Mother-of-two who would gorge on chocolate has lost 55 kilos

A mother-of-two who would eat an entire block of chocolate after dinner has so far lost 55 kilos in four years – and she still eats Snickers bars.

Victoria Bowen, 27, from Victoria, had a toxic relationship with food that would see her binge on the weekend and resulted in a 45 kilo weight gain during her first pregnancy.

She also found herself binging on chocolate, lollies  and cakes in the evening in an attempt to make herself feel better.

The moment she decided she wanted to lose weight was when she weighed 120 kilos and was a size 24.

‘Before training my life was sad. I was sad, lonely, filled with self-hate, and borderline depressed,’ she told FEMAIL. 

Victoria who would eat an entire block of chocolate after dinner has so far lost 55 kilos in four years – and she still eats Snickers bars

‘I locked myself away in my home in fear of being seen and I covered my body in big baggy black clothes. I would wear long sleeve cardigans on a 45 degree day just so I didn’t have to show my arms,’ she added. 

Mrs Bowen would avoid exercise as much as possible and often found herself making excuses such as ‘I don’t have time’, ‘it’s too hot’ and ‘I’m too tired’. 

‘I ate what I wanted, when I wanted and however much of it I could! I had no energy, my mood was snappy and horrible,’ she said.

Now she weighs 67 kilos, is currently a size 8 or 10 and is still losing weight. 

Mrs Bowen would avoid exercise as much as possible and often found herself making excuses such as ‘I don’t have time’, ‘it’s too hot’ and ‘I’m too tired’

This is what a normal week of meal preparation looks like for Mrs Bowen where she ensures she includes treats so that she doesn’t feel deprived

Mrs Bowen also no longer has anxiety leaving the house and wears clothes that she feels good in. 

‘But most of all I’m happy on the inside and the outside and I can say I’m living as the best version of me. I call the size 24 me the “old” me, I’m a completely new person,’ the mother explained. 

Although Mrs Bowen had been unhappy with her weight for a long time, she was most unhappy on her wedding day.

Even though she wasn’t at her heaviest at 110 kilos, her mindset and self-hate was at an all-time high. 

Although Mrs Bowen had been unhappy with her weight for a long time she was most unhappy on her wedding day. 

Mrs Bowen no longer has anxiety leaving the house and wears clothes that she feels good in and meal preps all of her meals

But it was one afternoon when she was at the park for a picnic with her family when she was inspired to shed the kilos. 

‘I remember not being able to run around and play with them on the equipment because physically my body just wasn’t able to do it,’ she said. 

‘I remember those feelings of sadness. I was missing out on my life, my kids and my husband. I knew something had to change.’

This is what led the young mother to start walking every day with her kids in a double pram.

She also used an app to track her distance and time so she could beat herself the next day.  

‘[Now] I’m happy on the inside and the outside and I can say I’m living as the best version of me. I call the size 24 me the ‘old’ me, I’m a completely new person,’ the mother explained

Even though she wasn’t at her heaviest at 110 kilos on her wedding day, her mind set and self-hate was at an all-time high

‘My feet were so fat in my shoes I’d get horrible blisters but I didn’t let this stop me. I would walking in my thongs until the blisters cleared up,’ she said. 

Mrs Bowen didn’t have a goal in the beginning, she just wanted to lose weight, but once it started dropping off she set the goal of getting back to her pre-baby weight of 75 kilos. 

Once walking became a part of the busy mum’s daily life she signed up with a coach and started doing two boot camp classes a week.

At the moment she is training six days a week as she prepares for her first WBFF Fitness and Fashion show, but she typically trains five times in a week.

Mrs Bowen didn’t have a goal in the beginning, she just wanted to lose weight, but once it started dropping off she set the goal of getting back to her pre-baby weight of 75 kilos

The mother also follows a program called If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM) which means she has no food restrictions, no food guilt she no longer binge eats.

It also means she can still include the foods she loves to eat and still reach her health and fitness goals.

‘A typical day in the past would be to skip breakfast, because I thought that would make me fat,’ she said.

‘I’d buy my lunch while at work, numerous take away coffees, some kind of sugar fix in the afternoon, meat and vegetables for dinner and then whatever I could get my hands on in the evening, as chocolate, chips, cakes, soft drink and lollies.’

The mother follows a program called If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM) which means she has no food restrictions, no food guilt she no longer binge eats

‘A typical day in the past would be to skip breakfast, because I thought that would make me fat,’ she said

Now Mrs Bowen will typically eat somewhere between 2,000 to 2,400 calories and understands the nutritional benefits of food.

Although she makes it look easy, her weight loss continues to be a work in progress and it has taken her four years to be where she is now. 

‘The first two years I wasn’t too strict on myself but in the last two years I’ve gotten more and more committed and determined to succeed,’ she explained.

Now Mrs Bowen’s will typically eat somewhere between 2,000 to 2,400 calories and understands the nutritional benefits of food

Mrs Bowen is not only motivated by her family but also the physical changes she sees in her body and how she feels. 

‘My body feels healthy I have more energy, my mindset and mood have improved and it feels good to feel that way as I know what it feels like to feel the complete opposite so that keeps me working hard,’ she explained.

Although it can occasionally be a struggle raising two boys and trying to fit in her workouts she said her husband is extremely supportive, so they make it work. 

‘It’s just a daily juggle but it works for us. It mostly comes down to organisation for me.’

Mrs Bowen is not only motivated by her family but also the physical changes she sees in her body and how she feels

Mrs Bowen spends her Monday afternoon doing my meal prep for the week where she prepares her morning tea right through to dinner for the next six days.

This means there’s no temptation to buy a quick take away because all she has to do is grab a meal from the fridge and reheat it. It also saves her time in the kitchen every day.

Although Mrs Bowen is loving the woman she has become, it doesn’t mean it hasn’t come without hardships.

Although Mrs Bowen is loving the woman she has become, it doesn’t mean it hasn’t come without hardships

‘The hardest part for me was to stop that binge eating, I used those foods to comfort the way I felt about myself,’ she said.

‘So when I was having a bad day it was hard to not turn back to that.’

On the flip side she said the best part of this whole experience was stepping on to a bodybuilding stage 50 kilos down in a swimsuit.

‘It was so empowering. I didn’t place but I did that competition to prove to myself I could do it if I set my mind to it,’ Mrs Bowen said.

‘That was a pretty proud moment for not only me but my husband, my coach and my family.’

‘The hardest part for me was to stop that binge eating, I used those foods to comfort the way I felt about myself,’ she said

Now Mrs Bowen is currently less than three weeks out from her first WBFF Fitness and Fashion show where she will be competing in the transformation division.

‘I am beyond excited for this. It’s a chance to show just how far I’ve come in this journey, a chance to celebrate all that has been,’ she said.

Currently she is able to deadlift 107.5 kilos and squat 117.5 kilos.

‘I love being able to lift heavy weights. It’s so empowering and the feeling after finishing a heavy session is incredible, it’s like your walking on clouds – I’m a whole new person!’.

You can keep up with Victoria’s journey here.