You may know Jasmine Arnold on Sleekgeek as “Budget Bokkie” sharing her low cost healthy meal ideas on our Facebook Group. Today we feature her personal story.
My journey started two years ago in the month of April 2016, I was watching another FB friend, Qanita Bester doing something that made her lost weight. I stalked some photos of her and one photo in particular really hit home with me. I in boxed her and asked her what she was doing in order to lose weight.
She then sent me her two week plan that literally excluded no sugar or carbs and in my head I said to myself “it’s 2 weeks, what do I have to lose”. That evening I had my last Bar One chocolate. Never had one since, it’s been two years now.
Now let me take you back to my teens, this is like almost 29 years ago when I started becoming really fat. I was that one fat girl in class, in PT, in the group (gosh I wasn’t even part of the group). I was the fat girl at the Matric Ball, which I actually attended. I think I must have worn a size 40 in Matric already. Being the fat teenager, I was transforming into the fat young adult.
At the age of 29 years old I had fallen pregnant, being fat, I never thought this was possible. Unlike most moms that have a beautiful round preggie belly – me I was just fat. I never had a preggie belly. I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy (now 16 years old) and even though I had beautiful relationships with the opposite sex, I was still the fat girl.
Eating filled a gap like no other, not big on food, but sweet things, like cake and my all-time favourite, Marie biscuits with butter and coffee with already 2 sugars in it. My week-end hobby (face painting) took me to kids parties where tables were always filled with more cake to eat from. My life was surrounded with party cake & treats.
Back to the present day: I have since cut out sugar, white bread, pasta, potatoes and rice, juice, gas cooldrink and so many other little things from my everyday eating routine. I am currently weighing 97.9kgs since 2016 and now I have dropped down from 121,6kgs.
In the beginning of my journey I never did any exercise. I gradually went down to as far as 108kgs and decided I need to start walking…….which I did, I walked for a full year until my exercise partner Razia Morrison encouraged me to start running – this was like the worse suggestion ever……..we then practiced running from one pole to another……..long story very short, I have since completed 2 x 10 km races and have 4 parkruns in the bag…….oh did I mention I joined a running club (Brimstone Itheko).
My goals were realistic and short term. Once I started I just wanted to get into the double digits, so I am there now and now I just want to see 90kgs on the scale.
Giving you advice on this process, it’s journey of the head and heart, something only you can decide on doing because it is for you, and no one else. No one can make you do this. Once you start you will encounter many stumbling blocks, there are super ugly days but if you remain determined and consistent you will get there. It’s not an expensive journey, you make it work for you and your pocket.
There is nothing like trying. You really just need to put your best foot forward and do it………in our religion we start everything with an intention and that is made in the heart and if the intention is pure and good, everything else will fall into place.
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