STAR Fitfluencers-Stacious and Pamputtae

The STAR Fitfluencers feature aims to highlight artistes who have over the years, made great strides as far as their health is concerned. We will take you behind the scenes on some of their journeys to fitness as they encourage others to join them on their ‘fit quests’.

This week, we start out with artistes Pamputtae and Stacious. Both entertainers started their fitness journey for different reasons and although the road has been challenging, they have both revealed that the journey has been so rewarding that though they may ‘slack off’ at times, they will never allow themselves to fall off the ‘fitness wagon’ completely.

Pamputtae was diagnosed with Diabetes after the birth of her second son Jahzere. At the time, the entertainer was one of the popular personalities spearheading the ‘fluffy and fabulous’ campaign. She was comfortable with how she looked. However, with doctors advising her that her health was at risk, Pamputtae was forced to change her diet. She not only began to eat right but she began exercising. In no time, the entertainer was sporting a ‘slimmer, more toned’ figure. The latter she said caused her to receive some amount of backlash from her ‘fluffy’ fans as they saw the new look as a ‘betrayal’ of sorts. She said that instead of focusing on the negative things being said, she wanted to use the opportunity to encourage people to get active. “One a di time everybody start cuss me bout ‘watch her nuh gone lose weight and a talk bout she fluffy and dis and dat. Is not like me really did wah get slim, a di health condition. But now I motivate people a lot. The way how people say ‘bwoy Pamputtae me nah lie, yuh look god, it motivate me a lot fi just continue and me know how me look motivate nuff people to start work out.”

Stacious who is a certified personal trainer, said while she encourages everyone to work out; she wants entertainers in particular to take their health more seriously. She says that as artistes, the job requires them to give off themselves constantly especially on stage and she would hate to see an entertainer have to put his craft aside because of his health. “I would encourage everybody to work out but entertainers in particular have to exert a certain amount of energy on stage performing and yuh don’t wah deh in the middle of your performance a run outta breath or drop down,” she said. “Always think about the health conditions that can develop from neglecting your diet or neglecting to work out.”

Pamputtae joined in by saying that many artistes are currently suffering from illnesses but prefer to live in denial and therefore does nothing to treat it. “Most artistes weh yuh see out deh a carry on like dem hearty and dem good and dem strong, nuff a dem sick but dem just nah come out like how Pamputtae woulda come out and say yuh know say me diabetic.”

Both entertainers gave tips on how persons can get started on their own road to fitness pointing out that cutting out certain foods like rice can go a far way in helping with weight loss. They also said that while eating healthy can be expensive, persons can eat right on a budget by incorporating foods like callaloo, boiled plantains, beans etc.