I was ignorant of the health dangers involved with being overweight
Lindiwe Mvubu has always been a woman who can light up a room with her beautiful smile and charming personality. Today, thanks to the Weigh-Less healthy eating plan, she has the body and confidence to match her personality, and is able to claim the corporate world as her playground, thanks to her new-found confidence!
Facts and Figures
Height: 1.69
Weight then: 99.2kg
Weight lost: 23.5kg
Time taken: 18 months
I grew up in a family that loved food and would eat large, fatty meals every day. My mom cooked huge dinners, with mostly carbohydrates and fats, and very few vegetables. A typical meal would be a curry, served with lots of potatoes and pap, with chicken or beef. I thought that this was ‘real food’,
and would eat a huge plateful of it every night before bed.
Food for thought
Growing up in this household, it was no surprise that I had the mindset that I did when it came to food.
I thought that what we were eating was the only way to eat, and that no meal would be complete without rice,
pap or phuthu. We would feast on large, unhealthy meals and did not concern ourselves with the size of our girth.
When I got married to my wonderful husband, Sithembiso, our eating habits were not far from those I had experienced for years
in my mother’s home.
However, I did not think it mattered at that time – I had a man who loved food and would love me no matter my size,
so I continued to overindulge in take-aways and rich, fatty foods.
I did not try any diets or shakes to try and shake the weight off, firstly because it is not something that is very popular
in our culture, and secondly because I remained ignorant of the health dangers involved with being overweight
Doctor’s orders
Unfortunately, staying ignorant of something does
not mean that it will not happen to you and I started suffering from headaches. After going for a quick check-up with my doctor,
he confirmed that my blood pressure was unhealthily high. He gave me blood pressure pills to take,
but explained to me that the cause of the problem was my weight,
and that if I wanted to get healthy and stop taking pills, I was going to have to lose weight.
When I thought about my two energetic children at home, Asanda and Zama, I knew that I had to follow my doctor’s orders.
If I wanted to give them the best possible start in life, I knew that I would need to change their perception of food,
and teach them all that I could about taking care of your body that God has given you. Moreover,
I knew that if I wanted to be there to watch them grow up, I would need to start taking care of my health.
I didn’t want food to take me out of my children’s lives, and resolved that I would do something about my weight immediately.
Working at Weigh-Less
Fortunately, I was working at Weigh-Less as a Customer Relations Manager and knew all about our success record in
helping hundreds and thousands of people lose weight the healthy way. I also knew that this was achieved through a healthy eating
plan that had been scientifically designed to give you all the food your body needs, in all the correct portions.
I will admit, however, that despite this knowledge, I was still a bit apprehensive about joining the programme; I didn’t know if I would have the dedication to go through with it, or if I would be successful in my attempt to get healthy. I had complete faith in the company and programme that Mary Holroyd had designed for us, but I did not have faith in myself that I could do it.
After much deliberation, I decided that it was something that I needed to do. Whether I succeeded or failed in my attempt did not matter, all that mattered was that I at least gave it a chance. So, the next week, I made my way to the meeting room to join the corporate Group at our Head Office and face my Group Leader, Erna Graham’s scale. I saw that I had over 20kg to lose, but felt sure that with my Group Leaders encouragement and the support from the staff at our head office, I would do it!
Health for the family
More than helping me gain control over my body, Weigh-Less has taught me how to eat healthily, and given me the ability to make only the Best Food Choices for myself and my children. My journey was a learning experience, where I learnt about the power I had within myself, and also learned that I had ability to change things that I wanted to change. It has also given me the opportunity to better do my job. Now, when members’ questions come through to me, I can speak from the heart, and help them with whatever problem they have.
When I reached Goal Weight, I felt a great sense of achievement and pride. Although my mother’s death was the most difficult part of my journey, it is also her memory that encouraged me to persevere and get to Goal. I dedicate me weight loss journey to her memory, and know that she will be proud of the changes I have made in my life. My family too were very proud of me, and when my daughter told me how happy she was that she can now put both her arms around me, my heart swelled. I know that she has learnt from my experiences
and has begun eating her vegetables without me having to beg, because she can see how eating vegetables has made her mother beautiful.
I am so glad that I never gave up on myself. Not only have I learned what is good to put into my body and what is not, but I also have the opportunity to take care of my family to the best of my abilities.
I am a confident and beautiful woman, and the world is my oyster! And it is all thanks to Weigh-Less!