A woman who used to eat 4,000 calories in candy every day has overhauled her lifestyle and lost half of her body weight.
Judith Pallanza, from New South Wales, used to indulge in a kilogram of Australian candy Minties every day before she made the changes.
'My whole adult life I have been big and it's always got me down. Especially when I had kids as I struggled to run around after them,' she said.
'But I loved the feeling of having food in my mouth. When it wasn't there, I'd feel restless and upset.'
In addition to the sweets, Judith would serve large portions at meal times, eating eight Weetabix and toast for breakfast, and packets of noodles for dinner. At her heaviest, she weighed 120kg, or around 18st 12lbs, and a dress size 28.
'I tried dieting but was constantly up and down. It was at my heaviest of 150 kilos when a photo of me by the beach in Fiji on my honeymoon, made me realise how bad my weight had got,' she explained.
'I knew I needed help and eventually my doctor suggested surgery. It changed everything, most importantly my mindset.'
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In 2015, Judith was fitted with a gastric sleeve, and began to re-educate herself about nutrition, adding that she wanted to set a good example for her children.
'My kids were growing up before my eyes and I wanted to make sure they didn't inherit my terrible food habits,' she said. 'After my operation, I completely changed what I was eating and instead had lean meats and veggies.'
'Of course, my portions were much smaller too. Within a few weeks I was seeing results and it really spurred me on.'
In just nine months, she'd dropped to 79kg, or 12st 6lbs - but was left with 'flappy' excess skin.
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'The skin was awful. It would hang down like an apron and I'd have to tuck it into my knickers,' said Judith.
'I started going to the gym about six months after my surgery, and it made training really difficult as my boobs and belly would wobble and feel uncomfortable every time I moved.'
Eventually, her husband at the time offered to pay for skin removal surgery, a gesture for which Judith was incredibly grateful, and which left her a svelte size 12.
'Without my saggy skin, I feel like I can do anything. Exercising is so much more enjoyable and I've been able to buy a pair of jeans for the first time in my life. Life suddenly seems so much more exciting,' she concluded.
'Losing 70 kilos has changed my life and I'm so happy I can finally be a good role model for my kids, especially as I've recently split from my husband.'
'Best of all, I've finally beaten my addiction to food. I don't think I could ever eat another Mintie again.'
