“A fitness lifestyle is never an easy lifestyle, but it’s so amazingly beneficial to one’s well-being,” said a fitness enthusiast Lungi Mxongo.
Lungi recently spoke with Lifestyle and Tech about her life and her thoughts on living a fit lifestyle.
She stated that when beginning a fitness lifestyle, one must be patient because consistency is essential and results do not appear overnight. She began her fitness journey in 2016 when she felt dissatisfied with her weight.
“I was unhappy with my body weight and didn’t like how I looked,” she said. “My self-esteem was low because of my weight. Not fitting in the clothes you like while shopping can be a real mood spoiler.”
Lungi believes that adopting a fitness lifestyle was the best move she could have ever made. In order to reduce her weight; the fitness fanatic said she started by eating healthy balanced meals portioned in small quantity.
To lose weight, the fitness enthusiast stated that she began by eating nutritious balanced meals in little portions.
“One of the things I couldn’t understand was why I was eating the proper foods yet not losing weight.” When I saw my dietician, it dawned on me that it was the large portions I was eating and not drinking enough water.”
Lungi stated that she began eating extremely little meals and drinking water, 2 to 3 litres per day, and that the bathroom became her best friend. Her diet was normal; she ate carbs and starches in cup-sized portions, vegetables in cup-sized portions, and protein in palm-sized portions. She consumed one fruit every day and a cup-sized snack.
“I discovered that eating a balanced meal in a reasonable amount accomplished the trick,” Lungi said. “I used to eat my dinner for lunch which consisted of protein and vegetables in order to minimize cravings and hunger pangs. I used to eat something light at night, like a Greek Salad or soup. The reason I did that was because decent lunch would give me energy for longer and I would be able to train in the afternoon. You don’t need energy when you go to sleep right, and that trick worked out perfectly for me.”
She said that the first week was really challenging since she had to get used to new eating habits, but her passion to achieve the body she desired kept her going.
“Changing eating habits is never an easy thing to do,” she said. “It requires a lot of mental strength. The hardest time is when you have to order a healthier alternative while dining out with friends or family and have to watch everyone else eat all the unhealthy stuff in front of you.”
“Surprisingly, I discovered that you can train your mind to eat healthily, and once you do, you won’t ever go back to eating poorly, even when you are served unhealthy prepared food, it’s quite simple to say NO THANK YOU I don’t eat that.” In a polite manner of course.
She continued, “In my fitness lifestyle journey, I learned that you can also train your stomach on eating small portions. At restaurants, I always asked for a side plate to dish up on the side because the food would be too much. Then, I’d eat the same food later on again, effectively turning one meal into two servings for the day.”
On a good week, Mxongo (Lungi) trains roughly 6 days. She adheres to the idea that 80% of your health comes from your diet and 20% from your workout regimen.
“One needs to have a free day in the week to indulge, but making sure that all of those extra calories and carbs are burned off by exercising. You would hear people talking and saying don’t eat this and that, but I have found that eating bad food, which is always in our presence and eating in moderation and working it off does no harm. Indeed, fitness is the new cool.”
Lungi can be found on instagram @lungsmxo Facebook @lungsdube TikTok lungsmxo
Dumani Moyo is a journalist with eight years of experience. He has a special mix of skills, including writing and photography.
He currently possesses an honors degree in journalism and media studies. Along with his years of experience in traditional journalism, he has grown more interested over time in sustainability and environmental journalism.