Mahalia Barnes: How I dropped nine kilos in 10 weeks!

The Aussie rock princess tackles her first-ever weight-loss plan, with amazing results!

Mahalia Barnes, the beautiful daughter of rocker Jimmy Barnes, has a big voice, but she has decided she doesn’t want the body to match. The singer’s weight has ballooned over the past five years, often leaving her feeling listless and exhausted. “I’ve never owned scales in my life,” Mahalia happily admits. “But I’m unfit and I’m heavy. I notice it when I’m on stage. I can feel it.”

“I turned 30 this year, and I’ve noticed changes in my body over the past few years, which come with childbirth and age, and before it gets really out of control, I want to get a handle on it.” Mahalia turned to Weight Watchers to help with her weight-loss journey, becoming the company’s first celebrity ambassador in 10 years – and it’s already working, with the singer dropping an impressive 9kg in the first 10 weeks of the program.

“I’m doing Weight Watchers because I can still eat whatever I want – and it works!” she explains. “I’m a really big foodie and love to cook and love to eat. A big part of my family life is [being] around the dinner table. My whole family is into cooking and I’ve never even considered dieting. It’s not realistic for me to give up something I feel passionately about – and the beauty of Weight Watchers is, I don’t have to.”

Mahalia, a self-professed sweet-tooth, says she hasn’t given up anything she loves to eat during the 10 weeks she’s been secretly doing Weight Watchers, although she has learned the benefit of portion control, using the program’s points system. “I’ve eaten chocolate, I’ve eaten pavlova and I’ve had a burger,” confesses Mahalia, adding that the best tip she has discovered is frozen dates. “They don’t actually freeze, but they go chewy and taste like caramel. It’s just about being responsible with your choices and portion control, and that is something that really appealed to me.”