USN Body Makeover SA finalist Annestia Steyn talks taking accountability and fixing her relationship with food
Living a rather busy lifestyle, the young attorney learned the hard way that not prioritising herself and her health – due to a busy work schedule – would be to her own detriment. ‘Before October 2020 I literally lost myself due to my own excuses of not having time,’ she admits. ‘I picked up 50 kg over a period of 3 years because I could not maintain a healthy, balanced lifestyle. I soon realised that we all have some time. We are just too lazy sometimes and the excuses always sound best to the person making them.’
This was when Annestia made the decision to hold herself accountable for taking steps towards bettering herself, losing weight and leading a healthier lifestyle. She did this by starting her Instagram page and publicly documenting her journey. ‘I thought that “putting myself out there” would lure trolls to my account, but the complete opposite happened! I have the best followers who uplift and support me wholeheartedly, and that keeps me going,’ she exclaims.
What was your breaking point?
It was a photo that a family member took of me at a braai that made me realise I’m in deep trouble. I couldn’t recognise myself. I realised that I was living in denial, and it opened my eyes to face the truth head-on: I was dangerously overweight.
So, how has your fitness journey been thus far?
I love how my journey has evolved. At the start, I didn’t enjoy exercising because I felt awkward and insecure at the gym. I began exercising to see the number on the scale drop. Today, I work out because I LOVE IT. I love the way I feel while training; a feeling of absolute fearlessness. I don’t focus on the number on the scale anymore. I focus on how strong I am becoming and the physical changes I notice looking at before and after photos. I have made fitness a part of my lifestyle. I train six days times a week now because I want to see how strong I can become.
When did you start seeing real results?
The real transformation started when I entered the USN Body Makeover challenge. The challenge set me up for success, and offered me a complete personalised and step-by-step weight loss solution – from the eating plan to the supplement suggestions – which accelerated my results. The challenge changed my mindset and overall approach to living a healthy lifestyle. It ultimately made me believe in myself more.
How do you manage your relationship with food?
Previously, I had a bad relationship with food; always starting and stopping fad diets. I realised that I had an addiction to carbohydrates. I couldn’t control or limit myself when I was near it. When I started my journey, I had to relearn how to consume carbs in a healthy way. I tried low-carb, which helped me to break my addiction and lose a significant amount of weight. I then switched over to calorie counting, using MyFitnessPal (tracking my calories), and ensuring that I stay within a healthy range of a calorie deficit.
What has kept you motivated throughout this transformation process?
I always say that I am my biggest motivation because it is always going to be me versus me. I compare my before and after photos, and that gives me the push I need to persevere. I even compared my photos when I was just two weeks into my journey, and it actually gave me hope to see even the smallest change. I believed in myself and it is that very self-belief that made me carry on and on until there was a truly life-changing transformation.
Words by Charndré Emma Kippie
Photography: Courtesy Images
