“I’ve never been thin,” says Robyn Smith.

“I’ve always had a tendency to put on weight quite quickly around the bottom half of my body.” Robyn struggled to keep a handle on her eating habits, but a slow and much-needed learning curve eventually led to her shedding an impressive 13 kilos – here’s how she did it…

Robyn Smith

Occupation: Business Co-owner
Age: 54
Height: 1.54m
Time taken to lose weight: 10 Months
Secret weapon: A good support system

The Gain

Robyn’s a real-estate business owner, which largely involves running around from place to place with very little structure. “My diet consisted of grabbing chips, a chocolate, burgers… Anything that was quick and easy,” Robyn admits. There was no exercise scheduled into her days.“ I didn’t have time – or so I thought,” she says. Her husband was also ill, so Robyn chalked up her weight gain to the comfort food she ate.

READ MORE: 7 Foods You Should NEVER Eat Before A Workout

The Change

In March 2015, Robyn’s husband passed away. It was a wake-up call. Robyn’s cholestrol levels were high, she was struggling to sleep and her clothes fit a little too snugly. “I had to do something about my fitness levels and my diet,” she says. “I realised I could keep thinking about losing weight or I could actually action it – it was a total mind shift.”

READ MORE: “I Lost 56 Kilos By Making These Two Simple Changes”

The Lifestyle

One of Robyn’s friends encouraged her to try the Weigh-Less eating programme. Together with her workouts at 3S Functional Training in Cape Town, she started to see a difference. “I started noticing and understanding how my moods influenced my eating habits and how eating regular meals increased my metabolism,” she says. She upped her healthy food intake and started training first thing in the morning, so she wouldn’t skip it later in the day. “Waking up that hour earlier has definitely made the difference,” Robyn says.

READ MORE: How Often Should You Eat Dessert If You’re Trying To Lose Weight?

The Reward

“I feel much more energised!” says Robyn. “I’ve dropped from a size 14 to a size 10 – I’ve even tried stand-up paddle boarding and have done a few park runs!” Besides everyone noticing the change, it’s how Robyn feels that’s the most impressive. “I feel empowered to try new things in my life – making the conscious decision to lose the weight and get fit has been very powerful; it shows you that if you put your mind to something, anything is achievable.”

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Robyn’s Tips

> Prioritise your health. “As women, we’re often so busy sorting out our families, that we tend to forget to make time for ourselves too.”
> Have a goal. “Don’t stress if you fall off the wagon. Take one day at a time.”
> Share your progress with your close friends. “They will be your biggest motivators and fans to spur you on.”
Looking for more? Here are five basic rules you need to follow to lose belly fat.