Dropping From 126kg To 84kg Has Been A Triumph

After trying various commercial diets and nutrition plans and not seeing much success, Mick Waters decided to give banting a go in January 2016. Since his change in lifestyle,he says he has never felt better.

- Nadia Ghumra

'I grew up with a fairly traditional meal pattern: cereal for breakfast, a pie or sandwich for lunch, and meat, rice and potatoes for dinner. Like all kids I liked fizzy drinks and treats like doughnuts and chips but, unlike most kids, I started to get chubby and in my teens my mom had me join Weigh-Less. It worked but after school I left for London – and a life of partying, patched with convenience foods.

When I came back to South Africa I was big. Over the years I tried one diet after another; there were times when I made some progress but nothing was permanent. Then a good friend I had known since high school was killed in a motorcycle accident, and I pretty much fell apart: by 2015, I weighed 126kg.

There came a moment when I realised I was no longer able to run around and play with my kids. I could barely make it up a flight of stairs without becoming breathless. I didn’t want to go to the beach or take part in outdoor activities.