Well let me first start off with a bit of history (medically) spoken. In primary school (St. 4) I started gaining weight like crazy, even though I was active playing rugby, cricket, squash, swimming and cycling. I went to doctor and he suggested to my parents we go see a dietician. We did so and with no success and monitoring after at least 7 months, nothing has changed. So we went back to doctor and he was shocked with the “no results” and then decided to do some testing or thyroid etc… we then found out after many different kinds of testing and MRI’s that I actually had a growth on my pituitary gland. It made that my body produce 400% more cortisone that what it should. I literally picked up like 60kg in this time. I then went for an operation to remove the growth (which was quite intense I might add). I was in ICU for 3 weeks after that and because it’s so close to your brain I actually lost some memory of that time and the doctors had to teach me how to walk again afterwards. I had to be on cortisone tablets afterwards for a while to gradually bring body down with the levels not to get a shock.

I did then loose about 40kg of that gained weight as you can see in the school photos I have attached (in like 4 weeks after they took me off the cortisone). I have to go for a test twice a year till this date to just check if everything is in order. I have to add that my levels of cortisone is still about 45% too much in my body which makes it a lot harder for me to lose the weight.

So then about nearly 2 years ago, I have decided that enough is enough and I have to just get rid of this weight for once and for all no matter how hard it is and what it takes but I have to do it and get it done.

I started gymming in 2011 and started counting my calories but I still had some very bad habits like drinking alcohol etc… and wasn’t motivated 100%.

I did lose some weight but not on the right way, I started starving myself and only ate once a day and it was the beginning of the end for me. I left everything as I was fed up with everything and as I believed at that time nothing was going to work for me. Needless to say I fell right back into my old habits again and picked up even more weight.

Then in end of 2012 I looked at myself and said is this really who I am and what I am going to look like for the rest of my entire life… and thought to myself.. never… it can’t be. So decided to give it another shot.

I started eating healthy and cut my carbs away completely and was quite active going to gym 4 times a week. At this time I weighed 158kg. I came down to about 133kg in 8 months eating high protein foods and clean carbs (only mixed vegetables). I got to a point where I felt like my body is not coping to well and that I needed to rest for a bit (gym wise). I stopped that for about 4 months but still ate healthy with one cheat meal every week.

So then after that I decided I still don’t look like much and had to lose more weight to look better and be more healthy. My one friend (Charlotte Smith) said I must join Sleekgeek as you guys are amazing and could get some inspiration and tips etc. I did join and followed posts and in this time I went to go see a nutritionist to help me with eating plan and training program.

I then started following new plan and training 5 times a week with more of a mixed session with cardio and weights. The weight started dropping very nicely and I was soo chuffed that I decided to up my game even more and started training twice a day with cardio in morning and weight session at night. The nutritionist monitored me weekly as he was a competing bodybuilder as well. He adjusted my diet as weight dropped and increased my weight sessions more to help burn of body fat without losing any muscle. I kept on getting motivation from sleekgeek everyday as I went on the group and checked everybody’s progress and inspiring comments on people but did not have the guts to post anything of my own. I just used that motivation I saw on other people to keep me inspired and keep me going every day.

That brings me to today and lost another 30kg and weight 103kg at this current moment and picked up 9,8kg of muscle in the last 7 months and lost 22% body fat. I now had a bit more confidence in myself and decided to put a picture of my transformation up and was so scared of what people would say and think, but I was so wrong and the feedback I got was sooooo amazing and that made me feel so proud of myself and realized they are like a small little family in that group that loves everybody.

With all this motivation I received it is nearly impossible to stop and I will just keep on going till I reach my goal.

SUBMIT YOURSTORY AND WIN R500 Wellness Warehouse Voucher

Jan wins a R500 voucher courtesy of our sponsor for the “YOU CAN live life well” series Wellness Warehouse to be spent on their online store with free delivery nationally.

I believe very strongly that ordinary every day people like you and I derive great inspiration from the achievements of people who seem similar to us. If they can do it.. damn.. so can I! Right?

So through this program we will continue to tell people’s personal stories.

I want to great an archive of hundreds of stories of people who have changed their lives while others believe they cannot.

Submit your story to dom@sleekgeek.co.za with the Subject line “You can live life well”

We require:

• Your story in your own words covering at least (How you got to a point of change, how you made the change, tips and advise for others)
• A selection of before and after photos
• As many words as you need to tell your story

In advance, we regret that not all stories may be published. Your story is as important as anyone’s story but we can only publish one a week and the editor will make decision on this.

If your story is published you will receive a R500 voucher to the Wellness Warehouse online store with free national delivery.