By Megan Flemmit
For Chade losing weight was something she had to do by herself so that she could get the results she wanted.
The most important thing Chade learnt during her weight loss journey was the importance of being consistent. “I failed a lot during this time and the minute you lose focus everything you have worked so hard for falls away,” she says. Here she explains how consistency helped her lose weight and regain her confidence.
Chade Mager
Occupation: Rental Agent
Age: 29
Height: 1.5m
Weight Before: 76kg
Weight After: 65kg
Time taken to lose weight: 1 year
Secret weapons: Healthy eating and exercise
The Gain
Chade was never really a skinny person. It was only after having her baby two years ago, where she started piling on extra kilos. “I had baby blues and did not care about my weight,” she admits. Her life consisted of eating bad food. “I ate everything you are not supposed to eat. If I could get away with takeaways for supper I would. I had no diet, I ate whatever I wanted and whenever I wanted,” she confesses. While she kept telling herself she needed to start exercising, she never made the effort and never got to it.
READ MORE: How To Order Fast-Food Without Wrecking Your Diet
The Change
“The turning point for me was when I saw a picture of myself in a photoshoot we did for my mothers birthday in February 2016 – I didn’t recognise myself, ” says Chade. Thats when she realised that enough was enough and decided to make changes to her lifestyle.
She tried several diets, but it made her miserable. So she decided that she would just start eating healthier and added exercise to her routine. “I do what my body can handle, and that has worked for me so far,” she adds.
READ MORE: 3 Diet Cheats With Zero Consequences
The Lifestyle
Chade now makes her own food at home to ensure that she doesn’t jump off the wagon of eating healthily. “I started making sure I had at least three meals per day. No more snacking. No more carbs.” She says once in a while she has a cheat meal so she doesn’t feel like she’s given up on all the ‘nice’ things.
She also joined a bootcamp exercise team. “We get together three times a week, and work on everything from running to core exercises to cardio. So I get everything I need and it’s at such a pace that I don’t feel like I can’t keep up or that they aren’t working hard enough for me,” Chade explains.
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The Reward
Chade says the first five kilos fell off really quickly. “I think if it wasn’t such a quick one, I would have been very discouraged. The last 5kgs took a bit longer but by then I was used to my routine and I just kept going,” she says.
Now two dress sizes smaller, Chade feels physically and mentally healthier. Losing weight also helped boost her self-esteem. “I have gained more confidence in myself and waking up in the morning has become a lot easier,” she says. And, Chade’s now working towards doing her first race.
READ MORE: “How CrossFit Helped Me Change My Life And Lose Over 30 Kilos”
Chade’s Tips
Do what works for you. “Every persons body reacts to things differently.”
Work hard. “Focus on your goal.”
Listen to your gut. “If something doesn’t feel right for you, it probably isn’t.”
Looking for more? Here are five basic rules you need to follow if you want to erase belly fat.
