Working in the construction industry means spending plenty of time on the road. And while you spend considerable time on your feet, you’re also confronted by the temptations of constantly being on the move; namely, takeaways, convenience foods and sugary drinks. Jason van Rensburg was struggling to resist, and before he knew it, he was clocking in at a hefty 121kg. But intervention didn’t arrive in the form of a bad photo or reality check from the doctor. His wake-up call to start his transformation was fatherhood.
How Did He Lose the Weight?
It’s 2023; Van Rensburg and his wife have just stepped into the role of foster parents to an infant. “He was just a few months old,” says Van Rensburg. “I could play with him, but not freely and confidently. That’s when it really hit me – my weight was holding me back from being the kind of father I wanted to be.” It was as though a switch had flipped in his head.
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He scrapped the takeaways and started following a strict intermittent fasting schedule. His job had always forced him to keep active, but he decided to spend even more time on his feet during his shifts, walking between 15 000 to 20 000 steps a day.
The excess kilos quickly started to disappear. Once he’d burnt through the first 10kg, he decided to ramp up his efforts by adding weight training to the cardio-focused itinerary. “I trained from home using a bench and dumbbells ranging from 5kg up to 30kg, which made it practical and easy to stay consistent,” he says. “Some weeks weren’t perfect – there were weeks where I didn’t complete all my workouts, but that’s okay. The key for me was always to jump straight back into it and not fall off.”
To fuel his sessions, he found that a low-carb, low-fat and high-protein diet was the most effective. “I still had the occasional treat, but I kept it to a cheat meal, not a cheat day and stayed mindful of portion sizes,” adds Van Rensburg.
Weight Loss Transformation Results
Three years later, the construction project manager is 32kg lighter. “I thought it would take three to six months,” he says. “But there were times I plateaued, picked up weight again and I had to push through mentally… Consistency over time is what made the difference. [Right now], I feel a lot more confident, comfortable and energetic,” he adds. (Although having to replace his entire wardrobe has certainly put a dent in his savings account.)
READ MORE: From Heavy Nights to Heavy Lifts: How Our Reader Lost 17kg and Rebuilt His Body
Beyond the numbers on the scale – and inches he’s trimmed back from his waistline – Van Rensburg says the transformation has helped him rediscover structure in his life again.
His advice? “Having the right support system makes a huge difference,” he says. “My wife was my biggest supporter through all of this. She made things easier for me by buying healthier snacks, helping set up my environment and just backing me all the way.”
