When 2020 started, Shanee Minnaar set out her last “I will lose weight” resolution. Just two months after giving birth, she was determined to build back her strength, and better her health for herself and her kids. Here’s how this mom of two lost 13 kilos and learned to put herself first.
Shanee Minnaar
Occupation: Marketing
Age: 27
City: Pretoria
Weight before: 75kg
Weight after: 62kg
Height: 1.66
The time required to reach current weight: 4 months
The secret weapon to her weight loss: Consistency is key
READ MORE: “I Lost 34 Kilos By Sticking To A Low-Carb Eating Plan”
The Gain
A “very lean” teenager, Shanee says that she never had much of a problem with her weight. It was only when she started working and wasn’t exercising as much, that the unwanted weight started creeping on. And her eating habits didn’t help, “[I would start] my day with a toasted cafe sandwich for breakfast, a takeout from the canteen for lunch and grab some chocolates and sweets for snacks while I worked. Dinner would be a usual home-cooked meal. And every meal was always accompanied by fizzy drinks.” she explains.
The Change
After the birth of her second child, Shanee says that she realised that she needed a change as she wanted to be a mother that was involved with her kids — and the excess weight was making that hard to do. “Even just a quick playtime had me exhausted,” she adds. Deciding that she would start 2020 on a healthier note, Shanee set her last “I will lose weight” resolution and was determined to stick to it.
The Lifestyle
The first to go was her beloved chocolate, sweets, and fizzy drinks. She stopped eating takeaways and instead opted for steamed veggies, lean proteins, healthy grains, and salads. “Once I was consistent with my meals, I started getting more creative and found that I really love wraps and can change it up and keep it interesting. Also, I love trying out new smoothies and smoothie bowls, it’s a great sneaky way to get in extra fruit and veggies,” she explains.
When it came to exercise, Shanee started off slowly as she was only two months postpartum. She began by following the postpartum workouts of the SWEAT app which had her doing 5 workouts a week, with three of those workouts being resistance/weight training and two 35-45 minutes walks. As she built up her strength, she began incorporating running and high-intensity interval training.
READ MORE: “After Doing Kate Hudson’s Workouts For A Week, I Understand Why She’s So Fit”
The Results
Since starting her journey, Shanee has lost a total of 13 kilos and says she feels amazing. “I feel more alive now, I have energy for days, and I can keep up with my kids, which is an absolutely amazing feeling. I also sleep so much better than I used to,” explains Shanee.
Besides having an abundance of energy, Shanee says that this journey has allowed her to prioritised herself, which has made everything else fall into place. “Taking time out for yourself is of utmost importance. It’s in our innate being as women to take care of everyone and everything else before we prioritize ourselves. But realizing that it isn’t being selfish and it’s the best thing that you can do is to take time out for something you love”.
Shanee’s Tips
- Water is life: “I never used to drink water as this is how our body flushes away all the weight. It’s like the elixir for weight loss, nothing works if you don’t have enough water each day”.
- Consistency is key: “You cannot see the results you want if you do not remain consistent”.
- Working out is nothing without a clean diet: “I’ve never done both simultaneously in the past I’d workout but still eat how I wanted and never saw the results like I have now. I finally understand the saying ‘you cannot outrun a bad diet’ “.
READ MORE ON: Real Moms Real Women Success Stories Weight Loss