The 21 Days That Changed My Body & My Mind

My name’s Melissa, I’m 30 years old, and I live in Johannesburg. On the outside, my life looked perfectly fine, a stable job in marketing, a nice little apartment in Rosebank, a group of friends I’ve known since school. However, if you looked a little closer, you’d have seen the cracks. The 21 Days That Changed My Body & My Mind, brought out a whole new “Me!”

I’d been carrying extra weight for years, and with it came the kind of self-consciousness that seeps into everything you do. Every social invite came with a silent calculation: Will I have to dress up? Will there be photos? Can I get away with saying no?

The Cycle I Couldn’t Escape

For as long as I can remember, my weeks looked the same:

• Monday: Start a new diet with good intentions.
• Wednesday: Give in to office cake or takeaways after a stressful day.
• Friday: Decide I’d already “ruined the week” and promise to start again on Monday.

I must have restarted at least 100 times. And with each restart came a little less hope.

I’d tried it all, low carb, fasting, shakes, keto, juice cleanses. Every single one made me miserable, and none of them lasted. It wasn’t just about the weight anymore. It was about feeling like I had no control over my own body.

The Moment Everything Snapped

The breaking point wasn’t some big, dramatic event. It was a normal Saturday at Sandton City.

I had an engagement party coming up and decided to treat myself to a new dress. I carried six beautiful dresses into the fitting room, feeling cautiously optimistic.

By the third one that wouldn’t zip up, I stopped. I just stared at myself in the mirror, under those harsh fluorescent lights, feeling humiliated and numb. However, I didn’t cry. Neither did I rant. I just thought, I can’t keep doing this to myself.

That night, sitting on my couch with Netflix playing in the background, I started Googling again. I wasn’t looking for a diet this time. I wanted something that would actually work for my life, not against it. That’s when LeanBalance flipped up on my screen, from FitlyIQ.

How I Found FitlyIQ

Scrolling through Instagram, I saw a post from a South African woman who’d lost 7kg in three weeks with FitlyIQ. My first thought? Yeah right. I’d seen “miracle” transformations before.

But something about her story felt real. She wasn’t talking about cutting out all carbs or drinking meal replacements. She was talking about having more energy, sleeping better, and actually enjoying the process.

I clicked through to the site and met Zoe, the AI wellness coach that runs on the platform. Straight away, I realised this was different. Instead of shoving a generic plan in my face, Zoe asked me questions.

Not “What’s your goal weight?” but things like:

• What’s your current meal routine like?
• Do you travel or eat out often?
• What’s your biggest struggle when it comes to staying consistent?
• How are your stress levels and sleep?

It felt… personal. Like it was about me, not some cookie-cutter approach.

The First 21 Days

I decided I’d give it 21 days. No “I’ll start Monday” I started the very next morning.

Zoe built a plan around my actual life in Johannesburg:

• Quick breakfasts I could grab before work.
• Lunches I could order at the office canteen without blowing my progress.
• Dinners I could make in 20 minutes after sitting in Joburg traffic.

She even factored in weekends because let’s be honest, a Joburg social life isn’t exactly salad only. Instead of banning my favourite foods, she showed me how to adjust portions, swap certain ingredients, and time my meals, so I was still creating a calorie deficit without feeling deprived.

And then there were the daily WhatsApp check-ins. I’d get a quick message asking how my day was going, and if I slipped up, Zoe would give me a practical next step instead of making me feel like a failure.

What Changed First

By the end of the first week, I noticed I was waking up with more energy. My afternoon slump at work wasn’t as bad. I was drinking more water without even thinking about it.

The best part? I didn’t feel like I was “on a diet.” I was just… living, but smarter.

The Weigh-In That Made Me Cry

Day 21. I stepped on the scale, expecting maybe a 3 or 4kg loss.
8kg.

I just stood there staring at the number. For the first time in years, I felt proud of myself. Not because of the number alone, but because I knew I’d done it in a way I could actually keep doing.

And the changes went beyond the scale:

• My jeans fit again.
• I caught myself smiling at my reflection instead of avoiding it.
• I felt like I had control over my body and my choices again.

Why This Worked When Nothing Else Did

Looking back, I realise why FitlyIQ worked for me when every diet failed:

• FitlyIQ understood my lifestyle. I didn’t have to overhaul my life, just make smarter choices.
• Also, didn’t demand perfection. Bad days didn’t mean “start over.”
• It kept me accountable. Zoe was like a coach in my pocket, every single day.

Most diets set you up to fail because they expect you to fit into their rules. FitlyIQ flipped it around, it built the plan around my life.

The Old Me vs. The New Me

The old me…

• Avoided mirrors.
• Made excuses for skipping events.
• Quit whenever I “messed up.”

The new me…

• Wakes up early for a quick walk before work.
• Orders smarter when eating out.
• Knows that one bad day doesn’t erase weeks of progress.

I’m not perfect. I’m still learning. But now I believe I can do this for life, not just for 21 days.

If You’re, Where I Was

1. If you’re reading this and you’ve tried everything…
2. Yes, you have cried in a changing room…
3. You know you have avoided photos because you don’t like what you see…

Please believe me, you’re not lazy, you’re not weak. You just haven’t had the right approach yet.

LeanBalance from FitlyIQ didn’t just help me lose 8kg in 21 days. It gave me back my confidence, my energy, and my life. And if it can work for me, a busy Joburg girl with zero time for complicated diets, it can work for you too. Find the link here: https://fitlyiq.com/product/leanbalance-smarter-than-a-fat-burner/

Ready to stop starting over every Monday?
Let Zoe build a plan around your life not against it. Start your own 21-day journey today.