Looking at the photograph, Natalie Hirst burst into tears. At 130kg and a size 20, she knew she was overweight. But Natalie had no idea she was this big.
“I was mortified when I looked at the picture. It shocked me. I was devastated,” the 29-year-old says.
The mum of three usually insisted on being behind the lens. But after vowing to lose weight, she’d taken a snap of herself so she could document her progress.
Natalie, mum to Jakson, 6, Poppy, 4, and Leo, 3, had ballooned in size after three pregnancies in quick succession.
“I was living on packaged foods and takeaways, and my portions were way bigger than they needed to be,” she explains. “If I wanted something, I had it. I didn’t hold back or think of the consequences.”
A heart condition meant it wasn’t safe for Natalie to exercise while pregnant.
“Back-to-back pregnancies and eating bad foods – with no exercise – resulted in me being the biggest I’d ever been.”
But seeing that photo was a light bulb moment for Natalie.
“From that moment, I made it my mission to make new changes and choices,” she says.
Natalie started by reducing her portion sizes and she began to snack on healthier foods such as yoghurt, almonds and protein bars.
“Every week I gave myself a small goal to achieve. My first one was to drink two litres of water every day,” Natalie explains.
“Once I got my water down pat, my next goal was to not have a big treat until the end of the week. I was trying
to teach myself new habits.”
Instead of piling her plate high with creamy pasta for dinner, Natalie made sure she ate plenty of salad or vegetables with her meat.
“I never punished myself or deprived myself. I still allowed myself to have chocolate, but I’d have a piece instead of half a family-sized bar,” she says.
At eight weeks postpartum – after getting clearance from her doctor – Natalie joined a gym with a creche.
“I was in a boxing or circuit class five mornings a week. Of course, there were some days I could not be bothered. Having three children – two of which are just 10 months apart – I was exhausted,” Natalie says.
“But my toddler Jakson would be asking me when were we going to the gym so he could play with his friends. That gave me the extra push I needed – I didn’t want him to miss out.”
Natalie was hell-bent on improving her lifestyle.
She’d stay up late and get up early to ensure she had enough time to exercise around her family’s busy schedule.
“I wanted to be able to run around with my kids. Having three in such a short time was hard and I needed as much energy as possible!” she adds.
The fat soon began to melt away and when Natalie discovered a new love of weight training, her hubby Sean encouraged her to pursue a career as a PT.
In March 2019, after Natalie had lost a whopping 50kg, she had surgery to remove 910g of excess skin.
Just 15 weeks later, weighing a teeny 66kg, she was on stage in a bikini for a fitness comp!
“I looked in the mirror and felt so proud,” Natalie gushes.
“I’d never been on a stage, I hadn’t worn a bikini in seven years! But when I glammed up that day, I have never felt
so amazing. Seeing the videos and photos of myself, I bawled my eyes out … But this time they were happy tears.”
Natalie was announced the World Beauty Fitness and Fashion Australia 2019 Transformation winner.
“My mind was blown! It was the most empowering, incredible moment ever,” says Natalie.
Now working as a PT, weighing 79kg and a size 10, Natalie couldn’t be happier. She shares her fitness journey on social media to inspire others.
“I never thought in a million years I would be that girl on stage in a bikini. But I want everyone to know it can be them too,” she says.
Follow Natalie’s journey on Instagram at @nataliejaynefitmummy.
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