Name: Nicole De Agrela
Age: 30
Home Town: Randburg
Height: 1.7m
Occupation: Teacher
Time Required: 2 Years
Then: 92kg
Now: 80kg

THE WAKE-UP

I’d been overweight for as long as I could remember. When I was growing up, I did very little physical activity, and I was a shy, self-conscious girl who ate food to make herself feel better. It wasn’t uncommon for me to have potatoes and rice in the same meal.
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I have a friend who’s a stereotypical ‘fat guy’: always happy, eating, and he wears a button-down shirt pulled tightly over his beer belly. I was horrified when I found out he weighed only 2kg more than me. I had always known I was big; but the thought of looking like him was enough to make me realise I needed to change.

THE SHAKE-UP

My biggest challenge was consistency. I would sign up for boot camps and weight-training-style classes, only to get bored easily and stop attending them regularly.

I decided to try running as a way of coping with the stress I was under when my father died and I’d quit a job I loved. As with all the other activities I’d attempted, I didn’t think I’d last very long. Even so, I decided to give it a try.

Of course, I hated it at first.

I would be out of breath from my first step. and I felt bad for being the slowest in the bunch and holding my new running friends up. But I had to show up, because they would notice if I didn’t. It wasn’t like it had been at the gym, where there was no accountability.

We encourage each other and celebrate every achievement, no matter how small.

We run 5km together during the week and do a longer run at the weekend, of anywhere between 10km and 25km. We encourage each other and celebrate every achievement, no matter how small. With their help, I have become a stronger, faster runner. Running is also a great sport for people like me who get bored quickly, because there’s always a new goal to achieve. There is no limit.

THE REWARD

Running has enabled me to see my body in a new light, by showing me I’m stronger than I would ever have imagined. I started running in April 2017 and built up to my first marathon within a year and a half. Now, I can fit into the clothes I like, and walk up stairs without huffing and puffing.

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Inspired by Nicole’s story? Join the club and start your weight-loss journey with the Run It Off Plan below. What are you waiting for?

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