drinks make you feel very full.
When he goes to the restaurant, Penttala has a card with him, which he can use to get a smaller portion size. According to Pentala’s experience, many restaurants agree to give a discount and offer a smaller portion size, but there are sometimes exceptions.
– If you don’t know about it or don’t agree to the discount, that doesn’t hurt either. Then I ask to pass on the information to the kitchen that they will make a half portion regardless, because I don’t want the food to go to waste.
Portion sizes were soon reduced with bariatric surgery. Pete Anikari
Ways to move
Penttala turns 56 in August. His goal is to be in even better physical shape.
– I wish I had better muscle condition. I’ve noticed at the age of 55 that if I can’t move for a couple of months, you can quickly feel it in the muscles.
– When I think about what kind of Pia I will be at the age of 75, muscle condition would be a hugely important thing, Supernanny thinks aloud.
However, the gym does not seem like the most pleasant place to work out. Penttala admits that she easily comes up with an excuse to skip a gym workout.
– And I don’t even feel bad about it, he laughs.
Pian doesn’t like the gym. She enjoys horseback riding and chair yoga. Pete Anikari
However, he has found alternative ways to move. Due to health problems and lifestyle changes, he wants to keep fitness from becoming exercise.
– I do chair yoga at home and jog in the nearby nature. I ride a horse five times a week.
– Softer exercise brings me more well-being, because I get a better mood and feel good.
“My Buddha”
Penttala is not ashamed to admit that he is lazy by nature. For him, it is important that there is time in the calendar for himself as well. However, this doesn’t mean that Supernanny just lounges on the couch, quite the opposite.
– I love to clean and decorate my home. I enjoy it when my husband goes to his own hobbies and I can listen to music at full volume and iron clothes at the same time, Penttala laughs.
Cooking and discovering new recipes also gets Pentala excited. The family’s home uses a barbecue all year round. Ari’s spouse is a real grill master, who excels at grilling both vegetables and meat.
Pia enjoys small everyday chores. The best thing is to play loud music and iron clothes. Pete Anikari
Next summer it will be 30 years since Pia and Ari got married. Everyday joys and sorrows are openly shared.
– We are still each other’s best friends, Penttala laughs.
According to Penttala, good communication with one’s partner has developed over the years. He admits that at the beginning of the relationship he was a doer who was not ready to show the other person moments of failure.
He shows off his arm, which is tattooed with the text in Thai: “Ari is my Buddha”.
– Ari has always let me come and go. I always have a safe feeling that he will also say if a line has been crossed.
– He also remembers to ask me if I have taken my medicine or measured my blood pressure.
At the moment, they are getting used to living alone, as their three adult children have moved away from home. There is time left for joint hobbies such as golf. You will walk a lot on the green and at the same time you can enjoy the fresh air.
Love is a great asset for Pia. Pete Anikari
The husband’s support in the midst of lifestyle changes has been worth more than gold.
When Penttala was going to a consultation to hear about bariatric surgery, Ari wanted to come along.
– Even at the doctor’s door, I told Ari that he doesn’t need to come for a consultation. However, Ari said that this is a common issue.
– I later realized how valuable it was and how lucky I am, Penttala says gratefully.
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The five cornerstones of Pia Penttala’s well-being.
Family
Family is my lungs. Even though the children have moved away from home, Ari and I keep in touch with them. We have a family Whatsapp group where we post pictures and voice messages. Sometimes I might inform the children that on a certain day they all have to show up because I’ve got tickets to an event.
Friends
My personality is both introvert and extrovert. I have a lot of important friends with whom it is nice to spend the evening. We usually spend Midsummer together at our cottage with a golf group. Everyone helps with common chores and then we compete to see who takes the glass jar home.
Work
I like my job very much. I dare to be genuine when I meet people. I don’t know or know everything, but I’m always ready to find out. I tell people what I would do in different situations and advise them to think about how they could apply it themselves.
Sleeping
I try to sleep at 7–8 hours a night. I’m the kind of person who can sleep anywhere. I often come home from the stables late in the evening, and after that I might sit with Ari at the kitchen table and discuss the day’s issues. I make another small cup of coffee, because the caffeine doesn’t affect my sleep. Ari and I tend to go to bed at the same time. Ari usually reads a book, but I fall asleep almost as soon as I put my head on the pillow.
Riding
When I’m at the stable, I focus on the horse and can forget about other things. When I feel the horsepower beneath me and how the animal carries me, it has a symbolic meaning to me. Riding is one of the reasons I recover so well. It’s time to have fun at the stable. I ride five times a week.
Makeup: Muru Ritala. Style: Hani Haimi. Clothes: Brown sweater/La CaSaC Korkeavuorenkatu. Denim dress Grace & Mila/Villa Tremondo. Black boots, bracelets and gray dress All Saints /House of ACC3SS Lauttasaari. Earrings, pearls and gold bracelet/Glitter Spalt Pr. Jeans Mother and Leopard dress Aspesi/My o My Kämp Gallery. Brown suede boots/Red Shoe Fredrikinkatu
