By Boitumelo Moloto
“Some goals take a long time to accomplish. However, along the way there are many small victories that lead to that final result.”
Only 2 out of 7 of Laura’s family members are overweight and she was one of the two. She struggled with her body image for almost all her life. “My earliest memory of being ashamed of my body was when I was seven years old” she admits.
Laura Ilunga
Occupation: Pilot
Age: 32
City: Sandton
Weight before: 91.6kg
Weight after: 66.5kg
Height: 1.68m
Time taken to lose weight: 8 Months
Secret weapon: Perseverance, because it is not quick, it’s slow and steady process.
The Gain
Laura put on weight slowly over the years. For a long time her mother would nag her to lose weight but she knew if she wasn’t 100% mentally ready to make a change in her life and lose weight, then it will not be successful. That’s why many of her diets failed. “We like and want the idea of losing weight, but we are not fully committed to what it takes to successfully lose the weight,” she says. Laura kept eating unhealthy foods such as pizza and KFC she says, “My main kryptonite being potato crisps.”
READ MORE: 5 Foods With More Mood-Boosting Benefits Than Chocolate
The Change
August 2015 was when Laura had an unpleasant reality check. “I saw a photo of myself that had been taken a few days prior. I was shocked at my size,” she adds. That was when she knew she had pushed her body too far down the wrong path. “Monday 7th of September 2015 — exactly one month after that photo was taken — I started creating a new, healthier and physically stronger version of myself. I went cold turkey on my unhealthy lifestyle” she says. She cut out all bad foods and went 100% clean overnight. “I also started exercising six days a week. I have to admit that I’m still learning about nutrition and I still make changes to my diet — constantly finding healthier options and and doing research so I can make better choices,” she adds.
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The Lifestyle
Laura started off with the C.Satt 30 Day Challenge which was mostly weight strength training. She also did the Kayla Itsines’ Bikini Body Guide (BBG) programme, which also consisted of 6 workouts per week. After finding her fitness feet, she started with Electro Muscle Stimulation (EMS) training at her local Body20 studio. “I’ve been on a customised workout training plan using my Runtastic Results App, which I’m really enjoying,” she says.
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The Reward
Laura received positive feedback from her sister and colleagues. She says she started feeling healthier, “just the simple change of not being drenched in sweat from walking 10 minutes down the street was a great health check accomplishment for me”. She felt fulfilled. During her SAAF Officer’s Forming Course in 2005 she was the fittest woman on the course. Even stronger and faster than a good portion of the men, and now she feels more in control of her body and at peace with it. “I feel badass, it is exhilarating,” she says.
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Laura’s Tips
> The mind is powerful. It is the controlling factor in so many things.
> Throw away your bathroom scale!! Chuck it! Especially right at the beginning of your weight loss journey.
> It is ok to not be strong all the time. It’s ok to break and crumble into a million little pieces.
Looking for more? Here are five basic rules you need to follow to lose belly fat.
