A Perth mom has unveiled her epic weight loss transformation after kicking one bad habit.
Just one year ago, Jodie Marah reached her heaviest weight of 176 pounds, wearing size 16 clothes for the first time in her life.
With her petite 5-foot-3 frame, this propelled her into the ‘obese’ category on the BMI scale, and she did not feel as fit as she used to be due to the changes her body had gone through.
Being a busy mom, Jodie no longer had the time to put her health first, and says she had also picked up some bad habits over the years.
But after making a simple change in February this year, the 36-year-old told news.com.au that she is over the moon to be back to her pre-baby weight after dropping an incredible 46 pounds and four dress sizes.
Jodie is now happier than ever in her new 130 pounds, size 8 frame – and wants to share her story to help inspire and motivate others who might be on the same path.
“I wasn’t overweight until I became pregnant,” she explained.
“After three pregnancies and having a hectic lifestyle raising my kids, I gained all the weight with ups and downs for 11 years.
“I began seeing lots of videos on TikTok from other mums and people like me who had lost weight and gone on health journeys.
“It was really inspiring. I had done a lot of work on my myself prior to appreciate my body and had to teach myself to be kind to it, even when there were issues I needed and wanted to change.
“My turning point was when I started to do research, watch videos and podcasts about weight loss calorie deficits and fitness. Anything in that field really piqued my interest.
“That is when I became inspired to start my physical journey too.”
When she was at her heaviest weight, Jodie said that while she still felt beautiful, she did not feel like herself.
Always having loved fashion and putting together fun outfits, she explained that she felt like she could no longer enjoy that aspect of her life in the same way as she used to.
The mum also revealed that she got into the “toxic” habit of snacking on sweet treats late at night, and easily could consume a block of chocolate in one sitting.
“The worst part about being overweight that long was that I felt a sense of losing myself,” she revealed.
“That can also come with becoming a parent regardless of your weight. but it is definitely a factor. I’ve always loved fashion and still did while I was overweight.
“But I had to rediscover my style as what worked for me prior no longer worked for me then.
“You become almost like a different person on the outside, but inside you feel the same.
“I also got into the toxic habit of craving chocolate late at night, and could easily eat a whole Cadbury chocolate block.”
To kick off her weight loss journey, Jodie decided to quit the late night sugary snacks for good, before slowly cutting them out at other times of the day too.
She then researched how many calories she would need to eat each day in order to lose weight, and managed to stick to a healthy diet plan that fit within that range.
Jodie has adopted the ‘80/20’ way of eating, whereby she eats the best she can 80 percent of the time and allows herself to eat what she likes the rest of the time.
In addition to the amount she was eating, she was also changing the type of food she would consume to ensure she was properly fueled.
“First I kicked the late night snacks and progressively removed all other snacks just to get over my sugar cravings,” Jodie said.
“Then when I was ready, I started tracking my maintenance calories, which are the calories needed to maintain your current weight.
“One I knew them, I calculated my deficit calories, which is how much calories your body needs to sustain you. but to also lose weight.
“I also started weighing my food and tracking it in an app for convenience, as well as starting to eat more protein and vegetables.”
In less than a year, Jodie managed to lose an amazing 46 pounds and has gone down four dress sizes.
She is now sharing her best tips and tricks about weight loss online through her TikTok account, where she helps and inspires others who are on the same path.
Her advice is simple: slow and steady wins the race.
“I urge people to take it slowly,” she said.
“We often throw ourselves into something new too quickly, but we go too hard on ourselves or we just haven’t prepared themselves mentally for it.
“This often leads to failure. What breaks my heart the most however is when people start trying to lose weight because they hate their bodies.
“You need to start a health journey because you love your body. That is so important.”
