Q&A with Jerry Naidoo:

We sat down with Jerry who placed first in the Men’s Transformation category of our Summer Challenge 2023. We wanted to find out the secret to his success and he was happy to share it with us.

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Please give us a short history of your journey to health and fitness before the challenge.

I was a relatively active person who went to gym regularly before enrolling for the challenge, my greatest challenge was my diet. Being a Senior Public Servant in a highly stressful environment I had no limitations over what I ate, and food became my source of comfort. I would consume whatever I wanted and whenever I wanted. This type of behaviour caused me to gain unwanted weight leading to the dreaded “love handles.” I was also not comfortable in the way I felt. Exercising regularly and not eating correctly doesn’t go hand in hand.

What prompted you to join the Sleekgeek Transformation Challenge?

As a leader within my working environment responsible for a staff compliment of 44 officials and 1962 offenders I prioritised work above my health and well-being. I came to the realization that no-one is indispensable within the public sector, and I took the decision to put myself first. I decided to join this challenge to make my lifestyle change worthwhile. Apart from the prizes on offer, the valuable input, motivation and tools offered by Sleekgeek propelled me to do this challenge. My son also mentioned to me that he never saw a man over 50 years with a six pack and he further challenged me to prove him wrong. I informed him that before I turn 53 on the 13th of August 2024, I will have the elusive six pack. This is now my challenge going forward. Thanks to Sleekgeek I have all the tools available to reach that next goal.

Give us a quick overview of the nutrition and eating plan that you followed during the challenge.

I followed my own eating plan in line with the menus provided by Sleekgeek. I ensured that my foods were balanced consisting of carb, proteins and fats. I followed an intermittent fasting approach during the 8-week challenge. This entailed that I fasted for 16 hours and ate during the 8-hour window period. I reduced my meals from 6 to 2 per day. I dispensed with breakfast and the mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacking’s. I only ate lunch and supper. My Last meal was before 18h00 in the evening. Salads and fruits formed the foundation of my nutrition plan and I ensured to incorporate these with my 2 meals. Drinking 2-3 liters of water throughout the day was a must during this journey. This is now the lifestyle I have adopted and its working for me. This allows me to eat everything in moderation with the key factor being consistency.

Give us a quick overview of the training and exercise plan that you followed during the challenge.

My training and excercise plan was as follows. I would train on average 5 days a week. Monday to Friday. I would be in the gym at 05h00 to do my weight training. I exercised a different body part each day. I also alternated weight training by doing morning runs and walks. Every second or third day I would do a 10km run. At least once a month I would also do a 21.5km run. This run was from Pollsmoor in Tokai via Boyes Drive to Simons Town. My goal now is to increase my lean muscle mass and weight training has been prioritised in this regard.

If you could give 3 pieces of advice to future challengers, what would they be?

For anyone wanting to do this challenge I encourage you to live by the 3 D’s:

1. Discipline
2. Dedication and
3. Determination
   With this constantly on your mind, you will not want to quit. That silent voice will be whispering to you those 3 words. Whenever you feel like giving up remember the 3D’s. There will be times when you will be knocked down but not knocked out. Keep at it. The goal is within reach. The change is coming, your health is going to improve. Your energy levels is going to change. Your confidence levels are going to rise. You are going to be the change that you want to be.

Why should people enter the challenge?

The challenge offers all the tools one needs to make a lifestyle change. The advice and motivation provided by the leadership with regular e-mails and advice motivates one to keep going. The support that will be provided by other contestants via the Facebook page is also encouraging. All like minded people with a common goal to change and transform themselves and their lifestyle.

The prizes on offer are only a secondary motivation, the primary goal is the knowledge and experience one will gain in terms of nutrition, excercise programmes and the individual results one will achieve for him or herself. We all can’t be winners, but you are already a winner in your own way. This is what people should have in mind when they plan to enter this challenge. Results over the 8-week period will vary but consistency is key.