A young Australian woman who lost 44kg in less than two years without the help of a personal trainer has revealed the food she eats to maintain her slimmer physique.
Xanthia Efthymiou, 20, weighed 114kg in her final year of high school and was experiencing severe back pain.
‘I gained 20kg that year and was told I would have major health risks if I was to continue gaining weight the way I was,’ Xanthia told FEMAIL.
When high school finished in December 2017, she started a weight loss regimen.
‘I would always try to cut out certain foods but at night I’d give in and snack for hours,’ she said.
By September 2019, just under two years later, the Gold Coast resident tipped the scales at 70kg.
In a TikTok video posted on April 2, she listed the homemade meals and healthy snacks she enjoys eating on a regular basis.
Xanthia Efthymiou, 20, (pictured) weighed 114kg in her final year of high school and started losing weight in December 2017 after experiencing painful back issues
Xanthia managed to transform her lifestyle and tipped the scales at 70kg by September 2019. In a TikTok video, she listed the meals and snacks she enjoys eating on a regular basis
In the video, she shows herself beginning the day with rolled oats and a bowl of watermelon, followed by YoPRo high protein yoghurt.
Lunch consisted of premade chicken, rice and vegetables accompanied by a no-sugar coconut protein bar.
After a gruelling hour and a half workout, Xanthia refuels with a vegetable stew.
Xanthia has been sharing videos to encourage others to eat healthily and lose weight if desired.
Her story has clearly resonated with many, judging by her TikTok following of more than 400,000 people.
In the video she began her day with rolled oats and a bowl of watermelon, followed by YoPRo high protein yoghurt
To ensure she refuels her body after a gruelling hour and a half workout, Xanthia enjoyed a vegetable stew
‘I would always try to cut out certain foods but at night I’d give in and snack for hours,’ she said
In her final year of high school, Xanthia originally weighed 114 kilograms and started losing weight in December 2017 after experiencing painful issues with her back
Xanthia previously told FEMAIL she had a ‘really bad problem’ with binge eating and would consume a high amount of fast food and snacks daily.
‘The most challenging part was starting, I was always scared to work out in public because I’d breathe so heavily so I was scared people were going to judge me for being so unfit,’ she said.
In order to shed the weight, Xanthia committed to four kilometre walks five times a week and joined a gym once she lost the first ten kilograms and felt more comfortable exercising publicly.
‘I started doing high-intensity interval training (HIIT) three times a week until I felt comfortable going into the gym,’ she said.
‘I now do weightlifting five days a week and it’s currently my favourite form of exercise since I’ve started my journey.’
She also learnt how to exercise and work out at the gym without the assistance of a personal trainer.
Xanthia admitted she previously had a ‘really bad problem’ with binge eating and would consume a high amount of fast food and snacks daily
The Gold Coast local admitted she had a ‘really bad problem’ with binge eating and would consume a high amount of fast food and snacks regularly
She also learnt how to exercise and work out at the gym without the assistance of a personal trainer
To fast-track the weight loss from exercise, Xanthia started a balanced diet by eating nutritious food and protein.
‘I would make sure I ate high volume foods to be fuller for longer and not tempted to snack on sweets,’ she said.
But she didn’t go cold turkey and risk a relapse into binge eating, instead satisfying her sugar cravings by allowing herself small pieces of chocolate with fruit.
‘I was in a calorie deficit, so when I was starting I consumed 2,700 calories per day because I would burn so many calories from just walking,’ she said.
A calorie deficit is a specific number calculated by an individual’s diet, exercise routine and water consumption.
To stay in a calorie deficit and lose weight, the individual must consume less calories than the amount of food and drink consumed on a daily basis.
To fast track the weight loss, Xanthia started maintaining a well-balanced diet by eating healthy nutritious food and protein in addition to working out
By September 2019 she managed to drop to 70 kilograms through months of continuous hard work and determination
By sharing her story on video platform TikTok , she has managed to inspire thousands of others to fast track their lives and focus on health, diet and fitness
By September 2019 she managed to drop to 70 kilograms through months of continuous hard work and determination.
Xanthia is happy with how much weight she has lost but her next step is building some lean muscle.
‘Weight loss doesn’t have to be a punishment – I learnt that the hard way,’ she said.
‘Eating too low in calories can be so damaging and I’m so grateful I stayed patient throughout my journey and didn’t focus on losing weight fast or trying out all the FAD diets.’