Eleven months later she’s lost 11kg – and is never looking back.
Gaynor de Beer was horrified when she stepped onto the scale last year and the screen read 83kg, but the real kicker was that her metabolic age came up as 50. Gaynor was 33. “Who wants to be old before their time?” she says.
Before: 83.1kg
After: 71.9kg
Height: 1.7m
Time required to reach current weight: 11 months
The Gain
Holding down a full-time job and raising twin boys, Gaynor’s hectic schedule began to wreak havoc on her diet. “I wouldn’t eat during the day – no breakfast or lunch – but when I got home I’d eat sandwiches with the boys, then dinner with my husband, then rusks and coffee. It had a destructive effect on my metabolism.” Previously active, Gaynor had also stopped exercising, but even when she started again, her diet let her down. “I thought that walking to the park meant I could go home and shovel a chocolate down my throat. I’d also go to a gym class and tell my husband how awesome it was – while eating a packet of chips.”
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The Change
In August last year a friend invited Gaynor to try Fit Club, a programme that combines a healthy eating plan with boot-camp-style workouts. “I saw how much fun the people were having and how good they all looked and thought, This used to be me,” recalls Gaynor. That moment (“Plus seeing a picture of myself where it looked like there were two of me!”) gave Gaynor the inspiration she needed.
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The Lifestyle
Gaynor joined Fit Club and exercised three days a week. “We did a variety of full-body workouts, ranging from kettlebells to interval training.” She also started eating three to five times a day with her main meals generally consisting of lean protein and steamed veg. Although she saw results from the first week, she kept her focus on a long-term goal: “To see true results and a lifestyle change, you should give yourself 12 weeks. I lost 34cm in the first week, but by week 12 I’d lost over eight kilos and 80cm, as well as gaining three kilos of muscle!”
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The Reward
When Gaynor hopped on the scale again, her metabolic age had dropped to 34. “I’m so proud of how far I’ve come. I’ve completed two 10km races, which I’d never have been able to accomplish during my ‘heavier’ days. I’ve also had a mini makeover. I hope I can encourage others to be healthy and transform their bodies.”
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Gaynor’s tips
Be prepared. “Weight loss takes dedication and a positive attitude.”
Skip the scale. “Rather take your centimetre measurements.”
Be realistic. “Set realistic goals and reward yourself when you achieve them.”
