A woman who struggled with her weight since early childhood lost an astonishing 80kg after being told she was too fat to have any more children.
Vivian Florence, 30, is head trainer at her local gym, drinks over 4L of water every day and works out six days per week – but it wasn’t always this way.
The New Zealand-born mother-of-two tipped the scales at a staggering 140kg at her heaviest when she was told she was ‘too fat to have anymore kids’ at only age 25.
‘The doctor told me I was too fat to have anymore kids. I felt like my womanhood was stripped of me. It really was my slap in the face,’ Vivian told FEMAIL.
Vivian Florence, 30, (pictured) is head trainer at her local gym, drinks over 4L of water every day and works out six days per week – but it wasn’t always this way
The New Zealand-born mother-of-two tipped the scales at a staggering 140kg at her heaviest (pictured left at 100kg) when she was told she was ‘too fat to have anymore kids’ at only age 25
‘I had always wanted to be “skinny and beautiful” like the other girls but just never thought it could happen because I was told I was fat and ugly my whole life.’
Vivian describes her former self as an ‘eating machine’ who would drink 3L of coke and an entire loaf of bread every single day – and after falling pregnant at age 18 and having her second child at 23, the young mother felt trapped in her lifestyle and poor eating habits.
She worked to support her family while working at McDonald’s but her wake-up call came when she was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome which was triggered by her obesity.
‘I’d get takeaway whenever I wanted and just ate whatever whenever. I never exercised, never drank water and just didn’t care. I was told from a young age that I was “fat” and that I’d always be fat, so I believed it,’ she said.
That same week Vivian joined a gym for the very first time and made the difficult decision to quit every ounce of junk food and carbs cold turkey.
Vivian describes her former self as an ‘eating machine’ who would drink 3L of coke and an entire load of bread every single day (Pictured before weight loss)
She worked to support her family while working at McDonald’s but her wake-up call came when she was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome which was triggered by her obesity (Pictured left before and right after)
That same week Vivian joined a gym for the very first time and made the difficult decision to quit every ounce of junk food and carbs cold turkey (pictured before at 100kg)
Within six months she had dropped down to 100kg and by October 2012 Vivian reached her ‘ultimate’ weight of 75kg
‘I was so scared and intimidated of walking in there but little did I know, it was the best thing I ever did. It changed my life! For the first few months, all I did was cardio upstairs and hid in the group fitness room,’ Vivian explained.
‘I just knew i needed to move and elevate my heart rate. I went cold turkey on soft drink, bread and sugar and I dropped the weight pretty quick.’
I’m petrified of going back to where I used to be. It terrifies me.
Within six months she had dropped down to 100kg and by October 2012 Vivian reached her ‘ultimate’ weight of 75kg.
And in less than two years the Sheppardton-based personal trainer had shrunk down to 60kg and was a slim size six. She was almost unrecognisable and felt like a completely different person.
‘When I reached a size six I was basically fitting [into] my son’s clothes. I never even wore a pair of jeans until I was 26 because they never fit my size 26 a**,’ Vivian said.
After having a tummy tuck to remove the 400g of excess skin from her stomach Vivian then enrolled into the Australian Institute of Fitness in Bendigo and completed her certificate 3 and 4 in personal training, whilst still working at McDonald’s.
‘I was so scared and intimidated of walking in there but little did I know, it was the best thing I ever did. It changed my life! For the first few months, all I did was cardio upstairs and hid in the group fitness room,’ Vivian explained (Pictured left before and right after)
And in less than two years the Sheppardton-based personal trainer had shrunk down to 60kg and was a slim size six. She was almost unrecognisable and felt like a completely different person
After shedding over half her body weight Vivian met her now husband and was able to wear the wedding dress of her dreams
After having a tummy tuck to remove the 400g of excess skin from her stomach Vivian then enrolled into the Australian Institute of Fitness in Bendigo and completed her certificate 3 and 4 in personal training, whilst still working at McDonald’s
Her remarkable transformation turned her from a woman who had barely stepped foot into a gym to head trainer in just a few short years.
In order to keep the weight off, Vivian maintains a strict healthy diet and wakes up at 5am every morning to complete her daily exercise.
‘My meals are balanced and filled with foods that nourish my body. In my home, I swapped out all the bad foods and replaced it with whole foods,’ she said.
‘My kids don’t know the difference, I’ve taught them since an early age and I’m grateful that they also have a healthy diet.
A typical ‘day on a plate’ for the gym junkie involves a protein shake early in the morning before two eggs on toast, protein with steamed veges or a salad for lunch and a freshly cooked dinner with lots of veges for her husband and children.
‘I’m petrified of going back to where I used to be. It terrifies me,’ Vivian said of her motivation to stay disciplined.
Her remarkable transformation turned her from a woman who had barely stepped foot into a gym to head trainer in just a few short years
In order to keep the weight off, Vivian maintains a strict healthy diet and wakes up at 5am every morning to complete her daily exercise
A typical ‘day on a plate’ for the gym junkie involves a protein shake early in the morning before two eggs on toast, protein with steamed veges or a salad for lunch and a freshly cooked dinner with lots of veges for her husband and children (pictured)
‘I’m petrified of going back to where I used to be. It terrifies me,’ Vivian said of her motivation to stay disciplined (Pictured on her wedding day)
After honeymooning in Thailand and enjoying her newfound confidence to wear a bikini she returned to a new job at Anytime Fitness and is living the life she never thought possible
‘I can keep up with my children now… I can go shopping and actually fit the clothes. I love my job, I love what I do and I love my life. I feel like life has just started.’
The icing on the cake for Vivian was meeting her now husband Ben who she married in March this year while wearing her ‘dream’ wedding dress.
After honeymooning in Thailand and enjoying her newfound confidence to wear a bikini she returned to a new job at Anytime Fitness and is living the life she never thought possible.
‘I have maintained my weight because I choose to live a healthier lifestyle, make healthier options and am accountable for my actions,’ she added.
‘I love being able to inspire people to choose this way of life as well, as I believe “if I can do it, anyone can”. I have seriously struggled with weight my whole life and to now know I can help people, is truly awesome!’