Weight loss star reveals old photos help keep her on track

A woman who lost 30 kilograms over a two-and-a-half year period has revealed how posting progress photos has been the key to staying motivated.

Riley Hemson, 22, tipped the scales at 115 kilograms in 2015 and since the beginning of her journey has posted photos of herself online as a way of staying accountable.

Recently, the Wellington-based paramedic posted a photo of herself on Instagram showing her body at its heaviest alongside one showing her body as it is now.

‘I have always said it’s not about the scales. Photos are one of the biggest motivators for me in tracking how I am doing,’ Ms Hemson told FEMAIL.

Riley Hemson (pictured left) at the start of her weight loss journey in 2015 and how she looks now in 2018 (pictured right)

The 22-year-old shed 30 kilograms over a two-year period which she achieved through a combination of fitness and diet.

While she said feeling healthier was as important to her as looking good, she revealed being able to track her journey visually also helped her stay on course.

‘My transformations are always showing that I am progressing towards my goal,’ she explained.

‘But those kinds of photos of me standing there with nothing on are really hard to post.’

Ms Hemson in 2017 (pictured left) at 85 kilograms. She weighs the same in the picture on the right taken in February 2018

Ms Hemson in 2017 (pictured left) at 85 kilograms. She weighs the same in the picture on the right taken in February 2018

What is Riley’s day on a plate?

Breakfast: Protein shake

Lunch: Lentil salad 

Dinner: Light vegetarian dinner packed with fresh vegetables

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, Ms Hemson said she posted this most recent series as a way of showing her 92,000 followers that her goal isn’t perfection.

‘My message has always been one of moderation and balance and that’s exactly what I have been doing over the last few months,’ she said. 

‘I have been enjoying life; going to the beach with friends and eating fish and chips afterwards; travelling overseas and not worrying that I’m not going to the gym.

‘For me, it’s about making decisions that are good for my body, and also for my mind.’

Ms Hemson (pictured left) said she believes a moderate approach to diet and exercise is better than constantly striving for an ideal of perfection

Ms Hemson (pictured left) said she believes a moderate approach to diet and exercise is better than constantly striving for an ideal of perfection

Ms Hemson said she understood those at the beginning of their journey might struggle with how to manage a more moderate approach to health and fitness.

‘It’s quite tricky because you don’t know how much of what we call “bad foods” you can have before it becomes too much. But I think it’s about playing with it and seeing how you feel,’ she said. 

Before transforming her lifestyle, Ms Hemson, a vegetarian revealed her diet was one of carbs: pizzas and hot chips, and ‘heaps of junk’.

However these days she is more likely to start her day with a protein shake, followed by lentil salad for lunch and a light dinner packed with fresh vegetables.

The 22-year-old said fitness played a major role in transforming her body

The 22-year-old said fitness played a major role in transforming her body

Along with her revealing Instagram images, the fitness star who posts under the name of Healthychick101, offered her followers an important message. 

She wrote: ‘I love food and I always will but I now use food to fuel my body with the nutrients it needs as apposed (sic) to caving into every single craving that my taste buds think it needs.’

‘I think it’s so important to show you that during the silly season I haven’t lost any weight or toned up *cue dramatic sound effects and all that s***. Yup you heard me!

‘In over 2 months I haven’t lost any weight!!! Am I upset about it? Hell no! Life is all about balance and choices. I never wanted a quick fix.’

'I have been enjoying life; going to the beach with friends and eating fish and chips afterwards; travelling overseas and not worrying that I'm not going to the gym,' she said

‘I have been enjoying life; going to the beach with friends and eating fish and chips afterwards; travelling overseas and not worrying that I’m not going to the gym,’ she said

Ms Hemson told FEMAIL though she hasn’t reached her goal weight yet, over the course of her journey – one she embarked on while training as a paramedic – she’s developed a mindset that supports her commitment to health.

‘As much as I love my body as it is now I still want to see those changes and I still want to get healthier,’ she said.

‘Posting those images keeps me accountable and I use photos as a big way of tracking those changes. It’s probably one of the only ways I can track my progress.’

The fitness star said there are days when she doesn't want to keep going and just wants to eat c*** but her photos help give her motivation to stay the course

The fitness star said there are days when she doesn’t want to keep going and just wants to eat c*** but her photos help give her motivation to stay the course

Ms Hemson advised keeping ‘before’ photos as a way of staying motivated and of tracking ongoing progress.

‘I used to keep my photos in an album in my phone and even though I didn’t think I looked different, by when I looked at photos compared side-by-side over a period of time I saw there was actually a huge difference.

‘Some days I just want to eat c*** because I feel c*** and that’s just life. Everyone has times like that.

‘But along with looking at photos and understanding how I will feel, I stay on track,’ she concluded.



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