“With weight loss, you’ve got to put in the work”
Thozama Maluleka learnt that in order to get results in this journey, you have to put in the work at the gym, in your kitchen and in your mind. This is her
weight-loss story.
Occupation: Risk Management Specialist and Blogger
Age: 32
City: Johannesburg
Weight Before: 105 kg
Weight After: 73 kg
Height: 1.59 cm
Time Requires to lose weight: 11 Months Pregnancy and 18 months to date
Secret Weapon: Create an environment that allows you to succeed
The Gain
Thozama says she was a chubby and cute child growing up. Years later she lost the baby weight but picked it back up again in varsity. Her weight gain was due to her falling pregnant and a combination of a couple of unfortunate events. She admits that after losing her mom to diabetes, and then helping her sister bury her stillborn baby jsut three months later, was a lot for her to take in. “I was depressed and pregnant and as a result she ate a whole lot of canteen food, McDonalds, KFC, Chicken Licken, cheese cake, ice cream, chocolate and anything baked,” she says. And at this time, exercising was the least of her worries.
The Change
Thozama admits that it was a series of events that helped her turn her life around. “One of those life-changing moments was when I was trying to buy a dress that I desperately wanted, but it just didn’t fit. I got on the scale and it hovered on a number I didn’t want to see,” says Thozama. It was the motivation Thozama needed in order to start going into the to gym every single day. “I took on running, cycling and swimming in order to kick-start a more active lifestyle.” She ditched her fast food habit and started prepairing her meals at home, in an effort to make healthier food choices.
The Lifestyle
First, she gave her diet a major makeover. “I was on a low-fat, moderate-carb, kilojoule-restrictive diet for about 12 months and managed to drop 17 kilos,” she says. She steamed everything she ate and was having 6 mini-meals a day to keep her metabolism burning. “I had foods like fat-free yoghurt with fruit, low GI bread with fat-free cheese.” She later read up on the Banting method, and decided to give it a go. “I started including a lot of greens into my diet,” she says. She also upped her workouts. “Initially, I did bootcamp classes then got myself a PT — on the side I was also running, jogging and cycling,” she admits.
The Reward
She feels great — “I’m feel healthier, motivated and confident,” she says. Since her journey began in 2015, Thozama has managed to drop an amazing 5 dress sizes, completed JUMA (a mountain bike race) and JURA (a running race) which happen on the same weekend on consecutive days. “My highlight of the year was completing my very first Soweto Half Marathon,” she says. Something she never in her wildest mind imagined doing.
Thozama’s Tips
> Don’t be afraid to start – “You have to start somewhere, and at the beginning is the right place.”
> Ask for help – “If you don’t know something, ask – it’s as simple as that.”
> Handle yourself with love – “Your weight does not define who you are as a person, be kind to yourself.”
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