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Becky Pulane Motumo is an Insta influencer with 29.4k followers. She’s fashion-forward, with a hot body and a page oozing with drool-worthy eats. She’s also mad fit – but it wasn’t always that way.
Something changed after she’d had her son. “After I gave birth, I started being lazy – it was so bad I’d have a mental chart of the days I managed to get out of the house for a simple walk,” she says. The result: Weight gain. “I’d put on a lot of [weight] and it was coupled with depression.” But she managed to turn her life around. Here’s how…
The gain
As with most weight-gain cases, food was the main culprit. “I was always able to get away with eating whatever I liked. I worked in the tourism industry at the time so I was constantly travelling, which meant unhealthy fast foods were my go-to dish,” admits Becky. And when work became stressful, she’d hit the bottle to unwind. Add to that the fact that she was completely inactive… and piling on the kilos was inevitable.
READ MORE: “Fitness helped me deal with family drama, failing friendships and depression”
The change
Becky’s wake-up call came in the form of a photograph. “All it took was a night out with a friend and a photo of the evening we’d had. [I realised] I’d gained so much weight – I had to do something about it,” she says. Becky also really wanted to be the kind of mom who could keep up with an energetic boy and play sports with him.
The lifestyle
Becky did a total lifestyle U-turn, changing her diet completely and hitting the gym. “First, I gave up alcohol, ditched fizzy drinks and drank more water.” She also avoided the party scene, instead opting for nights in, far from the temptations of alcohol and unhealthy food.
READ MORE: 5 reasons you’re gaining weight that have nothing to do with food
Becky’s diet and exercise plan
Becky never skips breakfast, but she does opt for quick meals on the go: “I love All-Bran, plain yoghurt, fruits, smoothies and oats – hassle-free and healthy.” Lunch always includes protein and veggies, with a snack before dinner, which is a salad or soup. “I keep it light in the evenings and I don’t eat later than 7pm.” On the fitness front, besides gym, she does long-distance running, lifts weights (despite the fact that she never thought she would) and boxes (for the abs!). It’s clearly worked: she’s 36kg lighter!
The support
“My family [has been] incredible – this journey was not just mine, it was all of ours.” They went for runs together, played sports together and even though at first they didn’t fully understand her new food choices, they slowly started trying out new less greasy, more leafy options.
READ MORE: How to get your weekly cardio fix — with zero running
The feeling
When Becky looks at her son, she’s inspired to become a better mother and person. “I want to be a present mom, one who can have fun with him and enjoy life from his perspective – running around and truly experiencing the joy that comes with appreciating the little things. It’s refreshing. I mean, I’m stronger than I’ve ever felt and it’s a good feeling,” she says. And she looks simply amazing!
This article was first published on Women's Health SA.
