A recovered ‘McDonald’s addict’ who was once nicknamed ‘walrus’ by her schoolyard bullies has detailed how she lost 43 kilos and became a personal trainer.
In 2016 mum-to-be Nicolette Harper, from the Gold Coast, struggled to perform for her bachelor of creative arts degree, tipping the scales at 100 kilos and loading up on Macca’s and Dominos almost once a day.
‘I couldn’t sing and dance at the same time because I was so unfit, and I realised that if I wanted to excel in my career then I had to change my lifestyle to improve my health,’ Miss Harper, now 26, told Daily Mail Australia.
‘There was a group of popular boys who would call me walrus because of my weight, along with other names.
‘It’s funny, because after I lost weight many of those people who were not nice to me in high school started following me on social media.’
After looking at her diet, Miss Harper realised the extent of her awful eating habits as she would eat McDonald’s every morning, consume fatty foods for lunch, lollies as a snack and two-minute noodles or takeaway pizza for dinner.
From 2017 she embarked on a personal weight loss journey and managed to lose 43 kilos over four years, all while studying to become a personal trainer.
In 2016 Nicolette Harper (pictured) weighed her heaviest at 100kg and was studying a bachelor’s degree of creative arts that required her to perform, but due to her excessive weight this was a constant struggle
‘I couldn’t sing and dance at the same time because I was so unfit, and I realised that if I wanted to excel in my career then I had to change my lifestyle to improve my health,’ Miss Harper, now 26, told Daily Mail Australia
‘From a young age I was easily influenced by others and didn’t want to miss out on social experiences, which often involved eating fast food all the time,’ she said.
‘I didn’t eat a single vegetable and my activity levels were so low – I didn’t exercise, would sit down at university all day then come home to watch tv.’
Rather than following a strict diet to shed the weight, Miss Harper tweaked and improved her lifestyle habits.
But for the first four months she started ‘developing negative associations towards the scales and an obsessiveness over certain things’.
‘I didn’t eat a single vegetable and my activity levels were so low – I didn’t exercise, would sit down at university all day then come home to watch tv,’ she said
‘I developed an eating disorder and would restrict myself for six days a week then would binge eat on the seventh day because I felt like I ‘deserved a cheat meal’,’ she said.
‘There were days when I was miserable from not going out to dinner with my friends because the scales ultimately controlled my choices in the start.’
Thankfully this didn’t continue and Miss Harper sought help from a therapist then turned to a sports nutritionist for assistance.
‘I’m not ashamed of it and I talk about it openly with my clients and on Instagram to make sure others, particularly younger people, know that it’s okay to seek help if you need it,’ she said.
Rather than following a strict diet to shed the weight, Miss Harper tweaked and improved her lifestyle habits
A sports nutritionist provided assistance on how many calories and macro nutrients Miss Harper needed to consume each day based on her height and weight
The sports nutritionist didn’t create a set meal plan to follow but instead provided assistance on how many calories and macro nutrients Miss Harper needed to be consuming each day based on her height and weight.
This ‘relaxed’ type of dieting made it exciting for Miss Harper to plan her meals each week.
‘There’s nothing more boring than eating the same type of food every day, so it was up to me to choose and count my calories,’ she said.
Miss Harper described her weight loss journey as ‘challenging’ but she is proud of what she has achieved
‘I do my best to make sure my meals look as good as they taste to make sure I’m excited to eat it – and I definitely still eat burgers,’ she said
To shed the weight, she stopped eating junk food every day, boosted her vegetable and fruit intake, and would eat healthy meals packed with nutrients – but still ate foods she enjoyed eating.
‘I do my best to make sure my meals look as good as they taste to make sure I’m excited to eat it – and I definitely still eat burgers,’ she said.
She also found a passion for strength training using heavy weights and would work out at the gym four to five times a week.
Strength training is a fitness split designed to improve strength and endurance by completing sets of few reps using heavy weights.
To shed the weight, she stopped eating junk food every day, boosted her vegetable and fruit intake and would eat healthy meals packed with nutrients. In April 2020 she decided to take part in a body building competition and by October she stepped on stage weighing in at 57kg
Miss Harper then shifted her focus from weight to understanding how she was feeling about herself and her weight loss goals.
‘I got to a point where the number on the scale didn’t mean anything to me – I just needed to make sure I was happy and feeling good about myself and what I was working towards,’ she said.
By late-2017 she graduated from university, dropped down to 75kg and ensured she had a positive attitude and outlook about her weight.
In 2018 she studied her Certificate 3 and 4 in health and fitness before becoming a personal trainer at Goodlife Health Clubs.
In April 2020 she decided to take part in a body building competition and by October she stepped on stage weighing in at 57kg.
‘I thought I may as well give it everything I had and it was a fantastic, crazy experience,’ she said.
‘Now my goal is to educate people on how they can have a healthy lifestyle, maintain it for the long term and achieve the results they desire,’ she said.
Miss Harper described weight loss as a ‘personal journey that will be different for everyone’ and highlighted the importance of finding the right diet and fitness regime for you.
‘It’s going to be hard, but you should treat weight loss as a journey and a long-term lifestyle change.
‘It’s important to understand that this doesn’t happen overnight and you need to embrace and trust the process.’
She added how it’s vital to focus on the health benefits, not the aesthetic or how you’re going to look.
If you need help or support for an eating disorder or body image issue, please call Butterfly’s National Helpline on 1800 334 673 or e-mail support@butterfly.org.au
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