Teresa revealed that her doctor suggested she try a keto diet to help ease her hormone and fertility issues, which had caused her to rapidly put on weight in just matter of months following the birth of her son Liam, nine, in 2009.
With her other option being to try a ‘cocktail’ of various medications, Teresa felt she ‘had nothing to lose’ and decided to go ‘full keto’ in June 2017.
The mum was ‘astounded’ to drop 15kg in just two months.
‘I’d never been overweight before and have always been naturally slim,’ Teresa says. ‘I always tried to be as healthy as I could be,' she says.
‘After giving birth to my son, my hormones went into overdrive, which made me pile on the weight really quickly.
‘It worsened my PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), which made it harder to lose weight.
‘I tried all the diets, went to the gym and ran every day. But it was no use.
‘I might lose 2kg, but then gain 5kg. It was so frustrating’
But after a doctor suggested the controversial keto diet, Teresa was astounded at the results.
‘I ditched all carbs and focused on high protein and high healthy fats,’ she says.
‘It’s always drilled into us to go low fat or fat free, but our body needs good, healthy fats. It’s the best diet I’ve ever tried. But now it’s a lifestyle choice.’
Following a devastating miscarriage at in 2010, Teresa’s erratic hormones skyrocketed – causing her to gain a staggering 50kg in less than a year.
But she welcomed a ‘miracle baby’, Faith, now two, in 2015.
Following her daughter’s birth, Teresa’s weight plateaued at 103kg with the mum trying ‘every diet under the sun’ to try and slim down, with no success until she tried the keto diet.
The mum reveals that only exercise she does each day is ‘incidental’ – such as housework, roaming around the shops and walking her children to school.
Teresa says she also practices intermittent fasting and eats two large meals a day.
‘I’ve never been one of these fanatic gym people because I absolutely hate working out,’ she adds. ‘But I’ve never needed to do any real exercise at all since I started keto.
‘The only exercise I do is just incidental as I go about my day. Just things like housework, roaming around the shops and walking the kids to school.
‘It’s so easy and I don’t have to think about it. I only eat two large meals a day. It was hard at first, but that is what has really worked for me.'
Teresa has breakfast at around 11am, and then eats again at 2pm.
‘Then I’ll fast until the next morning. It was hard at first, but your body just gets used to it,’ she says.
‘I still feed my kids their three meals and snacks a day as usual. The meals are large, and I’m getting all the calories I need without constantly snacking. I feel fantastic now that I’ve lost all the weight.
‘It wasn’t just about slimming down, but it was about being healthy and the best mum I could be.
‘Now I can run around after my kids easily. I’m less moody, and I have so much more energy. I have so much confidence and I’ve never felt better.’
TERESA’S DIET BEFORE AND AFTER
Before:
Breakfast: Two cheese toasted sandwiches.
Snack: Fruit and a biscuit.
Lunch: Pasta or pizza.
Dinner: Spaghetti bolognaise, lasagne or roast dinner with potatoes.
After:
Breakfast: Big breakfast with eggs with avocado, spinach, mushrooms and bacon.
Dinner: Large plate of grilled chicken or baked fish with lots of vegetables or large salad.
Occasional treat: Low-carb keto cake.
Remember to consult a professional before embarking on a new diet.
