A teenager who shed half her body weight to wear a slinky formal dress in Year 12 has revealed how cutting out all sugar, avoiding chocolate ‘forever’ and chewing mints helped her to lose a staggering 63 kilograms in one year.
Josie Desgrand from Hervey Bay, Queensland, tipped the scales at 127kg when she was 16 years old, becoming the target of bullies and dealing with cripplingly low self esteem.
Because no one believed she could shift the extra weight she was carrying the now 19-year-old wanted to prove everyone wrong – and lost 63 kilos in 12 months.
Josie Desgrand (pictured left, when she weighed 127kg and right, at 60kg) reveals how she shed half her body weight in order to silence her worst critics
The 19-year-old embarked on a weight loss journey three years ago and has remained committed to the process since
For the past three years, Josie has embraced a lifestyle of healthy eating and regular exercise, but initially, her addiction to sugar made it difficult to shed size.
‘I started to think that I would be overweight for the rest of my life as I was too lazy to change so I always just gave up,’ she told FEMAIL previously.
Josie revealed her problem was she was prone to snacking between meals on ‘anything sweet’, including cookies, chocolate and ice cream.
The svelte teenager said breaking her reliance on sugar was tough, however, gleaning tips from others who’d also undergone a transformation made this easier.
For the past three years, Josie has embraced a lifestyle of healthy eating and regular exercise, but initially, her addiction to sugar made it difficult to shed size
One trick she said she learned was that whenever a craving hit was to chew on a mint and if she needed food, to snack on something healthy.
The sort of foods she now loves to eat between meals include carrot sticks with hummus or a small handful of fruits and nuts.
‘I stuck to a low carb, no sugar diet for TWO WHOLE years. I began to eat natural sugars about six months into my journey. In the first 12 months I lost 63kgs,’ she said.
She also said she learned to rely on transformation photos rather than weigh ins, telling Seven News that everyone should ‘take transformation photos rather than weighing yourself on the scales’.
‘My transformation photos really kept me going,’ Josie told the publication.
During the early stages of her body transformation, Josie only exercised minimally, however, she’s now committed to working with a personal trainer
Learning from others on the Internet helped Josie figure out a clever way to break her reliance on sugary foods
Josie (pictured before, left and after, right) explained that her journey started as a commitment to eat fewer carbs, eliminate sugar and ditch processed foods
Josie eliminated processed foods and carbs from her diet, as before losing weight she constantly ate bread and wraps and ‘would always go back for seconds’.
Although exercise was something she only dabbled in at first, over the course of her journey Josie created a routine which consisted of three to four gym sessions a week.
Sharing her journey on Instagram has also been something she believes helps keep her on track as well as helping to inspire others.
When Josie is hungry between meals she said she chooses to snack on protein-packed hummus and carrot sticks
While it can be difficult to look at photos of yourself, Josie said doing so can provide a marker as to how much progress you have made
The committed teen did manage to fit into her ‘perfect’ dress come formal season and said it was easily worth the strict regime she stuck to for 365 days
‘I created this account to inspire and motivate others on my journey, sharing what I have done and the challenges I have faced and how to overcome them,’ she posted.
She encourages others to take ‘transformation’ style photos in order to keep track of their progress as it’s a better motivator than weighing yourself.
The committed teen did manage to fit into her ‘perfect’ dress come formal season and said it was easily worth the strict regime she stuck to for 365 days.
Today, Josie remains as dedicated as ever to maintaining her weight and recently created an online meal planner for other people on a fitness journey.
While there are plans in place to write a book detailing her journey in more depth, for now her focus is on taking care of her first child, Charlie, who was born on November 12.
To find out more about Josie Desgrand, follow her journey on Instagram.