Ultimate Weight- Loss Guide Men's Health

Losing Weight Is Hard. No-one Knows This More Than the Guys Who’ve Done It All Before. It’s Not Just About Banging Out Reps in the Gym – It’s About Overhauling Your Entire Lifestyle. Their Transformation Stories Will Inspire You to Embark on Your Own Journey. Follow in Their Footsteps.

- Megan Flemmit

 THE YOUNG GUN Mandla Joshua Dube 27 YEARS OLD HEALTH AND FITNESS CONSULTANT JOHANNESBURG It was in 2013 that Mandla’s dream of becoming a professional rugby player came crashing down. For the past 15 years he'd been disciplined; he played rugby at high school, and then went on to play for the Sharks Rugby Union. After breaking his leg, he had to accept the harsh reality that his rugby career would go no further. Without the rigid training schedule the sport demanded, Mandla had the freedom to do what he wanted. Partying with his friends became a more frequent activity. His diet also suffered. “My bad habits were able to take root and fester, because the reason for maintaining such a strict regime was gone.”

BREAKING POINT

Towards the end of 2014, Mandla no longer recognised the man in the mirror. His weight had ballooned to 108kg. “My body seemed stretched to the limit of what my skin was able to handle; my eyes were dim, my mind raced.” Unhappy with his reflection, and tired of just existing, he decided to take control of his life again.

If he was going to make a commitment to living a healthy lifestyle, first Mandla needed to assess his life. “I became more conscious of my choices, and how they affected me.” Mandla was determined to become mentally and physically fit. He knew it was the only way he would be content with his life again. Once his goal was set he had to be accountable to it every day.

In the beginning, Mandla tried every fad diet he could think of. He wanted to lose weight as quickly as possible, and thought the diets would do the trick. Although some worked, he learned an important lesson: there’s no shortcut to success.