“I still struggle to believe I’ve run 10 km!”
Discipline…Something science teacher Lynne Arnott could admit she didn’t have much of before she lost 10 kilos. From eating food with abandon to dragging herself to gym, but hating it, it took some accountability to finally shed the kilos that bothered her. Here’s how she cracked the whip on herself.
Lynne Arnott
Occupation: Teacher
Age: 34
City: Cape Town
Weight before: 85kg
Weight after: 75kg
Height: 1.6m
Time taken to lose weight: 5 Months
Secret weapon: Coaching
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The Gain
Lynne’s weight gain began six years ago after the birth of her second son. “It became a case of eating what I wanted to because [I told myself] I deserved it,” she says. Junk food was a staple. “I could polish off a bag of Quality Street in one evening while watching TV .” But it wasn’t only a case of binge-eating all the bad stuff,” “My biggest issue was portion size and a complete and utter lack of moderation. I indulged in sushi buffets and had no concept of correct portion size,” she says.
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The Change
For some people, it takes one distinct event to kick-start a change in lifestyle, but for Lynne, it was more of a gradual journey. Over time, she had become uncomfortable with her appearance, but it wasn’t all about the way she looked, “I realised I wanted to feel good about myself from within.” She’d always been a very reluctant gym-goer – “I used to drag myself to gym because it was what you were supposed to do” – but one day, a friend of hers suggested they take up a “Learn To Run 10 km” programme at the Sports Science Institute in Cape Town. Lynne agreed, but the programme was only running later in the year, so she decided to sign up for their weight-loss programme instead. “It was the best thing I’ve ever done for myself,” she says.
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The Lifestyle
Lynne had to follow a controlled diet and workout plan, incorporating wholefoods with low-GI carbs. “I could have two slices of whole wheat bread with low-fat cottage cheese and a quarter avocado for lunch, yoghurt and fruit as snacks and protein, low-fat carbs and vegetables for supper,” she says. “I still struggle to believe I’ve run 10km!”
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The Reward
Over a period of five months, Lynne dropped ten kilos. “Besides feeling amazing, I dropped two dress sizes and ran a 10-kay race, which I still struggle to believe!” she says. “I think the accomplishment is the reward. It probably felt better than any other reward.”
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Lynne’s Tips
> Lose weight for yourself. “If your goal is to do it for yourself, no one can take that away from you.”
> It’s a process. “Don’t get stuck focusing too much on the outcome. If you eat well and exercise, the weight will move.”
> Avoid picking up bad practices along the way. “Don’t use snacking as an excuse to fall into bad eating habits – factor it into your eating plan
Looking for more? Here are five basic rules you need to follow to lose belly fat.