Keshni Mahomed – Fit mommy in heels living a purpose driven life

Hello Sleekgeek family, its Keshni Mahomed here. Welcome to 2018.

Goodbye 2017. It was great, thanks for all the memories but you will not be missed. You will be cherished, loved and forever appreciated for all that you have taught me but to be honest, I’m really glad to be done with you!!

This year has started off with the Sleekgeek 14 Day Kickstart Challenge. The lessons from both Eric Chowles and Elan Lohmann have been valuable and inspirational. It really helps one set the course for success for the new year.

As you may know, I am a mother of 3, residing in Pretoria. I work as an occupational health practitioner and am passionate about health and wellness. My journey with SG started in September 2016 and I am an active member of the Challenge Team Capital Squad.

We also compete in the Sleekgeek 8-Week Transformation Challenges.

Some stats about me:

I am #SG4Life. This community has inspired me, kept me committed and provided me so much support and such a safe haven. Without all of you, I don’t think I could have achieved or realised half of everything that I had planned. From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank everyone of you for your courage to post your stories. Never underestimate the impact that you have in this community.

I get asked alot, “Keshni! How do you do it?” Honestly, sometimes I wonder that myself. Im blessed with high energy levels and a never say die attitude. I am the eternal optimist and a person of immense faith. I believe that I was created (specifically designed, engineered, tailormade) for a purpose and that I need to live that purpose before I die.

One of the most valuable lessons I have learnt on my journey is that it all starts with me. I am my source. I am the centre of my universe. Yes, that sounds selfish but take a few seconds to think about it.

On an airplane, the instruction is to put on your own oxygen first. Why? Because, unless you give yourself oxygen first, you will not be able to help anyone else. You will be of no value. It’s the same in life. You have to take care of you first so that you can then take care of others. The old adage is that you can’t pour from an empty cup. And for me, thats why living life healthy is so important. By living a healthy life, I take care of me and in so doing I am able to be a better mother and be better at all the roles I need to fulfill.

My goal for 2018 is simple. I want to be #FitterFasterStronger, #MakeHappyHappen and live a #PurposeDrivenLife. I know I can do this because I have a plan. I firmly believe that failure to plan is planning to fail.

[get your own Sleekgeek “Be Your Own Hero” T-Shirt / Vest and Pink Cap here]

So, how do I do it?

Using the SG tools available, I have a weekly eating plan. I do all my meal preps on a Sunday. I live on the 80/20 principle. Because life is about balance. So yes, I will eat a burger or Zinger wings if I want to. I eat ice cream and pizza with my kids. I don’t deprive myself of anything because life is meant to be experienced.

However, I do exercise self control and like Elan says, it’s all about the trade off. Let me add though that healthy food is the normal in our home. We make tasty guilt free food that everyone enjoys. Food should be enjoyable. It should not look or taste like “Diet Food”. If you enjoy the food chances are you will eat it more often.

So take time to make good food. Try new things, get rid of the boring chicken salad and replace it with “Chicken Cordon White”. Don’t be afraid to play with your food.

Every week I plan my training schedule based on the time I have available to me. Some weeks I score and am able to train more but then there are times when I just can not due to life circumstances. Training needs to fit into your life in order for it to be sustainable. I usually draft a 5 day training plan with 2 rest days.

Typically my training involves cycling, swimming, running, cardio classes, weight and functional training. Depending on the time available, I allocate sessions depending on priority.

My typical plan is as follows:

One weekend a month – no activity- only family time

One weekend a month – parkrun only

One weekend a month – League Race, parkrun and Trail run

One weekend a month – Warrior Weekend (Obstacle racing)

Weekly: 5 x 2 x 45 min workout sessions (04h00 – 06h00)

Daily: 10 000 steps minimum.

I train. Not exercise. I have a purpose for being fit. I enjoy participating in obstacle course races and for 2018 will be starting out with mini-triathlons. It’s easier to get out of bed in the morning when you have a purpose for being fit.

I am trying to get to 8 hours of sleep per night. Currently I average 6 hours which is a huge improvement from less than 4 hours per night! The importance of sleep and rest can not be over-emphasised. Our bodies need to recharge and can only do this when we rest.

Another very important aspect is emotional and spiritual well being. My opinion is that this area is the most important area that needs to be developed and taken care off because “as a man thinketh, so will he be”. We all know about emotional eating (or not eating) and how our emotions affect our energy levels.

Being honest about who you are, what you want, how you feel and dealing with all this either through self help or reaching out to professionals is necessary for a successful journey to becoming a whole, happy individual. I now have “me time”, alone time for me to meditate, self evaluate and just be still. This has added immense value to my life.

I have written a lot. But if there is anything I wish that you could take from this is:

1. Keep it simple.
2. Keep it real.
3. Find your purpose and take small steps everyday toward living in it.
4. Weightloss should not be the goal. Living life healthy and with Vitality should be your goal.
5. Be movement conscious.
6. Find your balance.

Just try everyday to be better than the day before.