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Hayley Lewis: How I won the weight war

The gold medal winner and mum of two was addicted to overeating, but she tells Jackie Brygel she’s now found her perfect weight.

Looking at a trim and super-fit Hayley Lewis now, it’s difficult to believe the swim star-turned-TV presenter has ever waged a battle of the bulge.

But the mother of two, who has just been announced as the new host of The Biggest Loser, confesses that there was a time when the prospect of donning bathers filled her with dread.

“I didn’t want to get out of bed to go training, purely because I had to put a pair of togs on,” she says.

Revealing that she gained 17kg between the 1990 Auckland Commonwealth Games and the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Hayley says one of the toughest challenges was dealing with the public scrutiny.

“I think that’s probably why I did overeat – that’s what I did to comfort myself,” she reflects. “But I’ve never been a naturally lean person.”

Bingeing on lollies and cakes, Hayley, 35, gained 25kg with her first child, Jacob, now 11, before reassessing her lifestyle and signing on as a spokeswoman for Jenny Craig.

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