Jamu's Journey To Fit & Fab - An Inspiring Story Of Sweat & Hard Work

We had another interview session and for December, we sat down with Jamusyahida who is on her way to being fit and fabulous through a healthy lifestlye.

Let's read about her journey.

Hi, thank you for taking time to answer our questions on your weight loss journey towards a healthier lifestyle.

Thank you for doing this.

First of all, can you tell us a bit of yourself?

I am a 43 years old mother with two teenage kids, 18 and 16 years old.

I work as IT support in Cyberjaya.

This contributed towards my obese situation with sitting jobs for 8 hours and working shift.

Can you share with us how much weight you have lost and how long did it take for you to do it?

I started in Aug 2016 weighing 125kg and in Feb 2018 I reached 78kg.    

It took me about one and half years to shed 47kg and I am currently still working to shed some weight but it has been a really slow progress.

You have lost a significant amount of weight.  
What triggered you to make the tremendous effort and commitment?

In Aug 2016, my workplace initiated a program called “Lose to Win” and it is a program where participants with high BMI were grouped together (5 person in one group) and one coach was assigned to help us to learn about diet and workout.   

The program was for 3 months and I was one of the 30 participants.    

This is the picture of me with my group mate (missing two other members) and our coach (the guy on the right).

Another picture during the “Lose To Win” program.

During these 3 months, I shed 18 kg and it really made me happy. 

I was not the winner of this program; I was the 2nd runner up.   

But this program triggered my healthy lifestyle and my new journey.   

I did not stop and I just continue with the healthy diet and the workouts.

Did you start with a specific meal plan before you embark on a disciplined workout/training session or was it the other way round?

I did this at the same time, meaning I control my diet together with doing simple workouts.

During this initial stage, I can only do 20 minutes of cycling in the office’s gym during lunch time.   

Then I brought my home cooked food for my lunch and snack.

We also had a group workout in the afternoon, 2 times a week.

The requirement of this program, participants were not allowed to take any slimming product; we should only follow a healthy diet.  

There was also a dietitian that taught us on how to eat healthy and our coach helped us with our workouts.

So for the first three months I stopped taking sugar, stopped taking simple carbs such as white rice, white bread and noodles.  

I changed my diet to potatoes, brown rice, corn and other much complex carbs.

Can you share with us what your normal daily meal plan would be.

I have to take 5 times of meal in one day.   

A breakfast at around 7am; I usually take 2 half boiled eggs with warm water.  

A snack between breakfast and lunch around 10am, I take fruits such as orange or banana or one glass of low fat milk.   

My lunch at 12 or 1pm, it’s a healthy quarter; quarter; half healthy plate.
(Editor: That's Suku-suku separuh!)

A snack between lunch and dinner at 3pm, and I will have fruits.   

And dinner at 6pm or 7pm, also a healthy quarter; quarter; half healthy plate.

I do take a nasi lemak or roti canai once a week; during my cheat meal.  

So my journey wasn’t so stressful and boring as I still can enjoy the food.

What is your workout routine? Do you work out everyday?

I usually cycle at my office gym during lunch time for one hour daily during weekdays.  

I will do a 3 times weekly weight training with my personal trainer. I need a personal trainer so that I know the proper form to lift weights and I am doing the right thing during working with weight and not injure myself.   

This is important for the body toning.

Apart from going to the gym, do you mix your workout with other activities?

I started running when my good friend suggested and give me an opportunity to run in one running event for 5km.  
(Editor: Guess who was that good friend of hers? Hahaha)

It was on Sep 2017 in JBL Fun Run and now I participated in a run almost every once a month with my two kids.  

Previously I can only see them running but now, they need to catch me.

My first run with the kids, Sep 2017.

Other running event in March 2018

Besides running, we also go for hiking.    

I am really going slow for both running and hiking as I still have problem with my knees, maybe during the obese time it has hurt my knees really bad.

What keeps you motivated?

I am a diabetic and hypertension patient and I consume daily medication for both.   

But after the three months of my journey, doctor has cut my medication to half and after 6 months, I was advised to stop all my medication.  

This is the main reason that motivates me, no more daily medication. I feel stronger, healthier.

I can do a lot of stuff with my kids, window shopping with them, running with them and now they need to compete with me.

Now I am really enjoying the new lifestyle, I like to be in the gym.   

The four of us will run 5km once in a week to train for our monthly running events.  

We really bond to each other with these activities. We are planning to run a 10km event next year.    

We go hiking together; help each other during the journey to the top. This is really enjoyable; now we always have activities during weekend.

(Editor: All the best, Jamu!)

Was there ever any moment when you felt like giving up, and if you did, what kept you focused to stay on course?

Yeah, there are a lot of times when I feel to give up; it was a really tiring and sweaty journey.  

But when I see the progress I have made, it is a waste if I stopped and gave up. My office mates also helped a lot, they will always say nice things to me such as “eh you look so slim”, “you really lost a lot!!”, “you look sexy” .

Haha!

(Editor: Jamu sure has such great and supportive colleagues!)

It’s like whenever I feel demotivated, there will be someone in the office will said something nice that makes me glow again.

I also maybe already used to a healthy food; it’s not so enjoyable when I am trying to eat something fatty, oily and really sweet.  

Whenever I want to buy something oily such as our Malay kuih, I automatically switch it to a fruits instead.

(Editor: I wish I'm as disciplined as Jamu)

How do you compare the quality of life for you and your family now and prior to this?

This is the best part.   

Before this, during our visit to Australia in 2016, I only can sit down and see them playing with all the games in the theme parks.

Visit in Australia 2016.

But now, I can join them in their activity, such as running, hiking, playing games in theme parks.

Visit to Korea 2017.

What was the biggest challenge for you, from the start of your weight loss journey until now?

Biggest challenge is dessert LOL!!   yeahhhh I like dessert all the times.

This is not a simple journey, it is full with tears and sweat.

What was your proudest accomplishment so far?

Actually I am not only losing my 47kg of weight; I also lost my diabetic and hypertension too.   

I am now a role model in my workplace for this accomplishment.     

They are having the same program yearly now and I am one of the motivator to give talks to participants yearly.

I gained my self-confidence back.

What is your future goal and what are your hopes?

I actually have a dream to run longer distance such as 21km, but surely will need so much training and I hope I am able to run this distance in 2020.    

I also want to conquer Mount Kinabalu with the kids. We surely will slowly train to work on these two goals.

(Editor: I know you can do it!)

You are an inspiration and a role model to those who wants to embark on a healthier journey towards weight loss.
Do you have any advice for those who are just starting out?

The key point is to not give up.   

Keep moving, you will succeed one day. 
We start small, slowly but surely.

It doesn’t matter if we are slow or we are weak, but keep focusing in three months, then another three months.    

You will be there, you surely be there!!

Through your determination and steely focus, you have successfully lost and maintained your current weight.

Apart from yourself, are there any other people you would like to thank; for their support towards your journey?

Firstly a big thank you to my husband, Afzan Manaf, he never gave up supporting me in my journey.   

My two kids, Anis and Adam that always join me in all the activities I joined.
They always supported me and keep me going.

Lina, thank you for introducing me to running events.

Also to my personal trainer, office mates, and every one who had contributed to my weight loss journey.

Thank you Lina!

Oh if you want to check out all my activities, my running, hiking and gym session, please visit to my IG @shidafzan.   

I usually update all the activities in Instagram.

Thank you Jamu for spending time with us.

You're such an inspiration to all of us to be motivated to continue this journey of being fit and healthy.

Keep up the good work and keep on inspiring.