Excess weight turned her into an ‘entrepreneur’

İlay Ülker, a university student living in Izmir, both achieved her dream appearance by losing 30 kilos through a diet she started to lose her excess weight, and successfully entered the business world by establishing her own brand. Consuming natural products such as dried fruits, peanut butter, hawthorn vinegar, and pine cone syrup, which do not contain carbohydrates or sugar, Ülker, who dropped from 90 kilos to 60, began online sales under the brand ‘Gurmen Tatlar’ to make these products available to everyone. Continuing her education in the Department of Electrical-Electronics Engineering at Izmir University of Economics (IUE), Ülker said, “I know very well the difficulties and negative aspects of being overweight. I embarked on this path to help those who want to lose weight and eat healthier.”

Living in the Balçova district of Izmir, 23-year-old İlay Ülker gained weight rapidly during her high school years due to stress while preparing for the university entrance exam. Reaching 90 kilos at a young age, Ülker began her education in the Department of Electrical-Electronics Engineering at IUE in 2021. After starting studying in her desired program, she was motivated to lose weight quickly due to comments from those around her saying, “You’ve gained a lot of weight” and “We couldn't recognize you.”

SHE ALSO PATENTED IT

Setting a goal to lose weight in a healthy way, Ülker turned to products especially free of carbohydrates and sugar. Losing 30 kilos in about 6 months, she not only achieved a completely different appearance but also came up with a new business idea from this experience.

By establishing a brand named ‘Gurmen Tatlar’ and obtaining its patent, Ülker started delivering products such as dried strawberries, figs, and peppers, peanut butter, pomegranate syrup, and black mulberry juice throughout Turkey via the internet. Additionally, Ülker, who also started to sell products like hawthorn vinegar, flower honey, pine honey, and pine cone syrup obtained from women entrepreneurs, has made a significant entrepreneurial venture at a young age. Ülker aims to continue her career as an engineer while also being involved in the trade life with her brand.

“I SAW MY LIFE WAS RESTRICTED”

Expressing that many things in her life changed after losing weight, Ülker said, “I started gaining weight rapidly during high school. With irregular eating habits and exam stress, I reached 90 kilos. Weight restricts many things in your life. You can't wear what you want, you can't move comfortably. Even after starting university, I continued to be overweight for a while. I constantly heard comments about my weight from my friends and family. They told me, ‘You've gained a lot of weight, we couldn't recognize you,’ ‘You'd be very beautiful if you lost weight’, ‘You should lose weight without wasting time’. I decided that I had to solve this problem and started dieting with full motivation. At first, losing weight seems difficult, but once you make up your mind, the process goes more smoothly. This is what happened to me, and I reached my target”.

“I'M NOT SAYING USE THESE PRODUCTS AND LOSE WEIGHT”

Ülker stated the following: “During the period I was losing weight, I didn't go hungry and made sure to consume natural products. I used the fruit chips, peanut butter, and pine honey that I now sell under my Gurmen Tatlar brand during my diet process. Please don't misunderstand; I'm not saying eat these products and lose weight immediately. That’s not the case. These products are notable for not containing additives. For instance, when I craved sweets, I chose to eat dried fruits instead of chocolate or syrupy desserts. This way, I both satisfied my sweet cravings and ate healthier. This also sped up my weight loss process. The number of people experiencing weight problems due to a sedentary lifestyle and unbalanced diet is rapidly increasing. However, losing weight is not as difficult or impossible as it seems. If I managed it, many others can too. It’s definitely a good idea to get expert support during this process.”

“CREATE A NEW CHANCE FOR YOURSELF”

Stating that she continues to exercise and pays attention to healthy eating, Ülker said, “I no longer have the goal of losing weight. I continue to exercise regularly at certain intervals. Sometimes I exercise at home, and sometimes I maintain my form with morning walks or swimming. After losing weight, looking at my old photos, I wished I had started dieting earlier. Of course, it’s not just about physical appearance or lifestyle; losing weight is also very important for health. Anyone who wants to lose weight but delays it or doesn’t find the strength within themselves should act without waiting. They should give themselves this chance.”