By Michelle October
“I’ve never had so much fun exercising and socialising at the same time!”
Think getting older means it’s time to slow down? Think again. 58-year-old Sheree Broughman discovered a whole new version of herself when looking for her ideal body!
Sheree Brougham
Age: 58
City: Cape Town
Occupation: English Literature teacher
Height: 1.6m
Weight Before: 110kg
Weight After: 80kg
Time Taken To Lose Weight: 2 years
Secret Weapon: Functional Fitness
The Gain
Like many women, Sheree was perpetually on a quest to slim down. “Always caring about how I looked, I’d previously bought every exercise DVD available and I joined numerous gyms. This went hand-in-hand with jumping on all the latest diet bandwagons,” she says. And when she wasn’t on a very strict diet, she was snacking on starchy foods and puddings. “I wouldn’t eat until mid-morning and then would eat a roll or whatever was going,” says Sheree. “I would snack on chocolate or biscuits and after a large evening meal, I’d snack on chips and more chocolate.”
READ MORE: This Is When You Should Eat Your Lightest And Heaviest Meals Of The Day
The Change
Her constant self-sabotage came to a head when, at the age of 56, Sheree found herself in the midst of a crisis of self-confidence. “I found myself at 110kg and I hit rock bottom emotionally,” she says. “I loathed pictures of myself and struggled with everyday tasks. I avoided going out, unless I absolutely had to.” Eventually her son convinced her to try out Huba Fitness gym, where he’d been doing functional training classes. “That day I phoned Huba and my progression began,” she says.
READ MORE: “I Lost Over 32 Kilos And 5 Dress Sizes By Learning To Love Working Out”
The Lifestyle
“I joined Huba and did a thorough clean-up of my kitchen cupboards,” says Sheree. She sought help with preparing healthier grub through FitChef, a meal-delivery service, and went to training sessions twice a week, doing high-intensity functional training with a PT. “Ungainly, unfit and very afraid, I started personal training with my daughter-in-law, who smashed her goal in no time and now goes to group sessions. I continued for a while, then resorted to listening to my old negative self and I dropped out,” she says. “I made every excuse possible and began to affect my loved ones terribly with my inability to get out of the hole I had dug for myself.” Eventually, Sheree pulled herself together to drop a total of 30 kilos.
READ MORE: Should You Avoid Bananas If You’re Trying To Lose Weight?
The Reward
Sheree credits her progress to the welcoming environment of her gym. “It’s like nothing else I’ve done before and I feel invigorated,” she says. She celebrated her new-found vitality by jamming at Cape Town’s Women’s Health Fit Night Out. “We did everything from dancing and yoga, to Pound. I’d never had so much fun hectically exercising and socialising at the same time,” she says. Now, Sheree is setting new goals, “starting with a 12-week fitness challenge.”
READ MORE: The Crazy-Awesome Effect A Quickie Workout Can Have On Your Body
Sheree’s Tips
> Forget the end result. Focus less on what you have to achieve and more on just going for it.
> Ditch the fear. Fear is a dreadful thing. Kick it into touch. You have nothing to fear.
> Embrace setbacks. Life happens. Get back to it and believe in what your trainers tell you — because they’re right!
Looking for more inspo? Here are five basic rules you need to follow to lose belly fat.
