Mum-of-two loses 36kg in 12 months, shares her weight loss journey: "I was in utter shock!"
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A young Aussie mother of two recently shared her weight loss journey, in which she lost nearly 36 kilograms in just 16 months.
The mum decided that the best way to see how far she'd come on her journey to lose weight would be to try on her wedding dress, and the results were astounding! The dress was so big that it was practically falling off of her.
"I was in utter shock! I knew that I had lost weight but this just showed me how far I had actually come," she said.
Louise Basdekis was brought up in an Italian household by food-obsessed parents in a culture in which eating together as a family and enjoying one another's company over a meal were valued highly.
"I'd been overweight my entire adolescence and adulthood, and at only 149cm tall, there was nowhere I could hide the extra weight," she described.
With both of her parents suffering from Type 2 diabetes and herself suffering from gestational diabetes, Louise knew she'd be doomed to more health issues if she didn't make some drastic lifestyle changes.
A mum who has lost 24kg shows that her wedding gown is now hanging off her. Credit: Healthy Mummy.
Because of this, she decided to make some adjustments to the way she lived her life, such as increasing the amount of water she drank and the frequency with which she went to the gym, her diet, her meal planning, and her avoidance of purchasing takeout food.
Not only was she successful in reducing her weight over the course of the process, but she was also able to save a significant amount of money by avoiding unnecessary expenses!
"We have a set budget for our grocery shopping and I customise my plan around that budget. I do a lot of repeat meals also. We save over $100 a week doing this. We have saved enough money for a weekend getaway," said Louise.
Stovetop lasagne, pesto penne, vegetarian chilli, satay chicken and rice, and peanut butter granola are among her favourite dishes to prepare.
When it comes to snacks, Louise prefers choc-mint bubble crunch, healthy chocolate Weet-Bix slices, banana pikelets, and banana bread.
She has been overweight her entire adolescence and adulthood and stands only 149cm tall. Credit: Daily Mail.
Louise's method allowed her to drop five dress sizes and go from a size 18 to a size 8 in just over a year. Her target weight was 55kg, but she is now 53.7kg.
"My new lifestyle has had such a positive impact on my health," she said.
If you folks are curious, here's what a typical day looks like for Louise:
- For breakfast, she prepares a healthy smoothie with almond milk, paired with her favourite cup of coffee. Her morning snack is either some fruit or a healthy snack bar.
- For lunch, it would typically be a wrap or salad recipe that she made herself.
- She also drinks 2-3 litres of water a day.
- Her afternoon snack is generally the same as her morning snack. One of her favourites is the banana oat muffins.
- She always preps her dinners for the week on a Sunday, so she only has to heat them for her and her family. Her family's favourites are the Mexican Lasagne or the One Pot Spaghetti Bolognese.
- She also loves doing dance cardio exercises regularly.
Louise also shared a few tips for success, for those who are also looking to improve their body and their lifestyle.
- Always remember your why – why you started your journey and wanted to make a change.
- Drink lots of water.
- Start with small changes.
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