A lifetime of unhealthy eating habits had Durushka weighing almost 100 kilos by the age of 28. Unhappy with her appearance and where her health was heading, she joined a gym and fixed up her eating habits. She lost an amazing 35 kilos, found her passion for fitness and is now helping others live healthier lives.
This is her real weight-loss transformation story.
Darushka Williams
Occupation: Personal trainer
Age:38
City: Port Elizabeth
Weight before: 95.3kg
Weight after: 60kg
Height: 1.62
Time required to reach current weight: 18 months
Secret weapon to your weight loss: Good nutrition and consistency
The Gain
Darushka says that she had been overweight since she was just nine years old, and by the time she was 13 she was wearing an adult women’s size 36. Her unhealthy habits followed her into adulthood, where it only got worse. “My diet was unhealthy I would have a litre of coke a day and any time of the day I would have junk food. Anytime was a good time for fizzy drinks and MacDonalds,” she says.
The Change
She started to question those unhealthy habits when she saw pictures of herself at her 28th birthday party. “I looked absolutely huge and felt uncomfortable in my skin. I was only 28 years old but looked a lot older, I needed to look and feel my age”. The need to feel her own age drove Durushka to make some much-needed changes. She joined a gym and began training six times a week. The next thing to change was her eating habits — fast food and gassy soft drinks made way for healthier alternatives. She cut out all pasta, bread, and sugars, and started following a low carb high-fat diet. “I started cutting out fizzy drinks and junk food, and at first and obviously my body responded to this,” she says. These changes led to Derushka losing her first 15 kilos rather quickly, and she’s been living a healthy life ever since.
The Lifestyle
It’s been six years since Derushka dropped the excess weight, meaning that has the weight shifted so did her eating and training. “As my training has changed so has my diet, when I was dropping body fat, I did an hour of cardio six times a week and ate very little carbs. Then when I needed to tone up, I introduced weight training to my programme. My diet became super lean with complex carbs and high proteins. Now I’m currently maintaining, so I’m lifting weights and my diet consists of lean proteins like chicken and shrimps, veggies and all the good fats like avocado and nuts. And I limit my dairy intake,” she explains.
READ MORE: “I Lost 36 Kilos When I Started Running and Eating Low-Carb High Fat”
The Results
A few years ago Derushka left her job as a sales rep to become a full-time personal trainer. “As a trainer, I inspire women on their journey and it helps that I can easily relate to their struggles,” she says. When it comes to the secret of weight loss, she says that there isn’t one — it’s all about just keeping it simple. “The more you consume the more you need to burn, so I prepare my own meals so that I can stay in a calorie deficit. If you keep at it, pretty soon a diet will turn into a lifestyle,” she explains. Derushka adds that fitness has become a huge of her life as it as taught her gratitude for her body and all that it does, “this has been a major growth process in self-love and appreciation.”
READ MORE: “I Lost 30 Kilos By Making These Simple Changes”
Darushka’s Tips
Make a change: “If you are not happy with the body you’re in, start by making the change and commit to yourself. Show up, don’t cancel on yourself, join the gym or a class and find what awakens your physical body”
Just move: “Honestly, just move more”
Be aware of what you eat: “Eat consciously and eat well. Make better food choices and feed your body with good nutrition, just be more aware of what you put into your body and make sure it’s beneficial to your goals”
