46kg down and now in tip-top shape

When an annual medical check-up set off alarm bells, Lindiwe Sonji Mazondwa knew she had to make some major lifestyle changes if she were to be around for her children. She did it, and she’s thrilled with the results.

- By Shireen Fisher

Lindiwe, healthy and fit at 70kg. She has made wellness a priority for her family, and has even come to love the treadmill she recently bought.

Lindiwe (above), 36 weeks pregnant; and (below) in July 2020, when she couldn’t do sit-ups.

Pharmaceutical validation officer Lindiwe Sonji Mazondwa had been chubby ever since she was a child. The Port Elizabeth mom of two boys and a baby girl had a weakness for chocolates, chips and takeaways, and saw her weight go from 90kg to 116kg during her third pregnancy.

‘That was too much for someone of my height,’ she says. ‘I had a goody bag in which I kept all my chips, chocolates, biscuits, cakes and sweets – so every night, my boys and I would indulge while watching TV. My routine involved eating five times a day: three big meals and snacks in between. I would have a glass of Coke or juice with dinner every night, not realising that I was ingesting lots of carbs to keep me full.’