My name is Anthea Combrinck. I am 35 years old.
Let me tell you about my journey, where it all started what led to it to me wanting to be healthy.
About me :
I come from a small place called Goedverwacht near Piketberg, I was born there, grew up, spend my young adult life there. To say the least I was fat all my life. For as long as I can remember. I was born weighing at 5kg. I was a big baby, fat toddler, teenager and then young lady and woman. In Goedverwacht we grow our own livestock and vegetables. So you can pretty much imagine how life was on the farm. You drink fresh milk with yummy cream , it was a pretty nice life. At that time I didn’t know any better. I thought being overweight was part of me. How sad is that!
We would eat lots of meat with sauce and bread just so. I can still taste that nice salty sauce where you dip your bread in.
It didn’t occur to me that when my cousins all got boyfriends and were more popular than me that the problem lay with me. I lost my sister in 1999 , my daddy in 2004. Major events in my life that left me sad and alone. I was a pretty alone child as my brothers were bigger than me, big age gap and my sister was a sickly child and mommy had to give all her attention.
In the end I found my comfort in food, food tastes good, food makes it all better. How wrong was I?
In 2005 I was diagnosed with TB and my weight dropped to 60kg. I was bone thin. I finished my 6 month course and since then the weight just start packing on. I was at my heaviest but still it didn’t matter.
In 2007 I moved to Cape town as job opportunities were low in Piketberg. It was here in Cape Town that I became conscious about my weight. I joined the gym weighing in at 82kg in 2008.
If I was at the gym 4 times it was a lot. I wasn’t dedicated I still didn’t see the need for all of this. I met my husband got married and had my wonderful son. He is turning 4 next year January.
I have tried all the diets in the book. You name it Anthea did it. From 3 days to 14 days to weigh less. The thing is it works for a while and you get excited and then you go back to where you were before or even more. It’s not worth it and your body can’t stand this abuse. I was up and down hanging between the 90s and 100s or over the 100s. It was crazy and I was just plain obese.
Turning points in my life that made me decide this is it:
My mommy lost her leg due to diabetes, it’s a family illness all her siblings have it, their aunts and uncles so yes I was bound to get it. Also hypertension is big in our family and my daddy died of heart failure. No way am I going to walk that road. When my boy turned 3 this year 2015, I was shocked to see how I really looked I was weighing 108kg at that time. I was thinking if I want to stick around and see my boy grow and become an adult I need to make a change and I need to make it NOW. I could never play with him, always had to sit one side when his daddy is playing with him. Now I have so much energy and it makes me feel so great that I can run and go through obstacles in the jungle gym when we are there. My health has improved, I can do things I couldn’t do.
Tying my shoe laces and even painting my nails was a struggle. The day I could do that with ease I could jump for joy.
Also now I fit in a single seat in the bus, can cross my legs. Small victories, but for me these were major.
You realise what is important in life when the important things in your life start suffering.
Finding Sleekgeek
In February this year I stumble upon Sleekgeek page and I was so overwhelmed with all the success stories. I stalked the pages, I tried to eat clean as best as I could and I steal with the eye. In that month I lost 2 kg it was little but I was so happy I am doing something right. And 1stMarch I started with my first reboot. It was my birthday month it made it more challenging but it was a challenge I was about to take. I was so strict it wasn’t even funny. I was a bit sceptical as I was thinking will I be able to transform and lose weight and become healthy like these people . This sounded too good to be true. What is the catch? You can’t lose weight and not pick up. I lost 7.5kg in that first month and since then I haven’t look back.
How did I do it?
I follow a strict reboot plan, at first no exercises. I incorporated exercises only in October.
I try to work out 5-6 days week. I have workout dvds for cardio, got dumbbells that I use in my training as well.
Then I do a medley of squats, lunges, sit ups, push ups, planks, side squats, side lunges, bridges. I don’t care how I move as long as I keep moving.
I don’t belong to a gym so all my exercises are home based.
This plan works so well for me.
I have a great support system, the Sleekgeek community are so inspiring just to browse through the pages keeps you accountable if you just feel that little bit low that day.
I made the most amazing friends on the community, my amazing buddies they know who they are. I love you girls. We are a great support system, and we can’t go a day without being in contact.
Advice to you
Life is not easy, especially when you are overweight you get negative comments and you can’t wear what you want. There was a point in my life where I had to wear what fits and not what I like. And that is so sad and depressing to say the least.
If you thinking of starting , don’t start tomorrow, or Monday, start today. Make the change today, you will be so grateful .
I finished 2 Ultimate You Challenges this year, something I thought I would never be able to do, with that being said I think you should do something you never even dreamed of doing.
The best thing for me is that my mind set changed completely. This is not a diet, people often ask are you still on the diet, no I am not, this is a lifestyle.
I will think twice of eating certain things. I have come to learn to go without certain things if it benefits your health.
I have become Geeky 🙂 I have become a Sleekgeek and I am damn well proud of it!!!
I am not at my goal yet , but I will reach it all in due time, I have all the solutions I need.
A few tips I want to leave with you
Believe in yourself you can do anything you put your mind to.
Prepping food is key. If you prep you won’t eat any unhealthy foods. You just grab and go.
Many people say “oh I forgot to put lunch in this morning, I must go buy something”, nonsense I make my lunch in the night before and in the fridge 🙂
Drink your water daily flush, flush your system
Trust the process 🙂
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