By Zinhlezonke Zikalala
This woman’s resilience drove the fat away.
When you’re determined to lose weight, “you have to learn to be your own cheerleader,” says Mo. Here’s her inspirational weight-loss story…
Morongoenyane “Mo” Moleko
Occupation: Interior Design
Age: 31
Weight before: 80 Kg
Weight after: 60 Kg
Height: 1.63m
Time required to reach current weight: 1 year and 6 months
Secret weapon: Eating organic and keeping fit
The Gain
Mo takes after her paternal family, “My dads siblings are fairly heavy-set — hence I’ve been overweight since I was a teenager,” she explains. However Mo’s lifestyle didn’t exactly help her waistline. “I ate a lot of takeaways, fast foods, bad carbs, junk food and everything I wasn’t suppose to eat,” she adds.
Plus she wasn’t getting any form exercise either, “I never committed to working out,” she admits.
READ MORE: “I Listened To What My Body Wanted And Dropped 10 Kilos”
The Change
“I got a wakeup call when I lost my dad to diabetes,” she says. That’s when Mo realised that her weight was actually a threat to her life. “I did a scan that suggested that my health status was equivalent to that of an ailing 50 year-old person,” she says.
And that was that — she changed her diet immediately and started exercising. “It was trial and error at the beginning. I started with weight-loss supplements, then moved on to banting, until I decided to just eat clean by avoiding sugar and foods with added preservatives,” she says.
READ MORE: Can I Still Lose Weight If I Do The Same Workout Everyday?
The Lifestyle
Exercising is so much fun when you do something different and exciting — so that’s exactly what Mo did. “I took up boxing as my exercise routine. I attended classes 3 to 6 times a week,” she adds. Mo was also more conscious of what she fed her body, “I made it a point that I knew where my food came from — I tried eating as organic as possible.”
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The Reward
Even though it took a while for Mo to start shedding the weight, but when it did start falling off, it was amazing. “I dropped 5 dress sizes and people commented, and it was such a sweet revelation.” You deserve it girl!
READ MORE: 3 Diets You Should Try If You’re A Total Carb Lover
Mo’s Tips
It’s not worth it.
“Something to remember when temptations come your way.”
Just do it.
“Don’t make excuses, lose weight rather.”
You are a winner.
“Winners don’t quit.”
Looking for more weight-loss advice? Here are five things you should NEVER do when starting a new diet.