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Two years ago internal auditor, Adelaide Nyoni was underweight, malnourished and self-conscious. Tired of the way her body was making her feel, Adelaide, embarked on a weight gaining journey to help her find her body confidence and health. Here’s how she did it.
Adelaide Nyoni
City: Pretoria
Age: 25
Occupation: Internal Auditor
Weight before: 49kg
Weight after: 58kg goal
Time required to reach current weight: 2 years
Secret weapon to your fitness journey: Consistency
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The Beginning
“I was very depressed and underweight during my Honours year in 2016. Not only were the books weighing me down, but I also had low self-esteem,” says Adelaide. She goes on to say that although she was thin, she was eating whatever she wanted but she wasn’t gaining weight. And while her unhealthy eating habits weren’t helping her gain weight, they were having an effect on her health. Her change came when she started going to the gym and sought the advice of a biokineticist to help her along. “After this, I started my healthy weight-gain journey which demanded a lot of commitment and consistency, ” she says.
Good Nutrition Is Key
Good nutrition is vital to any weight transformation, so Adelaide started meal prepping and counting calories to help her achieve her goals. “Eating healthy does not have to be boring, so following a meal plan helps me keep track of my calories and see where I need to add variety,” she says. She goes on to say that this has been the key to fueling her muscle gains.
Adelaide adds that timing is also important when building muscle, so, she drinks a protein shake after her gym sessions to help her muscles recover. And while exercising can help you build abs, Adelaide says they are made in the kitchen too, “I maintain my abs by not drinking sodas, alcohol and replacing unhealthy snacks with protein bars, fruits and water,” she explains.
READ MORE: “I Started Weight Training And It Totally Changed My Body”
Exercising For The Body You Want
Adelaide says that she used to focus on cardio but has since switched her focus to strength training and body conditioning. “To build muscle, I follow the progressive overload approach which entails increasing the weight I lift and squat weekly”. She trains five days a week with each day focusing on different muscle groups. “On Sundays, I do legs for 2 hours when the gym is empty and I have all the space I need. Mondays I rest. Tuesdays are for abs and a few sprints on the treadmill. Wednesdays, I focus on glute related exercises. On Thursdays, I train my back and arms. On Fridays, I do a full body workout which targets all muscle groups. Saturday is usually my rest and cheat day,” she explains.
Adelaide says that she stays motivated by surrounding herself with fitness and wellness enthusiasts, “seeing results was also a great motivator for me to keep pushing”. And while she finds motivation in others, she maintains that your journey is about you. “I’ve learnt the importance of not comparing myself with others as we all have different body types that require different exercise regimens”.
Adelaide’s Top 5 Tips
- Define your goal and write it down.
- Do thorough research and formulate strategies to help you reach your goal.
- Follow an exercise and nutrition plan that works. If it does not work, seek advice from professionals and amend it accordingly.
- Be patient. Growing those glutes or revealing abs covered in fat is not going to happen overnight, so don’t be too hard on yourself.
- Always follow the correct form when doing any exercise. Not only will this prevent injuries, but it will also get you results faster.
This article was first published on womenshealthsa.co.za
Image credit: iStock
