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I have achieved all I wanted to!
As a busy social worker and working mom, Hlengiwe Mthembu, was an expert at helping others, but never had time to care for herself. Depressed, overweight and ashamed, Hlengiwe finally made a life-changing decision that not only saw her lose weight, but also transform and excel in many other areas of her life. Hlengiwe’s story is nothing short of inspirational and proves that the benefits of joining Weigh-Less truly do go beyond weight loss.
As a young girl, I really struggled with my weight. I was always the biggest in my class and sadly, I cannot remember ever fitting into ‘children’s sizes’. By the time I reached high-school, I was already wearing a size 38/40 but when I turned 16, I felt compelled to do something about my weight – I have always enjoyed exercise and so jogging and running was a natural choice for me. The increase in exercise worked and before I knew it, I had dropped to a size 34. I weighed between 61-63kg for many years following high school however, the good habits I adopted when I was a teen started slipping after I got married.
All of a sudden, the weight I had rid myself of in high school, slowly started to creep back on and before I knew it I weighed 73kg. When I fell pregnant with my first child, my weight spiralled out of control; I ate for two and continued to do so long after giving birth. And so, I went from a size 38 to a size 44/46 and my weight exceeded 100kg.
For most traditional African families, ‘big is beautiful’ and being overweight is perceived as normal and acceptable. My family didn’t make a big issue of my weight but I was desperately unhappy. I couldn’t bear to look in the mirror and my head was always filled with negative self-talk. I spent most of my time indoors and hated attending functions because I could never find anything to wear.
The workplace was even worse because we were required to wear a uniform and I was changing to a bigger size almost every quarter. It was so embarrassing to always have to ask for a new uniform. I also had to facilitate with presentations and group work and my weight affected my confidence. I always felt like a follower and not the leader that I yearned to be.
As my birthday drew closer, I became increasingly convicted to make a change. I was tired of complaining about being overweight. I was at a critical crossroads in my life and I feared that if I didn’t do something about my weight then and there, I never would!
To my absolute delight I came across a Weigh-Less stand at an event and the Weigh-Less Group Leader there offered to give me a free weight assessment. When I stood on the scale I was horrified to discover that I had 40kg to lose; I weighed 102kg!
I then contacted my nearest Group Leader and attended my first meeting. As a ‘virgin dieter’ so to speak, I was completely unaware of what to expect, however my Group Leader explained exactly how my formula worked and I walked away with a brand new eating plan and new-found determination to embark on a journey to a ‘new me’.
My first week wasn’t easy and I struggled to get used to portion sizes and weighing food. Also, as an African woman, I am used to meat and carbohydrates and I had to learn how to prepare and cook vegetables quickly. However the rewards of sticking to the plan were well worth it and at my second weigh-in, I was pleasantly surprised to see that I had lost 1.2kg! I was thrilled and truly motivated to continue.
From the onset, I ensured that I had enough basics (i.e. carbohydrates, proteins, vegetables, fruits and dairy products) in my home, so that I could make a quick meal, no matter how lazy or tired I felt! I also took to eating from a smaller plate and ensured that I had a variety of colours on the plate in order to keep my meals interesting. I also started keeping a food diary so that I could recall my state of mind as well. I believe that feeling depressed, unhappy or frustrated, can affect weight loss negatively and as such I sought to work through those feelings.
The negative comments – like being told I would never lose weight - from the people around me didn't change at first, but I was determined not only to prove them wrong, but to prove to myself that I was worthy of living a healthy and balanced lifestyle, and still be able to lose the weight. I wanted to achieve something positive in my life, and I knew that I would feel the difference at the end of the long road.
My family became supportive, once they saw the positive effects of my decision. My boyfriend was also very supportive and guided me every step of the way. My work colleagues and friends were also encouraging .
My Group Leader was a wonderful; she was an attentive listener, supportive and passionate! She stood by me throughout my journey and willingly helped me with any problems or questions I had. Although my husband was not very supportive at first, his attitude changed after seeing my commitment and dedication. He respected that I had to wake up very early to exercise and he ate the healthy food I prepared without complaints. He even took to looking after the kids so that I could participate in fun runs and half-marathons and spoilt me with surprises like gift vouchers instead of the usual treats.
When I reached Goal Weight, I did something extraordinary to highlight the fact that I had evolved from the person I used to be and so, I shaved my head bald. After shaving off my hair a sense of freedom and I was ready to start over. 
With a whole new wardrobe and a new hairstyle, I felt like a new person. For the first time in ages, I mattered and it was all about me!
What is particularly great about Weigh-Less is that you can truly adapt it to your lifestyle and preferences. Weigh-Less has gone beyond being just food and, the ability to control my weight has overlapped into other spheres of my life. Experiencing gains and losses for example, has taught me to truly accept my strengths and weaknesses. I was always buying things I didn’t really need and portion control taught me to be satisfied with what I have. I have de-cluttered my life, let go of toxic relationships and detached myself emotionally from material things. My faith has also been strengthened because I believed in something that was not even visible initially. Professionally, I have become more confident, assertive and ambitious. I’m more outgoing and enjoy attending functions.
