Johannesburg- “New Year, New Me” is once again the anthem as many people vow to get fit and healthy. But so many also fall by the wayside before they even start.
Rustenburg Aerobics Fanatics founder Mpho Molopo said the approach is wrong when you just go in, exercise past your pace and continue to eat the wrong food.
He said health and fitness is about consistency and change of mindset, and that although diet works, eating properly and starting your day with exercise should become a lifestyle, even over holidays.
“It was very easy to maintain consistency over the festive season because what we do is more of a lifestyle than a diet. We enjoy food and beverages without having to worry about putting on a few kilos.
“Balance is the key to a more sustainable way of living,” said Molopo.
His work in body transformation is evident in himself, his wife Busisiwe Molopo, and client Thanyani Marake, who lost a significant amount of weight last year.
Where most want to lose weight, Mpho’s mission was to gain weight when he started his journey eight years ago.
“The goal was to gain weight and I did, and I have been in shape for years now.”
His following grew remarkably during the hard lockdown in March 2020, with more than 180 000 followers tuning in to his online aerobics classes.
Though Busisiwe also started her fitness journey a few years ago, her weight fluctuated after having two children. Her last pregnancy was in 2019.
“We have two kids now and her weight has been up and down until she changed her nutrition plan. She has lost over 18kg and the weight is still falling off even now, she looks amazing and I must say that being together for 15 years, she is by far the best she has ever been, physically and mentally.
“Her energy is incredible,” said Mpho about his wife’s journey, adding that Marake started her fitness make-over at 117kg and is now at 80kg.
“She is in the best shape of her life. She has two kids and made the decision to change her life.”
He said apart from the hyped-up aerobics routine, the programme is more about nutrition.
They eat five meals a day, which include breakfast, snack (protein-based), lunch, second snack (protein-based), and colorful dinner.
“And we exercise a minimum of four times a week.”
He said any healthy diet works, be it keto or intermittent fasting – the new buzz words in weight-loss circles, adding that their philosophy is more about balanced meals consisting of 20% protein, 40% carbohydrates, and 40% of good fats, oils, vitamins, and minerals.
Molopo said the secret to success is to start as soon as you feel it’s the right time.
“For me, it was more about not liking how I looked at 60kg and having low energy. I decided to change all of that. There are no ‘best exercises’, you just start moving more and find a nutritional plan that you want to follow. Losing stomach fat is about consistency.”
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