Weight loss is a sensitive topic – and for good reason. Thin is often equated with healthy, even though they’re not the same thing.
But when you’re a teenager, the pressure to look a certain way can be downright traumatizing.
It can be incredibly discouraging and people of all ages often turn to quick fixes like o fad diet programs that are only meant to be followed on a short-term basis. They’re very rarely sustainable are often don’t give long-term results (if they give results at all).
16-year-old Josephine Desgrand from Queensland, Australia knows what it’s like to be bullied because of weight. At 280 pounds, she was suffering both physically and psychologically.
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Desgrand was tired of being bullied and tormented because of her weight. Determined to shed some pounds, she knew that she needed to follow a program that would last a lifetime – she wasn’t looking for an overnight solution.
She knew that she had to make changes to her health, but as a high-schooler, she also had a more immediate goal – she wanted to be able to fit into the perfect dress for prom.
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Though she desperately wanted to lose weight, she didn’t want surgery. She wanted the entire process to be organic and natural.
In the end, she lost close to 138 pounds!
And she felt so confident about herself that she began an Instagram where she let followers in on her secrets to losing weight and changing their lifestyle.
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Today, Desgrand’s Instagram boasts over 135,000 followers.
Her advice is all-natural and won’t yield overnight results. But she’s in it for the lifestyle, not the quick fix.
“I stuck to a low carb, no sugar diet for TWO WHOLE years,” she wrote on Instagram. “I began to eat natural sugars about six months into my journey. In the first 12 months I lost 63kgs. I do not see this as a diet to lose weight, I see this as my new lifestyle change.”
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She worked at achieving her goal for a whole two years! And she’s been able to maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle.
Scrolling through her page, it’s evident why anyone who is looking to become healthier would want to follow her journey.
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She is both motivating and realistic, unlike some pages that reel in their audience with empty promises.
“Throughout my journey, I started to truly love my body, and instead of it being my enemy, I treated it like my best friend. I leant how much my body thrives on delicious nutritious foods, the amazing rush and glow it gets after a workout. Listen to your body and be kind to it, you’ll only ever have the one!”
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She’s right! It’s so important to take care of what we have.
Desgrand’s page is full of inspiration and astonishing before and after photos.
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One of the things she stresses the most is that all of our bodies are different. What’s most important is overall health, not just physical.
“Health isn’t just about what you’re eating and drinking. It’s also about what you’re thinking and saying. Make your mental health a priority,” she says. “Self-care is how you take your power back!”
Be sure to scroll down below to see Josie’s reaction to finding the perfect prom dress to accomplish the first part of her goal.
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