Just three years ago, Amanda Osorio, an opera singer, couldn’t get the number on her scale to drop below 83. At best, she’d lose a few kilos, only to pop up to 85kg.
After training for and riding her first Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour, Amanda reached 75kg. She’s completed two tours since, and shed more weight. “It wasn’t a quick fix; I was just dedicated. I’m really proud of what I’ve accomplished.”
Before: 88kg
After: 68kg
Height: 1.65m
Time required to reach current weight: 15months
Lesson learnt: “Having a solid goal keeps you on track”
The Gain
Once a slim varsity lacrosse player, Amanda hit 88kg after having two children in quick succession. “I was a tired and overwhelmed new parent. The last thing on my mind was a healthy diet and exercise.” Time-crunched, she relied on convenient cafeteria food – and as the demands of having young children and studying got heavier, so did her body.
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The Change
“Opera is a competitive profession – as a performer, you must be believable,” says Amanda. So when a friend lost an opera role for being too large, she took a hard look at herself. “I knew the roles I wanted required me to lose weight. If you aren’t comfortable, you can’t move gracefully on stage.”
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The Lifestyle
Amanda went cold turkey, shunning junk food. “When I craved chocolate, I’d mix cocoa with sugar and fat-free milk,” she says. Her goal: the body of a leading lady. The plan: to finish the Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour. She began logging 45- or 90-minute spinning classes twice a week. “I also hit the road two to three times a week,” she adds. By the time she completed her first tour, she’d dropped 10 kilos.
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The Reward
“I’ve done three cycle tours, with more to come, and I’ve dropped three dress sizes. But the biggest reward didn’t come from me at all. Not long ago I earned and performed the role of the flirtatious and good-looking maid Susanna in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro!”
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Amanda’s Tips
Ditch the scale. “Instead of trying to lose five kilos, decide that you’ll go to the gym twice a week for three months.”
Enlist friends. “A support group helps you realise that you’re all facing the same issues and can assist each other.”
