MISSION VIEJO, CALIFORNIA, USA: Amanda Hagan / mediadrumworld.com

By Rebecca Drew

A YOUNG woman who used to eat more than 3,000-calories of junk food a day has beaten the flab after her weight made her “very depressed” and affected her relationship with her boyfriend.

 

MISSION VIEJO, CALIFORNIA, USA: Amanda Hagan / mediadrumworld.com

One year ago, college student, Amanda Hagan (21) from Mission Viejo, California, USA was the heaviest she had ever been in her life at 11st, 8lbs and a UK size 16-18 and would try to hide her body after her jeans wouldn’t fit anymore, trading them for comfy leggings and jackets.

Now a super-svelte UK size 6-8 and 9st, 8lbs, Amanda never tracked her meals and avoided going out with friends.

 

MISSION VIEJO, CALIFORNIA, USA: Amanda Hagan / mediadrumworld.com

It was only until her boyfriend pointed out her unhappiness that she decided to change her life.

“When I started a relationship in 2013 with my current boyfriend, I started gaining weight drastically. I don’t know why, but it definitely started to affect him as well as me,” said Amanda.

 

MISSION VIEJO, CALIFORNIA, USA: Amanda with her boyfriend Kai. Amanda Hagan / mediadrumworld.com

“We started not being intimate with each other anymore and he was the one who actually first told me one morning at breakfast while I was eating pancakes, bacon and sausage that I wasn’t being healthy and that he knew I wasn’t happy in my body.

“When friends asked me to go to the beach I always had to make up excuses each time due to me not wanting to put on a bathing suit.

 

MISSION VIEJO, CALIFORNIA, USA: Amanda Hagan / mediadrumworld.com

“One morning a little over a year ago, I woke up and looked at myself in the mirror and I realised I didn’t want to live my life feeling this way anymore.

“I was insecure, very depressed and eating my emotions away.”

 

MISSION VIEJO, CALIFORNIA, USA: Amanda Hagan / mediadrumworld.com

Amanda now tracks her meals and scrutinises how many sugars, carbohydrates and fats are in each meal – eating between 1,300–1,500 calories a day. She visits the gym five to six times a week and tries to work out every day and says that people don’t recognise her.

“Before I would maybe workout a couple times a week or go every day for a month and then stop going for six months and then start all over again. I was never consistent and that’s why I was heavy for a couple years,” she added.

 

MISSION VIEJO, CALIFORNIA, USA: Amanda Hagan / mediadrumworld.com

“I ate pretty much whatever I wanted because I thought it was okay since I went to the gym sometimes.

“My diet now is very clean and I track everything I eat, I do have cheat days for sure though because no one is perfect.

 

MISSION VIEJO, CALIFORNIA, USA: Amanda Hagan / mediadrumworld.com

“People honestly don’t even recognise me in the before pictures when I show them, they ask, who is that girl on the left, when my friends first saw me in person they were in shock and super happy for me.

“I have motivated a lot of my friends to start their fitness and weight loss journeys as well, my family is super supportive of my weight loss and my current lifestyle change.”

 

MISSION VIEJO, CALIFORNIA, USA: Amanda Hagan / mediadrumworld.com

Amanda says that commitment is the key to successful weight loss.

“The best advice I would give anyone just starting out is that everyone starts somewhere,” she said.

 

MISSION VIEJO, CALIFORNIA, USA: Amanda with her boyfriend Kai. Amanda Hagan / mediadrumworld.com

“You can’t just snap your fingers or take a magic pill and lose twenty pounds overnight. It takes consistency, hard work and dedication.

“It’s a lifestyle change and you have to change your mind set to change your life.

 

MISSION VIEJO, CALIFORNIA, USA:
Amanda Hagan / mediadrumworld.com
“Also something to remember, you will fall down and fail sometimes but it’s how many times you get up and start again that really counts.”

For more information see www.instagram.com/amandaahagan