Anyone who has tried to lose weight at some point in their life will know that it is no mean feat.
Weight loss requires determination, consistency and perseverance, and for many, the pressures of full-time work, parenting and other external factors make any weight loss journey that little bit harder.
Of course, it goes without saying that anyone considering any significant weight loss journey should consult with a doctor before doing so, as losing or gaining weight too quickly can be harmful to the body.
One mom, 32-year-old Alexandra Symons, was 287lbs at her heaviest, and was prompted to change her lifestyle after becoming so uncomfortable with the way she looked in a swimsuit that she reportedly couldn't face going to the pool to teach her son to swim for fear of what she looked like.
That's when she made the first steps on a remarkable weight loss journey, and now she's showing off her stunning new look on Instagram.
“I wanted to be able to be in a bikini but not feel like I was the odd one out,” she told News.com.au;
“Being bigger made me scared to even eat in public, let alone wear a bikini. I’d hide in toilets whenever I was out and needed to eat there as I couldn’t face being teased. But once Hudson came along, I knew I couldn’t hide any longer. I had to do something for him, if not for me.”
The 32-year-old mom revealed how she struggled with dieting in the past - losing weight only to put it back on again;
“I’d always been obese, by grade 6 I was 100kg (220 pounds), and at 18 my doctor warned me about my health.
“I struggled with it so much and would yo-yo diet. Sometimes my food intake was so strict, I’d lose as much as 50kg (110 pounds) only to put it all back on again when I allowed myself to eat."
However, after years of this, Symons says she realised she needed a little help to get her weight loss started in earnest, and so had a vertical sleeve gastrectomy - a weight-loss procedure whereby the stomach is reduced by roughly 15% in size.
After that, she turned to light exercise;
“I hate the gym, I’ll never go. All I do is walk Hudson every day in his stroller to the park. It’s a 45-minute journey all round, and it’s been good enough for me.
“Sometimes I’ll add in a few squats as he plays but probably only once or twice a week.”
The mom describes her weight loss journey as "slow and steady", and she now weighs 152lbs, which she says is "a healthy weight for me".
Despite her transformation, some online have dubbed Symons' journey as "fake";
“I’ve had a few people online question whether my weight loss was fake because I don’t have any excess skin.
“But I’m really proud of what I’ve achieved, and I think it’s purely because I took my weight loss slowly.”
At her new weight, Symons says her eating habits are also far healthier now, "I’m a size 10 now (US size 6) and weigh 69kg (152 pounds), which is a healthy weight for me. I also eat really well, though my portions will always be smaller than normal.”
Congratulations to the mom on her new look!