Mother-of-one and serial yo-yo dieter reveals how she lost 15 kilos after giving birth

A woman who would gorge on cheat meals of fast food burgers has lost 15 kilos since giving birth to her daughter.

Breeahn Carter, 32, from Perth, had always loved junk food and often found herself yo-yo dieting.

She would try and eat healthily during the week and allowed herself cheat meals at the weekend, which would turn into entire cheat weekends, and then she fell pregnant.

‘I was unfit, with a busy job and pregnant so I stopped any exercise altogether. I also ate and ate! Consuming a lot of bread, cheese and sweet treats like doughnuts and jelly beans,’ Breeahn told FEMAIL.

‘On the weekend it was pizza, drive through burgers, ice cream, and big Sunday breakfasts. I would usually justify eating junk food if I had exercised that day.’

Breeahn Carter , 32, from Perth, had always loved junk food and often found herself yo-yo dieting (pictured left 2010, right 2018)

Ms Carter took a year to get where she is now – 15 kilos lighter than on her wedding day.

She puts it down to the last nine months as she managed to lose ten kilograms.

‘When I first met my husband nearly 13 years ago I did no exercise, the occasional netball game but really nothing much,’ she said. 

‘I was always active as a kid so I missed exercise but lacked the confidence to join a gym or do anything outside my comfort zone.’  

Five years ago, the mother-of-one was unemployed so she mustered the courage to join a gym.

She declined the free personal training sessions and only went to classes so she could hide in the back.

Ms Carter would try and eat healthily during the week and allow herself cheat meals on the weekend but it would turn into entire cheat weekends (left October 2017, right June 2018)

Ms Carter would try and eat healthily during the week and allow herself cheat meals on the weekend but it would turn into entire cheat weekends (left October 2017, right June 2018)

'I was unfit, with a busy job and pregnant so I stopped any exercise altogether. I also ate and ate! Consuming a lot of bread, cheese and sweet treats like donuts and jelly beans,' she told FEMAIL

‘I was unfit, with a busy job and pregnant so I stopped any exercise altogether. I also ate and ate! Consuming a lot of bread, cheese and sweet treats like donuts and jelly beans,’ she told FEMAIL

Four years ago, friends invited her to an event called ParkRun, a free five kilometre run held every Saturday morning.

‘My goal was to make it to the end without stopping which I did! I then went every week to try and beat my time, and even entered a few fun runs and completed a half marathon,’ she said.

‘I started playing Saturday netball around this time too. However, with all this exercise I felt like it meant I could pretty much eat whatever I wanted – and I did.

‘My workouts weren’t consistent and my diet not great, so although I had slimmed down I definitely wasn’t as fit and healthy as I would’ve liked to be.’

It has taken Ms Carter a year to get where she is now - 15 kilos lighter than on her wedding day

It has taken Ms Carter a year to get where she is now – 15 kilos lighter than on her wedding day

'When I first met my husband nearly 13 years ago I did no exercise, the occasional netball game but really nothing much,' she said

‘When I first met my husband nearly 13 years ago I did no exercise, the occasional netball game but really nothing much,’ she said

Five years ago the mother-of-one was unemployed so she mustered up the courage to join a gym, but declined the free personal training sessions (left March 2017, right March 2018)

Five years ago the mother-of-one was unemployed so she mustered up the courage to join a gym, but declined the free personal training sessions (left March 2017, right March 2018)

DAY ON A PLATE THEN 

Breakfast: Porridge

Lunch: Salad

Snack: Over eat popcorn and yoghurt

Dinner: Chicken and vegetables 

Then on weekends she would gorge on pizza, ice cream and burgers

DAY ON A PLATE NOW 

Breakfast: Eggs and turkey mince

Snack: Protein shake 

Lunch: Chicken with salad and chickpeas

Snack: Veggies and peanut butter

Dinner: Steak with vegetables 

At the end of 2015, Ms Carter had surgery on both her feet for Morton’s Neuroma, which meant no running, no netball and no gym classes.

It took her a while to get back to exercising and she was just getting back to running when she fell pregnant in 2016.

‘I didn’t look huge and could still fit into some pre-pregnancy clothes so I wasn’t bothered. I loved my bump and my body and I didn’t care! I put on 20 kilos,’ she explained. 

Ms Carter also wanted to lift weights and use the gym machines, but was too scared and intimidated to do so

Ms Carter also wanted to lift weights and use the gym machines, but was too scared and intimidated to do so

Four years ago her friends invited her to an event called parkrun, which is a free 5 kilometre run that is held every Saturday morning (left 2017, right 2018)

Four years ago her friends invited her to an event called parkrun, which is a free 5 kilometre run that is held every Saturday morning (left 2017, right 2018)

‘My doctor told me I was putting too much weight on so I would eat well until my next appointment, then if he didn’t mention my weight I would go back to eating crap,’ she said.

Ms Carter lost 15 kilos after her daughter Matilda was born, which lulled her into a false sense of security about her weight.

‘I thought, ‘this is easy!’. With the tired and busy life of a new mum I continued to eat whatever I felt like,’ she said.

‘Creamy pasta takeaway and lots of chocolate. Those last five kilos weren’t going anywhere.’

After surgery on her feet it took Ms Carter a while to get back to exercising and she was just getting back to running when she fell pregnant in 2016 (left January 2017, right March 2018)

After surgery on her feet it took Ms Carter a while to get back to exercising and she was just getting back to running when she fell pregnant in 2016 (left January 2017, right March 2018)

Eventually she decided she wanted to eat healthier, so started tracking her food on the My Fitness Pal application.

She would set herself an arbitrary calorie amount base as she wasn’t sure what she was doing.

She didn’t understand the benefits of eating certain things and was still tempted by junk food.

‘During the week I would try to eat well, with toast or porridge for breakfast, salad for lunch and then meat and vegetables for dinner,’ Ms Carter said. 

‘Usually when I got home from work I would be starving so I would eat a lot of “healthy” snack foods such as rice crackers, popcorn, yoghurt and cereal, but always way too much.’

'During the week I would try to eat well, with toast or porridge for breakfast, salad for lunch and then meat and vegetables for dinner,' Ms Carter said

‘During the week I would try to eat well, with toast or porridge for breakfast, salad for lunch and then meat and vegetables for dinner,’ Ms Carter said

'I am motivated by being a good role model for my daughter. I want her to live a healthy lifestyle too and don't want her to go through the junk food phase like I did,' Ms Carter explained

‘I am motivated by being a good role model for my daughter. I want her to live a healthy lifestyle too and don’t want her to go through the junk food phase like I did,’ Ms Carter explained

It wasn’t until Matilda was six months old that she decided to take her health seriously.

She joined the gym again and this time signed up for the free personal training lessons.

She had always been terrified of an open gym with all the machines, but this time her personal trainer took the time to take her through the equipment which boosted her confidence.

When that trainer left her gym, Ms Carter teamed up with her current personal trainer, Izzy Beeston. 

Now Ms Carter keeps track of her macros to ensure she isn't indulging herself but she also no longer beats herself up over treating herself to certain foods on occasion (left 2017, right 2018)

Now Ms Carter keeps track of her macros to ensure she isn’t indulging herself but she also no longer beats herself up over treating herself to certain foods on occasion (left 2017, right 2018)

‘I thought I was doing well but Izzy gave me a nutrition plan based on my body type and what macros I should be consuming,’ she said.

‘I also did my own research and for the first time in my life I actually started to understand what foods were best for me to eat.’ 

Now Ms Carter keeps track of her macros to ensure she isn’t indulging herself but she also no longer beats herself up over treating herself to the occasional dessert and takeaway meal.

She also goes to the gym five days a week and does one five kilometre run every Saturday.

‘I am motivated by being a good role model for my daughter. I want her to live a healthy lifestyle too and don’t want her to go through the junk food phase like I did,’ Ms Carter explained.

‘I also want to eventually have another baby and want to get as fit as I can before falling pregnant again. Plus I really enjoy the gym and find it amazing for my mental health.’  



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