Vivacious Tracey–Lee Lusty

From Cape Town, South Africa: Vivacious Tracey–Lee Lusty

Tracey-Lee Lusty, a full time attorney, part time health and fitness blogger from Cape Town, decided it was time to make a change and regain her health. Her journey began in August 2016 after reaching 115kgs, the heaviest she has ever been. She started an Instagram account to document her transformation journey and to remain accountable to herself. She quickly gained a following, thus the brand FITNESSGIRL was born. She realised that people were desperate for a genuine account of weight loss struggle. She uses her platform to inspire and empower others to make a positive change in their lives.  

Name your two biggest goals reached this far, especially on an emotional /spiritual level. 
The biggest emotional breakthrough I have had thus far is learning to accept and love my body through every season, no matter what my body has looked like or what interim weight it has been. I have celebrated each little win and appreciated the way it looks. 

 This is a journey and not a short straight road to a goal. It’s windy and full of ups and downs. It’s about accepting that this is a process, not a quick fix. I have committed to going on a spiritual journey of self-love and learning to love my body as my own, celebrating its flaws and seeing the uniqueness. I have become quite an advocate of the body positive movement, being inspired by women like Ashley Graham. 

How has your weight and health journey been respectively? It has been absolutely incredible. I have learned so much about myself and have had almost two years now to reflect and completely change my ways. The weight loss has been more of a consequence of my life change and my commitment to lead a more healthy and active lifestyle. Now, going to the gym and being active have become the things that I look forward to most in my day. As a local social media influencer, I have also had the privilege to be approached by and partnered with various brands along the way. The opportunities that have come from this commitment have just been incredible. 

Do you have any New Beauty /Training regimes that you can recommend? On the beauty front, I absolutely love the Dermalogica Sound Sleep Cocoon. It’s an incredible night time treatment that soothes my skin after my evening workout, ensuring a super bright and fresh look in the morning. 

On the training front, now that I am more confident, I have been experimenting with my own workouts which my followers LOVE! I have created a short 48 minute incline treadmill cardio workout which ladies from all over the world have been trying. The workout works on a consistent speed of your choice with gradually increasing the incline by 0.5 every 5 minutes, starting on an incline of 6.5. The workout is designed to do this for 45 months, with 3 minutes of HIIT sprints at the end. I have termed this workout the “FITNESSGIRL POWER PYRAMID TREADMILL WORKOUT” and it is available for free on my Instagram highlight reel. Personally, I have just started training at F45.I absolutely love it!!!

On days that you don't feel like working out, what motivates you to do so anyway? It’s pretty normal to have those days. When I’m stuck, I like to scroll through progress photos to see exactly where I have come from. Sometimes my own progress is more than enough to get my ass back into the gym and champion on. 

What type of music do you listen to when working out?  Slow, emotional music, it’s so weird because generally people want very fast upbeat music to get them in the zone. I prefer emotive music for inspiration.

You are an ambassador for various brands. Which has been the most inspiring? Each brand has been very loyal and supportive. Body by Wild is my incredible supplement sponsor. Their range is designed especially for women and includes amazing Hydrolyzed Collagen. 

Deluxe Laser Spa has been so phenomenal in helping me eradicate my facial hair from years of suffering with PCOS. It’s a wonderful way to speak openly about PCOS on my channel. 

Fitkey are also great and ensure that I always have a variety of classes to choose from so I never get bored.  My Adidas SA Family is simply the best, from kitting me out with the latest gear and making sure I always look and feel confident, to assisting me with any events or photo shoots. They really do go above and beyond in helping me with all my needs. 

What is your biggest fear in life? Waking up every day, and not feeling fulfilled. It’s very important for me to feel that I have purpose and drive. I am a very goal driven person, so the minute I don’t feel like I am working toward self-actualization, I get quite anxious. 

What is your greatest regular indulgence? Ooooh, donuts!!! Haha! Not very regular but when I do indulge, I go big. There’s an incredible place called My Sugar which makes the most amazing decadent donuts. I am also obsessed with Jason’s Bakery, who makes a very special doughssant (cross between a donut and a croissant). It’s mind blowing!!! 

Do you have a must visit Foodie Hangout? Definitely Jason’s Bakery. I also love hanging out at Bootlegger coffee shop and the Mojo Market in Sea Point. 

As an attorney you are invited to a dinner where you are seated next to former public protector Thuli Madonsela. What would you ask her? When is she running for President? What an absolutely phenomenal powerhouse of a woman. She did our county proud. What a force to be reckoned with. I would ask about her future plans and if she will continue to be a prominent female figure in politics. I would want to know her secret to living a balanced lifestyle and keeping up to date with everything that is important to her.

Who would you choose to be seated on your other side? ASHLEY GRAHAM! She is my absolute idol and bodyinspo. She has taught me to love my curves, embrace who I am and love myself, flaws and all. It would be incredible to hear her story and how she reached the point of self-acceptance. 

What type of holiday do you prefer -Beach bum, Culture Vulture or Adrenalin Junkie? Oooh definitely beach bum!!! My dream holiday would be in the Maldives!!! I am definitely more of an island gal. 

What would be on your Bucket list? There is sooo much I still want to experience in life, but at the moment the travel bug has really bitten. I would love to visit Vietnam and Cambodia for the history and beauty. As well as swimming with the pigs in the Bahamas. My ultimate would have to be the Maldives - absolute paradise!!!! 

Name your favourite slogan.  “Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion; you must set yourself on fire”

Our writer from South Africa, Bernadette Erasmuswrites a blog Kaleidoscope https://kaleidoscopebe.wordpress.com.