Real life weight loss: How I lost 14kg

At 38, Seone Maskell, a single mother of three, has the energy of a teenager and a bubbly, positive outlook on life.

But this was definitely not the case 18 months ago. For Maskell, losing 14kg wasn’t just about reshaping her 167cm frame, it was a journey towards being happy and confident in her own skin.●●●

The gain

When Maskell was a teenager, she was “the chubby ugly duckling,” she recalls. Self-conscious about her weight, she developed an eating disorder and, ashamed of her body, became reclusive.

Periods of intense exercise followed by inactivity saw her yo-yoing between size 14 and 18. Sugar became her crutch.

“I’d sit in front of the TV and devour cakes and chips to fill the void.”

By 2012 she’d reached her heaviest weight and was too embarrassed to join a gym. “I tried running and couldn’t do it for more than a minute at a time.”

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The change

Ironically, it was hitting her lowest point following a painful break-up that gave Maskell the impetus she needed to make a positive change.

“I had a major breakdown and was submitted to a wellness clinic,” she recalls.

One day, after five months without progress, her therapist spoke the words that would change her life, “We all have the power to reinvent ourselves and we don’t have to stay the same.”

For the first time, Maskell realised she could rewrite her life story. “I wanted to be able to look in the mirror and believe the words, ‘I am beautiful’.”

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The lifestyle

“I eat five small, low-carb meals a day consisting of protein, vegies, nuts and good fats, and I’m slowly adding variation to my diet,” says Maskell.

No longer depriving her body but rather nourishing it, she soon started to feel stronger.

“I realised it isn’t about starving yourself, but feeding your body with the right things to make it strong and healthy.”

Next she faced her fear and joined the gym, hitting the weights three times a week and mixing it up with cardio. It paid off – she dropped six jeans sizes.

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The reward

Maskell has become an avid exerciser, not because she’s desperate to change her body, but because it makes her happy. Along with her renewed confidence, she’s had “I am beautiful” tattooed on her arm.

Maskell’s tips

Do it for your health “My scales used to dictate how I felt, but self-worth is determined by how you feel inside.”
Fall in love “Find a passion and love for exercise so you don’t need any motivation to do it.”

Lift weights “All women should lift weights – and not just the pink ladies’ ones either!”