Kelsey Byers has lived through a story similar to some of us: she grew up being very active, eating whatever she wanted, all while keeping a slim, toned figure.
However, heading off to university after finishing high school, the now mum-of-one was exercising less, eating takeway as often as she pleased, drinking alcohol and staying out late – so much so that she gained 22kg in a matter of two years.
“I could not believe I had put on fifty pounds [22kg],” the 33-year-old explains. “I had always eaten what I wanted and had no problems with my weight.”
Aside from admitting to Yahoo! Health that she was “so unhappy with the woman I saw in the mirror,” it wasn’t until Kelsey overheard a man call her a “whale” that caused her to hit breaking point. It left her feeling devastated.
And it is the moment that was the turning point in Kelsey’s life.
“Instead of getting depressed, I decided to use it as motivation and make a change for me,” she says.
Kelsey says that she took these pictures 20 seconds apart, stating, “No-one is perfect. And who really cares?”
Kelsey then took baby steps to get her healthy lifestyle back on track; first up, she cut back on going out for dinner and drinks to just one night a week, and started going to the gym three times a week.
Although, her weightloss didn’t just happen straight away…
“It took months of being disciplined before anyone noticed any results, and that was probably the hardest part for me,” she admits.
“It took me two years to gain 50 pounds, so I knew the weight would not come off overnight.”
The mum-of-one loves working out with her daughter!
After eventually upping her gym sessions to five times a week and adding weights to her in-gym workouts, Kelsey still wasn’t seeing the results she wanted, so she made an appointment with a nutritionist, which, she says, changed everything.
“That’s when I realised what a huge role nutrition plays in the grand scheme of things,” she says. “It affects how you feel, how you look, your energy – everything!”
“I still love all the same foods and drinks – cheeseburgers, margaritas, pizza, etc. – but finding healthy moderation is key.”
Kelsey certainly practices what she preaches, with the fitspirational mum claiming that she now eats 2,000 calories each day – 800 more than what she used to eat when she was her heaviest weight.
Not only that but, along with her husband Kent, now take turns in exercising between working and looking after their young daughter – something that she encourages other parents to think about considering…
“Whatever you do, don’t feel bad for going to the gym and not being with your kids all the time,” she says. “Kids are going to follow your example, not your advice.”
If you want to change your diet or fitness routine in any way, contact your GP and dietitian first.
