Teen unrecognizable after losing half her bodyweight

An Australian teen is quickly becoming a fitness icon after losing half her bodyweight in just 11 months.

Josephine Desgrand began documenting her weight-loss journey on Instagram after deciding to change her health for the better. She blamed her expanding waist-line on lack of exercise and large meal portions. 

Tired of the bullying she incurred during high school,  Desgrand decided to cut sugar from her diet and reduce her carbohydrate intake — today, she’s so slim that both she and her boyfriend can fit into her old jeans.

Speaking to The Sun, Desgrand said: “I’m a huge foodie. My portions were huge, and I used to eat so fast. Mum always used to tell me to slow down with my eating as I’d always be the first finished. I was also never interested in sport and would avoid it at all costs.”

“I have an amazing family and we’ve had some wonderful experiences, but I was so unhappy with my weight. I would avoid clothes shopping as I would have to go into the older stores like Millers, which made me so depressed.”

“I remember finding skinny jeans that actually fit me. I tried them on and felt fantastic, until I saw a photo of me in them. I wanted so badly to lose weight, I just didn’t do anything about it.”

The 17-year-old “went through cycles” of eating excessively and aspiring to be fit, “then one day, I stopped thinking about it and just did it. It sounds so easy. I googled so many transformations; I researched how I was going to do it.

She said: “I cut sugar completely and reduced my carb intake. Sugar was the main thing. I tried many diets beforehand, but I never stuck to them. I did some research into sugar and was shocked at the amount of sugar I used to consume; it seemed to be in everything.”

Desgrand factors in a 20 minute work-out routine three times a week after finding Joe Wicks, the Body Coach, on Facebook.

She keeps her food intake in check with controlled portions, eating food like eggs for breakfast, and chicken salad, quiche, sweet potato, and steak for lunch and dinner.

Through social media, Desgrand hopes to inspire other young people to work on their health before it’s too late:

“My advice is to just do it. Start. Stop putting it off. Imagine yourself months from now. It’s certainly not an easy journey, but it’s well worth it. If I can do it, anyone can.”