A self-confessed foodie has transformed her life by losing over half her body weight in under a year. Josephine Desgrand, 17, from Queensland, Australia has dropped from a size 20 to a size eight in 11 months after she decided to kick her unhealthy habits and opt for a more healthy lifestyle.
The teenager would consume large portions of food and eventually reached a weight of 19 stone three pounds. Due to her weight, Josephine was put off doing normal activities like clothes shopping, sticking to "older" shops that led to her feeling depressed.
Speaking of her old lifestyle, she said:
"I’m a huge foodie. My portions were huge and I used to eat so fast. Mum always used to tell me to slow down with my eating as I’d always be the first finished.
"I was also never interested in sport and would avoid it at all costs. I have an amazing family and we’ve had some wonderful experiences, but I was so unhappy with my weight.
"I would avoid clothes shopping as I would have to go into the older stores like Millers, which made me so depressed. I remember finding skinny jeans that actually fit me. I tried them on and felt fantastic, until I saw a photo of me in them.
"I wanted so badly to lose weight, I just didn’t do anything about it."
After receiving abuse at school because of her size, Josephine decided to change the way that she lived her life and now weighs in at nine stone six pounds. She attributes her incredible transformation to cutting out sugar and reducing her carbohydrate intake and says that she now fits into her old jeans alongside her boyfriend, Morgan.
"Then one day, I stopped thinking about it and just did it. It sounds so easy. I googled so many transformations; I researched how I was going to do it.
"I was prepared, I wanted it so badly, and now I was waiting for the ‘lightbulb’ moment when I wake up and want to go for a run, or I wake up and don’t have any sugar cravings.
"I would look at my friends and be so envious of what they were wearing and what they could do. I used to worry about things like not fitting in seats and having to ask for seatbelt extenders.
"I cut sugar completely and reduced my carb intake. Sugar was the main thing.
"I tried many diets beforehand, but I never stuck to them."
Josephine says that cutting sugar out of her diet made a huge difference to her appearance.
"Making the decision to cut it out of my diet was the best decision of my life. It was very difficult at first; the first two weeks were so hard, but pure determination saw me through. Then it became a habit.
"It has completely changed my life; I no longer hide, I have so much more confidence. I played a lead role in a high school musical last year, which is something I never would have done before, as I was so shy and embarrassed about my weight.
"I can walk into any shop of my choice and buy clothes that I love. The energy I have now is incredible. Sometimes I wake up in the morning and just smile."
While Josephine may have struggled to keep to her new lifestyle initially, reflecting back on her journey, the teenager is positive and claims to be overwhelmed by the support she receives.
"The support has been incredible. I’m still blown away by the encouragement I receive. I’ve had people from all over the world share their journeys with me.
"A lady sent through her transformation photos last week; she has lost four-stone 10 pounds since reading my story and talking to me, which is incredible.
"My advice is to just do it. Start. Stop putting it off. Imagine yourself months from now. It’s certainly not an easy journey, but it’s well worth it. If I can do it, anyone can."
It's an incredible transformation from Josephine, who deserves all the plaudits she has been receiving for turning her life around. Congrats to her!
