Mum’s stunning weight loss after quitting fast food obsession
A mother-of-two who drank roughly 60 cans of soft drink a week and had an obsession with fast-food used a simple trick to stay on track.
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For as long as Janelle Enlund can remember she has struggled with her health.
When her weight hit 153.9kg due a dangerous obsession with energy drinks and fast-food she knew something had to change.
“I lived on takeaway,” the 33-year-old mother-of-two told news.com.au
“I could easily eat McDonald’s three times a day. I lived on energy drinks. I couldn’t tell you how many calories, but it was a lot of food.”
Ms Enlund, who went on to lose more than 60 kgs and become a pilates instructor, said at the height of her obesity, she would drink 24 to 30 cans of Pepsi Max every two to three days.
“I was a size 26. I’m now between a 8-10 depending on the clothes,” she said.
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Throughout her transformation, Ms Enlund kept a pair of her jeans, which she says is a powerful reminder of how far she has come in her journey.
“It shows me the struggle that I started with and how much hard work went into changing my body over that time. It’s a timeline to me,” she said.
“It was a goal for me to reach the next pair of jeans.”
Had she not changed her poor lifestyle habits, Ms Enlund said she may not have been around for her children.
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“It began after having my second child and looking at my kids wondering if I would be around in five years for them at the rate I was going,” Ms Enlund said.
The Yarra Valley local from Victoria said it got so bad, she refused to look in the mirror and have any photos taken of her.
“I struggled to go out. It would take an hour of crying and not having clothes that fit, then I would make an excuse not to go out,” she said.
But four years ago, Ms Enlund discovered a program that would ultimately change her life.
Combining nature-based wellness company Isagenix meal options together with regular exercise, Ms Enlund went on to lose 63kg.
“It has helped shape me into the person I am today. I’m no longer grumpy, I’m now outgoing and confident in myself,” she said of her transformation.
Ms Enlund began her health journey not long after giving birth to her second child.
“I’d just had a caesarean, so for the first two months, my results were just from being on the program,” she said.
“After eight weeks I started walking and five months into my journey I began reformer pilates classes.”
As of last year, Ms Enlund became a qualified reformer pilates instructor at her a local studio saying she cannot imagine her life without the form of exercise.
“I do pilates four to five times a week. I also try and walk three to four times a week. I couldn’t imagine not going to pilates and walking.”
She said the biggest challenge was not feeling guilty about putting herself first ahead of her family
“When I began to see results, it was a bit overwhelming,” she said. “When I lost my first 10kg I shed a tear or two. For the first time in what seemed like forever I had found a system that could truly help me to live the life I wanted so desperately.”
Ms Enlund said she had tried countless diets and products to aid in weight loss to no avail.
“Life was hard,” she said. “It wasn’t just hard, it also wasn’t fun. I’d be running myself into the ground exercising and following diets but was never seeing the results I desired.”
However today, she said she feels like a different person after finding the right balance.
“I see an outgoing confident girl, who loves her body and I no longer feel self-conscious about looking at myself. I love who I see. I feel amazing,” she said.
“Two weeks into starting my journey I participated in an Isagenix 16-week body challenge and I recently just started my 13th challenge.”
As a mother of two children under the age of two, Ms Enlund said life can get very busy but always strives to put time aside for herself — especially when it comes to what she eats.
You won’t find any energy, soft drinks or fast-food meals in her diet today, instead it includes a shake breakfast followed by a snack every two hours until it’s time for lunch and dinner.
“These snacks range from avocado, banana, nuts and apples, whatever I can grab on the go is best,” she said.
“For lunch I eat anything from chicken or steak, pasta, rice and salad as long as I stick between 400-600 calories.
“I love flavour in food and would never give that up. I still cook all the same meals I just portion them better.”
Ms Enlund said at the beginning of her journey, she was doing it for herself but now, it is for her family.
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“I want to be a role model to my kids, so they don’t have to struggle with their health the way I did for most of my life.”
It is advised to see a health care professional before embarking or making dramatic changes to your diet.
If you’ve got a transformation story you’d like to share, get in touch with shireen.khalil@news.com.au
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