Mali lost 75 pounds

Transformation of the Day: Mali lost 75 pounds over the course of a year. Our Zambian sister says that because she didn’t rush the process, it has allowed her to maintain her success for 5 years. She hit the road, switched up her eating habits and created a healthier lifestyle. Check out her story.

Growing up overweight was not easy. I have always been on the big side and I didn’t care much until one day when my brother walked to in the room looked at me with disgust. He said, “Hey Mali, you have become obese.” The very next day I hit the road, started my journey and I have never look back since.

I use to weight 100kgs (220 pounds) and in a year I was down to 66kgs (145 pounds). It has taken time for me to lose the weight, but taking my time is the reason that the weight has not come back. I have maintained my weight around 66kg to 70kg for 5 years now. My height is 5’2″.

First thing in the morning, I drank lemon water before eating any food. Then, I went out for a jog. I cut out sugar and nshima, which I still don’t eat today. Nahima is our staple food in Zambia and it is also called pulp. I am a fan of bread, so I didn’t give up bread completely. I just cut back and ate a bit of it here and there. My meals where mostly snacking throughout the day. I also enjoy my lemon tea before bed.

I do not believe in dieting. In the past, I tried to diet and failed, so now I call it a lifestyle, because I’m going things that you have to keep doing for life if you want to keep fit and healthy. Things like eating right, walking, cutting down on sugar and cutting out carbonated drinks is the way to go.

I work out 3 times a week. I do skipping in the morning before breakfast. I enjoy walking for exercise as well. Selling my car was the best thing that had happened to me, because it meant more walking. Now, I’m more active all the time. Even when applying lotion, I don’t sit on a chair, because I’m always standing, bending and looking for ways to move. I have invested in a Trojan Horse exercise machine and when I’m watching TV I’ll use it to workout.

I can now proudly say that I am an example for my family and friends. Their are many times that I wanted to give up. However, looking at my progress and proving people wrong who said I could not do it is what kept me going. When start my weight loss journey, my boyfriend stopped me saying that he loved me big and loved me the old way. Now that I have lost the weight he never wants me to leave his side. He can’t hide his delight and I am enjoying the attention.

My advice: If you want to lose weight, start with your meals and controlling your eating habits. They say weight lost is 80% what we eat and only 20% of our success falls on the workout. Buy nice shoes that you will love putting on when going to workout and hit the road.