Name: Julia Wykeham
Age: 41
Home Town: Cape Town
Height: 1.60m
Occupation: Housewife
Time Required: 18 Months
Then: 76kg
Now: 55kg

The Wake-Up

When I fell pregnant with my daughter four years ago, I was working in the Middle East. I decided to move back home to be closer to my family. Once I had returned, I took eating for two to a whole new level. Then I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, which further accelerated my weight gain.

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Six months after the birth, I still hadn’t returned to my original dress size – which was horrifying! I hated the way I looked.

The Shake-Up

I cut down on processed foods, carbohydrates and sugar. Then, I started to run. In the beginning I could barely manage a kilometre, and had to take regular walk breaks.

My husband lives and works abroad, so I had to rely on my parents to look after my children while I ran. One of the symptoms of hypothyroidism is fatigue, and I often had to fight the urge to use it as an excuse not to bother.

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But I knew if I wanted to see results, I had to be consistent. So each day, I challenged myself to run further than I had the day before. After a year, I entered my first half marathon.

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The Reward

My proudest running achievement is my back-to-back Comrades medals. Like the iconic ultra, my weight-loss journey was full of ups and downs. Things didn’t always go as planned; but I also learned about tenacity, and how to be kind to myself and respect my body.

With persistence, you too can reap the rewards of improved health.

Inspired by Julia’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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