The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
A LOT of women struggle with weight gain after giving birth with most giving up while others fight until they win the battle.
Bodybuilder Kylie MacDonald is a perfect example of a woman who successfully fought against rapid weight gain after having a child and won. MacDonald now boasts of a first prize in bodybuilding at national level and a second place finish in a Bulawayo competition.
The 25-year’s weight loss story began in 2014 when she weighed 73 kilograms, which to her was too heavy for a woman. She had started bulging after the birth of girl child in 2011. Concerned with being out of shape, MacDonald started doing aerobics, went to the gym twice a day and maintained a strict diet.
“My weight loss journey started way back in 2014 when I weighed 73kgs which is a heavy weight especially for a woman and being uncomfortable with my weight I decided to start going to the gym,’’ MacDonald said.
Within a space of four to five months, she reveals that she had shed most of her weight and this left her with a great feeling. From 73kg, she went down to 58kg and now she weighs 53kg which she has maintained over the last few years.
“I started doing a lot of aerobics, I would go to gym in the mornings and evenings and of course followed a diet which was mainly having vegetables, fruits and drinking a lot of water. Within four to five months I lost about 19kgs and have been maintaining it ever since. I felt good about losing all the weight I had gained and told myself that’s enough,’’ she said.
MacDonald was not satisfied with just losing weight and made a decision to go into lifting weights to tone her body. Her first gym was the now closed Body Tech and she has been at Body Works Gym since 2016. She was not consistent with her workouts when she started but has been hitting the gym consistently since 2017.
“I decided losing weight wasn’t enough so I decided to move into lifting weights to tone my body and the more I lifted weights the more I felt like I wanted to be more fit and lose more weight but as time went on I wasn’t so consistent until beginning of 2017 where I started doing bodybuilding and training for my first competition,’’ she said.
Renowned fitness trainer, Simon Gama was convinced that MacDonald was a national bodybuilding champion in waiting and kept pushing her to train hard in the gym. In March this year, she finally had the courage to enter her first competition when she took part in Ms Novice beach bikini in Harare where she came out tops. Two weeks ago, McDonald was the first runner up at the Ms Bulawayo beach bikini at a show held at Elite 400.
“My trainer kept telling me yes this is the next Ms Novice which gave me more confidence to train harder and be consistent and strict with my diet to lose more weight and being so disciplined with all this. I did my first competition which was in March this year and came first in the beach bikini category,’’ a delighted MacDonald said.
She describes her weight loss journey as being great because she managed to achieve something that she never thought she could accomplish.
“It’s really been a good journey for me, it’s a big achievement because I never thought I could reach my ideal weight which is now 53kgs. I am more confident with myself and my wish is to inspire people and let them know you can do anything if you put your mind to it, with hard work and dedication anything is possible, it’s not easy but it’s definitely worth it,’’ she said.
MacDonald is looking forward to achieving more in bodybuilding and at the same time staying in shape. Her story can inspire a lot of women who are trying to lose weight as she has proven that with dedication it is a battle that can certainly be won.
@Mdawini_29
