Nothing beats the feeling of being healthy

"I made myself accountable". 

One thing about humans: every January, we love a resolution. Collectively, we ditch the gin and tonic and swap it for gym tights and a gritty resolve to do better. And try as we may, come round-about February, we find ourselves chugging a lot slower and then, inevitably, petering out and quitting altogether. It's most likely down to a lack of strategy: we aim to do better but don't always go about it the right way. Countless studies have outlined how important it is to have a strategy in place when aiming for a fitness goal. Your fitness tracker helps, as do little incentives, like a free smoothie every week to reward you for sweating it out. To reach bigger goals, there are a few clever strategies to employ that real-life men and women can attest to - like Madi Annestia Steyn, who achieved her own personal Everest.

Legal advisor Madi Annestia was in denial. She'd stepped on a scale at the doctor's office and couldn't believe the number she was confronted with. 130kg. Up until then, she'd tried to avoid stepping on scales as much as she could, but here there was nowhere to hide. "I was in absolute shock because I thought I weighted 40gk lighter," she recalls. It was this - and her doctor's warning that Madi Annestia's weight could cause complications for her joints and reproductive system - that became the impetus behind the Instagram account, @The_CurvyGirl_SA. (Check it out!!)

I started an Instagram page because I couldn't lie to myself any further," Madi Annestia says. "The repetitive 'I will start on Monday' had become a standard saying during the week and I had to do something drastic to keep myself accountable." Enter: a simple Instagram post, detailing her weight. "Start where you are! Weighed in at 120.2kg on 05 October 2020 - not proud of this, but this is my point of reference!" she captioned the post.

To move the number on the scale, Madi Annestia aimed for a low-carb diet and did cardio at the gym. With each workout, she started to feel better about her body and posted her results diligently. "I uploaded a photo of the scale every Sunday to keep myself accountable," she says. "This bravery paid off because my followers resonated with my honesty and my struggles, which I share."

At first, Madi Annestia was afraid of the trolls who could bash down the confidence she'd so carefully created. But what came instead was an outpouring of support - and many men and women who wanted to make changes, too. Now, using social media as a tool, Madi Annestia has lost almost 40kg and is using her platform to encourage others to keep going by creating accountability sign-ups. "When I started the journey, I wanted to weigh a certain number on the scale, but as time progressed, I realised that this journey is about being healthy, active and using the right supplements to support your goals," she says. "Nothing beats the feeling of being healthy."