“With weight loss you learn that your mind is the most powerful tool you have, so train it well, because your body will go anywhere your mind takes it,” says Darushka.
Darushka Williams
Occupation: Personal Trainer
Weight before: 93 Kg
Weight after: 58 Kg
Height: 1.63m
Time required to reach current weight: 3 years
Secret weapon: Good nutrition and exercise
The Gain
The weight started creeping on as Darushka approached her teens. But before that – like everyone else in her family – she was quite skinny and petite. “I started gaining weight at the age of twelve years and by fifteen, I was a size 38,” she says. That said, she wasn’t active either, “I hated playing sports at school and being active in general wasn’t something I enjoyed at all,” she admits. Also her diet was quite fat inviting. “I would indulge in junk food often, eat loads of carbs and drank litres of coke every week,” says Darushka.
The Change
It wasn’t until she got engaged, when she realised she had to ditch the fat. “There was no way I was getting married in that body,” she says. Like every girl, Darushka wanted to feel and look her best on her special day. And also, “I would get heart palpitations by simply walking up a flight of stairs,” she adds. That was all she needed to convince herself to change. She made a commitment to start training, then changed her diet, “changing my diet was harder than training,” she admits. People often miss this.
The Lifestyle
“The first month I started exercising, I gave up all fizzy drinks, then I axed sugar – but I allowed myself one cheap meal per week,” she says, just for the sanity. Next – “the second month, I gave up all bad carbs and junk food – then I introduced slow releasing carbs like sweet potatoes, oats and certain fruits which give me energy throughout the day,” she says. Darushka kept doing this, just so her body adjusts to it. “Now my diet consists of protein, good carbs and very little diary.” All that is combined with 30 minutes of cardio, four times a week, alternate running on the treadmill for a minute, and then walk for three minutes. “As I got fitter, I introduced strength training, which I now love and find most beneficial,” she says.
The Reward
“Though I didn’t see any change within the first three months, but people did and they commented,” which is exciting. “Only after six months did I see the real change. Today I barely resemble the girl I was back then,” she admits. Since then, Darushka has dropped 4 dress sizes, lost 35kilos and is now a trained personal trainer! Those are proper fitness goals, but for every monthly goal she reaches, she spoils herself with a new pair of shoes or a sexy number. Those are life-goals.
Darushka’s Tips
• Make yourself proud.
This is your journey, you determine the outcome.
• Don’t let the scale determine your worth.
It is one of your biggest demotivators.
• Push yourself.
You will never know your limits, unless you push yourself.
Looking for more inspirational weight-loss stories? Check out how Sizakele got hooked on being healthy and lost an amazing 50 kilos and how Amukelani‘s failing heart was the wake up call she needed to lose weight. Want to kickstart your own weight-loss journey for summer and beyond? Get our Lean Body Blitz 12-week meal and fitness plan to turbo-charge your slim-down.