Mahalia Barnes: I've dropped 15 kilos

The Aussie singer is amazed at how little it took for the kilos to simply fall away.

Mahalia Barnes can’t help but smile over her latest weight loss victory. Just four months ago the thought of buying a new swimming costume would have inspired the sort of fear many women experience when they walk into a store to find new cossies. “I hate trying on swimmers,” admits Mahalia. “There is nowhere to hide in swimmers. But this time it really was easy because I bought the same swimming costume I already had – only one size smaller!”

Mahalia, 30, has lost 15kg since starting Weight Watchers 17 weeks ago and is surprised at how easily the weight has dropped off through portion control and some simple changes to her diet.“I definitely have more options, and while I wouldn’t call myself a fashionista, I still love clothes, so shopping is a lot more fun,” she laughs. Mahalia’s weight loss journey has dramatically changed her shape, stripping 15cm from her bust, 12cm from her waist and 17cm from her hips. Glowing after a two-week holiday in Thailand with her husband, musician Ben Rodgers, and three-year-old daughter Ruby, she says she is more than confident she will keep winning the weight battle.

“I can’t believe I’ve lost the same amount as Ruby weighs! It really is incredible when you look at her, and she is quite heavy to carry.” Even the Thailand holiday didn’t derail her weight loss. Mahalia still ate all the food she grew to love during her childhood, courtesy of her Thai-born mum Jane, just in smaller portions. Mahalia – who was at her heaviest when competing on The Voice last year, tipping the scales at 90kg – says her weight loss has also inspired her to take up exercise for the first time since she was pregnant.

“I’ve been swimming every day. I did 10 laps [of a 25m pool] the first day and thought I was going to have a heart attack, but now I’m doing 20 laps a day, and I’ve also been doing yoga and taking a nice long walk on the beach every day. “I really love yoga. With my busy lifestyle, it’s very centering for me. Hopefully it will help change my shape and make this weight loss journey even better.”