Losing weight that is gained over a period of time, when you have tons of weight to lose, is never an easy ride. “It’s hard, messy, lonely and bruising, to say the least,” says Thusani Malaudzi, a woman who is speaking with all the experience that comes with self- and body-reconstruction.
Thusani Mulaudzi
Occupation: Civil Servant (Deputy Director: International Relations & Global Networks)
Age: 41
City: Johannesburg (work) and Pretoria (resident)
Weight Before: 147 kilograms
Weight After: 90 kilograms
Time required to lose weight: 12 months
Secret Weapon: Faith
The Gain
“I’m a woman who, through life’s circumstances, woke up one day and found myself weighing an incredible 147 kilograms,” says Thusani. The weight gain crept in steadily over nine years. “I used to be incredibly fit – I played netball and took part in athletics at school and loved going to gym,” she adds.
Then life happened… “I started losing control of my weight when I stayed in Bostwana – I didn’t have the same access to the gym that I had back home in SA and, with that, I was eating up a storm because I was married to a feeder,” she admits. “I never worried about cooking; he made food in very big portions, which he lovingly delivered to me,” confesses Thusani. “Braai’ed red meat was a staple, coupled with loads of starch and red wine as well.” There was no chance of missing the weight gain.
READ MORE: Should You Be Eating More Dark Meat?
The Change
Thusani couldn’t deny what she already knew anymore. She had gained weight – a lot of it. “My thighs started rubbing together – it was so bad, they would chafe me raw,” she says. Thusani had to discipline herself; she had to stop this vicious cycle of eating and drinking so much. “I had to ditch bread, slap chips, fat cakes and letting everything swim in oil.” Having an office cupboard full of chicken, tinned fish, mayo and sauces was no longer going to cut it. “I started running races, attending boot camps and was strict about what I fed myself,” she adds.
READ MORE: Is Bread REALLY The Devil In Your Diet?
The Lifestyle
Having adjusted her life, Thusani managed to lose some weight, but it was never sustainable. “I lacked motivation – people were very negative about what I wanted to achieve in terms of my weight-loss goals.” She decided not to listen to anything that may hinder her journey. “I started listing to my body, I audited what I ate, drank and how how spent my time,” she said.
She got rid of her TV and started using that wasted time to jog, run and go to gym. “I ate according to my blood group, drank more water and cut out caffeine and sugar completely. And I tried hard to respond to stress properly, listened to more music and made sure I enjoyed my workout,” she says.
READ MORE: Will The Blood-Type Diet Really help You Lose Weight?
The Reward
Thusani admits that her weight-loss journey was quite boring, but it was definitely one that proved to be worth it in the long run. “In between keeping the weight off and maintaining a healthy, balanced lifestyle, I decided to challenged myself to complete the Kilimanjaro Climb Expedition this coming July,” Thusani says proudly. She’ll be completing under the Imbumba Foundation, aiming to raise R500 000 for sanitary towels for underprivileged girls in the Limpopo Province. Atta girl!
Thusani’s Tips
Understand the journey. “Gaining weight didn’t happen overnight – losing weight won’t happen overnight either.”
Be patient with yourself, your body and your emotions. “The body needs to be loved in the form that it currently is, with its imperfections.”
Audit your home, office and any other living space. “Eliminate food items that may trip you up on your weight-loss journey.”
Need more inspo? See how this women ditched her serious bread addiction and ended up losing 30 kilograms.
