Samuel Mokoena fought back against a family history of diabetes
Name: Samuel Mokoena
Age: 26
Occupation: IT Auditor/ Consultant
Height: 1.76M
Time Required: 7 Months
Weight Before: 103kg
Weight After: 81kg
Related: Here’s How You Can Calculate Your Diabetes Risk At Home
The Gain: I was never in great shape while growing up. My cardiovascular fitness was shocking, even though I was active at school. I cycled to school every day and took part in hockey and other sports. But to no avail, so I accepted that as my fate for 25 odd years. When I arrived at varsity, I started leading an unhealthy lifestyle. I ate more than before, and I was not cycling or keeping active.
The Change: Two events motivated me to make some serious changes in my life. Firstly, I decided on New Year’s Day that I’d had enough of accepting things the way they were and I would not spend the rest of my life as an overweight person. Secondly, I have a history of diabetes in my family. If I didn’t do something about it, it was inevitable that I would get it too.
Related: This Guy Shed 50kg Of Fat And Beat Diabetes
The Strategy: I started to go to gym five days a week, but saw little in the way of results. Then I started doing some research. I was surprised to hear about the importance of heart rates and how to achieve the optimum weight-loss target. Even more important than the exercise is eating right. The rule of thumb – burn more than you consume. You can still eat the same amount, but it needs to be the right foods.
The Result: I am now just 81kg and lost over 22kg in seven months. I train five days a week and try to add a 30- minute cardio session daily. I alternate between weight training three days a week and having two days doing longer cardio sessions. I also started cycling recently and am training for the 94.7 Cycle Challenge.
Related: The Old School Workout That All Cyclists And Runners Should Be Doing
The Reward: I have more energy. I do a full workout in the morning and still concentrate at work longer than I could a few months ago. I feel great and that has had a huge affect on my attitude. The only down side? I have to buy new clothes. But that’s not a problem.
