“Self-discipline is king, without it you’ll never be successful”
As someone who grew up chubby through high-school, Nonjabulo Cebekhulu made it her mission to get in shape when she reached university. She decided to get active by joining the varsity netball team… and soon she noticed a difference on the scale. But the moment Nonjabulo fell pregnant, everything changed. This is her weight-loss story…
Nonjabulo Chebekulu
Occupation: Licensing & Registration Officer
Age: 32
City: Pietermaritzburg
Weight before: 60 kilos
Weight after: 50 kilos
Height: 1.5 m
Time taken to lose weight: 12 weeks
Secret weapon: No starch, No sugar diet
The Gain
Nonjabulo admits that during her pregnancy (and while breast-feeding) she developed really bad eating habits. “I used to get so hungry while breast feeding, then I would grab anything and everything in the fridge,” she says. Her diet consisted of leftover cakes and takeaways, and as a result she felt lethargic and had no desire to exercise. “I couldn’t even be bothered to lift a finger,” she admits.
READ MORE: “I Ditched My Unhealthy Diet Tricks And Lost Over 15 Kilos”
The Change
“In November 2016 when I went for my 6-week post-birth check up, I STILL looked like I was 9 months pregnant. I just couldn’t believed it,” says Nonjabulo. She decided to take a picture of herself on the scale and told her gynaecologist that the next time she came for a check up, the gynae wouldn’t recognise her. That was the beginning of Nonjabulo’s lifestyle makeover.
She decided to clean up her eating habits: first she cut all the starchy food from her diet, then she used the Clean 9 Detox programme to personalise her diet plan. Her new plan included lots veggies and meal replacements.
READ MORE: Here’s What You Need To Know About Counting Net Carbs To Lose Weight
The Lifestyle
It wasn’t all smooth sailing. Nonjabulo was on maternity leave and all the ‘temptations’ in the kitchen were well within her reach 24/7. “Whenever I felt hungry, I would just grab an apple or drink water. I had to learn a lot of self discipline,” she says.
For exercise, she started off by jogging for 30-60 minutes in morning, at least 3 times a week, then gradually cut back to 30 minutes and added stomach exercises to her routine to strengthen her core.
Ready to transform your life too? Sign up to Women’s Health’s expert-approved eating and exercise plan — Lean Body Blitz — and watch the weight disappear.
The Rewards
“Early on in my journey, people would comment saying I looked good, but I didn’t believe them because I hadn’t reached my goal weight yet. When I finally hit my target, I felt more confident and sexier,” says Nonjabulo. Her husband has been her main motivator throughout her weight-loss journey and now when he compliments her, she actually believes him.
READ MORE: 9 Things You’re Not Doing In Your Kitchen That Lead To Weight Loss
Nonjabulo’s Tips
> Don’t do it for other people. Do it for you.
> Have a motivator. In my case, it was a hot dress.
> It won’t happen overnight. Patience, consistency and perseverance.
