An Australian mother of two opens up about how she lost 22kg in 20 months after switching foods and snacks while breastfeeding.
Vicky Brinks from Perth weighed 86 kilos after the birth of her second son Elijah and uncontrollably ate ‘everything’ in the kitchen.
The 27-year-old told FEMAIL that she struggled with self-control and social eating, especially during her pregnancy, as she felt sick when she was hungry.
“If there were snacks in the pantry or food in front of me, I would eat it all. I just couldn’t control myself when there was food,” she said.
‘I gained weight rapidly during both pregnancy and breastfeeding due to food cravings and hunger nausea, two aspects of my experience that were very difficult to control in the beginning.
‘The only way to reduce the nausea was to eat something, which led to obesity.
‘This continued into the next 12 months of breastfeeding, where the body needed extra calories to pump milk evenly. This kept me reaching for snacks.’
Although Vicky never had a binge eating disorder, she had a negative relationship with food from a young age.
Perth’s Vicky Brinks went from 86kg to 65kg in 20 months after two consecutive pregnancies
The 27-year-old told FEMAIL she struggled with self-control and social eating, especially during pregnancy, as she felt sick when she was hungry.
Since the age of twelve, Vicky struggled with being overweight and trying to keep it under control.
Vicky admitted she has a ‘big sweet tooth’ and often eats biscuits, chocolate, lollies and treats after a ‘big meal’.
“I love food, so when I was bored at home, I would grab a snack. I would always have a full plate of food for dinner and eat it all until it was gone. I never listened to my body and ate a lot of carbs, bread and pasta,” she said.
‘I’m not really a vegetable fan, but I always had a salad with it.’
She started the day with a bowl of cereal and then had slices of toast for lunch, and didn’t eat any protein during the day.
“If there were snacks in the pantry or food in front of me, I would eat it all. I just couldn’t control myself when it came to food,” she said. Vicky’s savior was the 1:1 Diet for six months, which helped her shed the unwanted fat over time and lose 65 kg.
When she was at her heaviest, she found it difficult to look at herself in the mirror and go out with friends.
“I hated looking at my reflection and seeing how much weight I had gained. I still looked pregnant, even though I wasn’t,” she said.
The young mother said she felt uncomfortable drawing attention to herself and did not want to emphasize her weight gain.
“I still went out with friends, but I never felt confident enough to wear nice clothes, so I wore baggy shirts and pants. If people left food on their plates, I would eat the leftovers,” she said.
Before having children, Vicky tried to lose weight on her own by going to the gym, but it ‘made no difference’ because she was still overeating.
Because she had two children in a short period of time, she had to consume more calories to be able to breastfeed.
According to Healthline, Mothers need to consume about 500 extra calories a day to give their babies everything they need to grow healthily, which can take a toll on their bodies and minds.
Because feeding takes so much of a mother’s energy, breastfeeding mothers can feel exhausted and starved. Lack of protein, vitamins, and carbohydrates often makes them crave snacks, which greatly increases their appetite.
Now expecting her third child, she feels equipped with the right knowledge to deal with any post-pregnancy weight gain
Vicky’s savior was the six-month 1:1 diet, which helped her shed unwanted fat over time and lose 65 kg.
The program provided her with meal replacement porridge, soup and shakes, and a dinner guide. She ate no more than 800 calories a day and the weight “fell off.”
For dinner she would eat a small piece of meat with vegetables, such as chicken or beef, salad and potatoes.
She quickly started losing 1 kg in one week and after a month she already noticed a difference.
During her weight loss journey, she had a consultant who made sure she stayed on track.
Vicky stressed the importance of her husband, who was also on the diet, being accountable and supportive.
Now expecting her third child, she feels she has the knowledge to deal with any potential weight gain after pregnancy.
Looking back on her experiences with postpartum weight loss, she’s learned that it’s a gradual process that requires patience and self-compassion.
“It may seem scary at first, but even the smallest changes can have a huge impact on you and your relationship with your body and your newborn,” she says.
‘The biggest changes came when I applied the healthy habits I learned on the 1:1 diet. These included eating tasty, high-protein, low-fat foods and making time for light exercise.
‘It was important to find a balance between my well-being and the demands of new motherhood. And celebrating small victories with a personal advisor made the process more worthwhile.’