It's a story all moms can relate to – the best intentions to lose all the baby weight are derailed because the last thing on a new mom's priority list is herself. Manisha Ramdhin was no exception. After her son was born she had big plans to drop the weight before a big family wedding later that year (August 2013), but she soon realised that it wasn't going to happen.
“I really didn’t want to be the person at the wedding who people refer to as the one who 'just had a baby' due to my weight. I was so adamant that I would lose the weight that I refused to buy 'fat pants' or bigger sizes, preferring to stick with stretchy or elastic clothing. I desperately wanted to fit into my old clothes again as soon as possible, but I soon realised that it wouldn't work out like that,” she explains.
Manisha was met with this realisation when she stepped on the toilet seat to take a picture of her son in the bath, and the seat broke. “That's when I knew I had to do something, and fast!” Soon after that incident she was out buying diapers at Game, where she came across an issue of Fitness magazine's fatloss special issue. “I remember my mom saying that I have too many magazines and I shouldn't waste my money on another one, but I insisted. In the mag was the Supashape 12 week transformation competition. I didn’t sign up immediately because, like most people, I didn't have the time and money, especially as a single mom with a newborn who was still on maternity leave.”
What she did do was set herself a personal weight-loss goal, which she aimed to achieve before the entry cut-off date. “I wasn’t sure that I'd be disciplined enough to do it and therefore didn't want to waste the money.” However, by following the exercise programme and dietary info she found inside the magazine Manisha lost 5kg and began to realise that it might be possible. “I entered the week before the deadline. After researching all the coaches I chose Tammy Dreyer from Kini Girl because her journey appealed to me.”Tammy devised an eating and exercise plan for Manisha, and she stocked her fridge accordingly. “I initially thought it was weird that I had to prepare and freeze all my food, but I quickly learnt that when I didn’t prep my food in advance I veered off course and ate the wrong things.”
She was also faced with an unexpected challenge in terms of her new eating plan as Manisha wasn't used to eating that amount of food, even more so when trying to lose weight. “I was eating more than I had eaten my entire life so I had to train myself to eat that much. Eating six meals a day, every 2-3 hours proved to be a real challenge initially.”
Despite this preparation Manisha says she still found it difficult to say “no” when she went out or attended events. “All the extra weight I was carrying also meant I wasn't able to do everything Tammy prescribed initially. When Tammy said sprint I would walk really fast. If she said do 15 lunges, I did 10. I wasn't confident enough to go to gym either and it was also difficult to leave my four-month-old son at home, so I adapted the exercises to suit my life. I did what I could in the time I had - when he slept I did lunges down the passage. I did squats while watching Isidingo. I walked my Husky every morning and evening. I just researched everything online, Googling and using YouTube to learn proper technique.”
Amidst these challenges Manisha still managed to exercise at least 3-5 times a week, with cardio straight after her weight training sessions when she eventually did make it to the gym.
“There were plenty of times when I missed workouts or was unable to complete them due to time constraints, but I stuck with it, picked myself up after missed sessions or unplanned cheats and kept on going.”
With that approach it wasn't long until the results started to show, although Manisha didn't realise it at first. “From month to month I couldn't see much difference, but Tammy was always delighted at my progress. My problem was that I kept on comparing my condition to the vision I had of myself, which meant that I was continuously disappointed. This was one of the ways I would set myself up for failure, but Tammy believed in me, gave me hope and helped me achieve goals I never thought were possible.”
Additional support, which is always essential in any endeavour of this kind, came in the form of Manisha's sister Herisha, who trained with her, helped her out with babysitting, and helped to prep her meals. “My folks, especially my mother, also encouraged me and helped with babysitting, which remains one of the biggest challenges for me to manage when trying to find the time to train.”
But it was the change in Manisha's own mindset that was the overriding factor in her ultimate success. “All I ever wanted was to be comfortable enough to wear a bikini with my son when I'm on the beach and be the best version of me I can. In that regard, this process has also reshaped my perception of what is ach
ievable and attainable. I always thought my big bum and hips would remain a certain size, but after months of training and healthy eating I can see that that's not the case. And that's one of the biggest lessons I learnt through this process: telling yourself that it's your genes and that you're built like this is a lie.”
Armed with renewed self-belief and loftier goals Manisha took on one more 12 week challenge late in 2013, following which she decided to enter an IFBB Bikini competition. “I joined Tammy’s Kini-Girls, where I discovered an amazing bunch of ladies from all over SA, the UK and US who all offer so much support and encouragement, which is what has kept me motivated and progressing. They pick me up when I'm down and keep me on track. I also see their progress, which challenges me even more. I competed in my first show on 7 June 2014, which was my birthday. It was the culmination of all my hard work up until that point, and was also my way of showcasing my transformation.”
Manisha now feels that, for the first time in her life, she has found balance which enables her to remain disciplined and committed in all areas of her life, not just health and fitness. “I have also leant to pick myself up after setbacks and how to deal with the guilt that follows. Harbouring this guilt and the self-deprecating thoughts and feelings it creates doesn’t solve anything, nor does it help in any way. I therefore learnt to let go and to forgive myself so that I can get back on track.”
In closing Manisha says that it's only when we take responsibility for our actions and what happens to our bodies that meaningful change can happen. “You need to realise that you look the way you do because of your past actions, and that it has taken years to get this way. So don’t expect changes overnight – it has taken me 18 months to get to this point – and don't be too hard on yourself. Change is possible with patience, the right approach and, most importantly, the right guidance and support from a trusted and experienced professional like Tammy. So stop making excuses, just make a change, even if it's a small one.”
Manisha's key lessons:
1. Be kinder and gentler to yourself.
2. Love yourself and accept who you are first, even when you weigh 79kg like I did.
3. Believe in yourself and your actions, regardless of what everyone else is saying and doing.
4. Eat more... of the right food, and don't cut carbs completely.
5. Reward yourself with things other than food.
6. Build and develop confidence.
7. Anything the mind can conceive and believe it is forced to achieve.
8. Know that your success will help to inspire and motivate others.
9. Do the exercises your body needs, not just the ones you like.
10. Preparation and planning are key.
Favourite healthy meal: Cauliflower crusted pizza
Favourite training routine: Tammy's lunge, squat, sprint routine on the treadmill
Your must-use supplements: Vitamins, Supashape CLA, Carnitine Lean and Whey
Your top diet tip: If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
Stats:
Weight before: 79kg
Body fat before: 35%
Weight after: 50kg
Body fat after: 8%
Age: 34, mom with a two-year-old son
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