By Zinhlezonke Zikalala
No one in Sithembiso’s family was overweight – not even her. But when she hit her late 20’s, she speedily ballooned. After the birth of her daughter in May 2011, she packed on even more kilos. Here’s how one sweat-phobe lost over 10 kilos!
Sithembiso Dube
Occupation: Assurance Analyst
Age: 34
Height: 1.58m
Weight before: 75 kg
Weight after: 63 kg
Time taken to lose weight: 2 years.
Secret weapon: Perseverance
“I was comfortable with my weight whilst embracing motherhood, until my sister started teasing me about it,” says Sithembiso Dube about her transformation. Being teased wasn’t something she was willing to put up with – even though she was dealing with baby weight.
The Gain
No one in Sithembiso’s family was overweight – not even her. But when she hit her late 20’s, she speedily ballooned. After the birth of her daughter in May 2011, she packed on even more kilos. “I ate meals with lots of unhealthy fats and sugar: loads of takeaways, sweets and fuzzy drinks,” she adds. To top it off, she admits she was a total sweat-phobe, and avoided any activity that would raise her heart rate. “I hated sports so much; I felt like it was unnecessary for me,” she says. To her, walking was enough exercise – but it wasn’t enough to combat her penchant for junk foods.
Read this: How To Order Fast Food Without Wrecking Your diet
The Change
“It was my family members who motivated me most to do something about my weight gain,” says Sithembiso. Having them encourage her meant she could rely on them for support. First, she decided to address her unhealthy food choices. “I cut down on junk food and made sure that every time I went out, I ate healthy food,” she says. Next, she needed to make peace with exercise. “I signed up at a gym and started making exercising a part of my lifestyle,” she says. A winning combination.
The Lifestyle
“I stopped eating starchy foods and stuck to vegetables, lean proteins, fruits and drank lots of water,” she says. She struggled to get used to exercise. “In the beginning, I’d jog for 30 minutes at least four times a week at my own pace – which was most challenging,” she says. It was challenging at first, but Sithembiso says that she started changing the way she thought about it. “Now that I know losing weight is not an overnight thing but a journey. I watch what I eat and I embrace exercising.”
Find Out: Do You Need 8 Glasses Of Water A Day?
The Reward
One of the best rewards was finding a love for running. “At first I never thought I would run over 5km’s but I’m getting better and better. I must say, I’m proud of myself,” she says. Added to that, she’s dropped a whopping four dress sizes! “I love taking a detour from the plus-sized section of the store!” Sithembile says.
Read this: 5 Best Foods To Fuel Your Run!
Sithembiso’s Tips
- First admit you have a weight problem.
- Challenge yourself daily. If you fail today, go strong the next day.
- Never give up. You only fail when you stop trying.
Looking for more real-life weight-loss inspiration? Check out how Thuli ditched her binge-eating habit and dropped several dress sizes.
