Peter Msechu, a former Tusker Project Fame contestant, has confronted his battle with obesity, a struggle that instilled fear in his life. This concern has compelled him to step away from music and concentrate on his weight loss efforts.
Yet, his path to shedding excess weight has proven challenging, as he has experimented with numerous activities to reduce his over 100 kg.
“I am not actively doing music because at the moment I have dedicated so much time to fix my health. I had neglected myself to the point that I got to weigh 184 Kgs,” Msechu confesses.
That was back in 2018 when he weighed 184 kg before finding ways to lose weight. Having tried diet and exercise, Msechu says it did not work out for him, and is why he recently underwent an intragastric balloon procedure.
“I tried working out but it wasn’t helping me out. I also couldn’t stop eating, controlling the crave for food was a daunting task for me so I kept on eating and I kept getting bigger,” Msechu confesses.
An intragastric balloon procedure is a medical weight loss intervention in which a deflated balloon is inserted into the stomach and then inflated to occupy space.
This procedure is designed to help people who are struggling with obesity lose weight by creating a feeling of fullness and reducing the amount of food that can be consumed.
Here’s how the procedure generally works:
The deflated balloon is typically inserted into the stomach through the mouth using an endoscope (a flexible tube with a camera) and is guided down the esophagus.
Once the balloon is in the stomach, it is filled with a sterile saline solution or gas to expand and occupy space. This inflation process usually takes about 20-30 minutes.
The balloon size is adjusted based on the patient’s needs and the doctor’s recommendations.
Intragastric balloons are usually left in place for a certain period, often around six months. During this time, they create a sensation of fullness, which helps the patient consume smaller portions of food and thus reduce calorie intake.
Medical professionals closely monitor patients during the period the balloon is in place to ensure their safety and to provide guidance on diet and lifestyle changes.
After the specified duration, the balloon is removed. This is done similarly to placement – through the mouth using an endoscope.
This procedure is considered a temporary intervention to kick-start weight loss and is often used as part of a comprehensive weight management program that includes dietary and behavioral changes.
The charismatic vocalist also dismissed the notion that he quit music after being forced to spend a big chunk of his fortune fixing his worrying obesity situation.
“Many are saying I have wasted time and money in the last six months on doing the balloon procedure to lose 17 kilos. Some say I should have just diet and exercise. You think I didn’t try that? Many don’t understand how people like me with plum bodies struggle to lose weight every other day. Having this procedure done was the only way, I have greatly lost appetite, something that I struggled with. I have hardly eaten anything in the last two weeks,” Msechu adds.
On January 25, 2023, Msechu weighed 143 kg. By his next weigh-in in February, he weighed 136 Kg.
