An Australian mum-of-six has shared some inspiring progress shots after losing 13kg in just five weeks.
Popular mummy blogger Krechelle Carter – author of Eight at Home – shared the candid before and after snaps with her 17,000 followers on Instagram.
‘The way I feel about my body right now is sad,’ the mum wrote in a searingly honest post in March.
‘I feel saddened by what I see; that’s just a fact, it makes me sad and it makes me feel uneasy because what I see scares me.
‘I want to encourage “healthy body image” to my daughters,’ Krechelle admitted. ‘But I also want to be honest with them. And if I’m being completely honest. I haven’t been trying my best. Or looking after my body the way I should.
‘I may not of gotten myself here this time but I refuse to stay here or get bigger. I know the facts. I also know at this size I am not healthy. And I don’t want to die.
‘I have six beautiful children I NEED to live for. I don’t want to be at an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and the list goes on.
‘I don’t want to worsen my immune disorder. Which I am because my weight is causing my arthritis to worsen.’
Krechelle said she was sharing her journey in the hope that she inspires other mothers to look after their health.
And just a week later, the proud mum – who is due to undergo sinus surgery in a few weeks – could already see results.
‘I’m feeling super happy with my progress. I am 1.7kilos down this week. And my body is changing I can feel it,’ Krechelle shared. ‘My core is lifting and getting stronger.’
It’s not the first time Krechelle has transformed her body. After having her twins in 2013, she lost 56kg and could ‘run 8km in 42 minutes’.
This time around the mum said ‘willpower’ was the greatest muscle she was using – and that she had been inspired by the likes of fitness stars Michelle Bridges and Emily Skye.
As for her top tips, Krechelle said she swears by is never eating after dinner.
‘I have a cup of tea or coffee but I don’t eat. Which means from 5pm till 6am; I’m on tea and water,’ she wrote.
Drinking water is another key ingredient.
‘I drink at least 2.4 litres of water a day. Drink it because it aids digestion and keeps you hydrated and full,’ Krechelle wrote. ‘I drink water in the evenings to curb cravings and during the day between meals.’
Avoiding dairy has also helped the mum slim down.
‘I don’t really have much dairy; yogurt I definitely do but I don’t have cheese and chocolate can be so creamy,’ she wrote. ‘I replace milk in my coffee and protein shakes for water most of the time.
Sticking to 10,000 steps a day has also helped her, she added – as has finding a support system of ‘like minded souls’ to inspire and encourage her.
Krechelle is now 13kg down in just five weeks – and said she’d even lost 400g over the Easter weekend.
‘I ate a grand total of eight small eggs. And did a weights session to counter it,’ the mum admitted, adding she prepared for a day at the Easter fair with a protein shake, a drink bottle full of 800ml of water – and a pear.
‘Feeling ready to get this month smashed out of the ball park,’ she added.
Read more from Krechelle on her blog here
