From Couch Potato to Fitness Fan: How Manuela Lost 30 kg (66 lbs)

At one point, Manuela weighed 90 kg (198 lbs) and wore a size 44/46 (US 14/16). Today, she exercises daily, wears a size 36 (US 6) and weighs 60 kg (132 lbs). “I am in the best shape of my life,” said the 35-year-old with pride.

90 kg (198 lbs) and first health problems
Let’s start from the beginning. Manuela was never really into sports. “Of course, when I was a kid, I ran around a bunch and spent a lot of time outside. But my physical education class in school back then took all the fun out of exercise…” Frustrated physical education teachers just rushing their pupils from one antiquated piece of equipment to the next turned Manuela off from working out.

As the years went by, her weight continued to increase. “I laid around on the couch and stuffed my face with chips and chocolate. Yeah, that’s a very bad combination!” Eventually, Manuela had had enough. “It couldn’t go on this way.” That was in 2012. At the time, Manuela weighed nearly 90 kg (198 lbs) and had trouble squeezing into a size 44/46 (US 14/16). The Austrian thought back on this time: “Everything was too tight. I didn’t feel good about myself.” That was when she started to experience her first health problems – mainly back pain and muscle aches.

More exercise: Healthier and more active during the day
That’s when Manuela began to change her diet. “I followed a strict program of intermittent fasting for half a year. I ate one day and fasted the next.” She also had to finally face the challenge of exercising. The 35-year-old said, “On account of my back pain, I had no other choice other than to start exercising. I should also mention that I was a smoker back then, which made it twice as hard to start being more physically active. I can still remember all too well my first attempts at running with the Runtastic app.” Manuela laughed and added, “My lungs were nearly bursting! I had to stop every couple of meters…” This led her to finally quit smoking. She started to make visible progress. “I bought an activity tracker to get more active during the day. It helps me to reach my daily step goal. Plus, every time I break a record it is a huge motivation boost.”

“Thanks for the motivation!”
Today, four years later, Manuela has lost a total of 30 kg (66 lbs) and wears a size 36 (US 6) with pride. “I was able to reduce my body fat and gain muscle.”

Whether it is running, strength training, swimming, mountain biking, yoga or hiking – physical activity has become Manuela’s daily companion. “I really enjoy being able to monitor my progress in the Runtastic app and trying to beat my friends. And of course being number one at the end of the month 😉 Thanks Runtastic for the motivation! You will continue to be a big part of my life!”

Have you lost some weight, too? Changed your lifestyle and eating habits? Then tell us about your success by sending an e-mail to mysuccess@runtastic.com with a short text and before & after photos. We look forward to your message!

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