Mom looks ten years younger after undergoing incredible body transformation
For most of her life, Amanda Presta, 40, from Melbourne, struggled with her weight and said she always felt bigger than her peers throughout her childhood and adolescence.
Although she was never obese, she felt uncomfortable and unfit after reaching her heaviest weight of 80 kg (about 176 lbs) at a size 16.
The marketing and communications manager also suffered from several complex health issues which had a major impact on her overall health.
But after undergoing a jaw-dropping body transformation, she now feels healthier than ever after losing an incredible 18kg (around 40lbs) and three dress sizes.
Amanda is now told she looks at least ten years younger in her brand new 62kg (about 137lb), size 8 frame.
“I didn’t have the best habits growing up and I ate a lot of high-calorie foods,” the mother-of-two told news.com.au.
“I have struggled with having a bigger body since I was a child and have had to deal with some chronic illnesses.”
“Before I had kids, I was always self-conscious and definitely carried more weight than I was comfortable with.
“I managed to lose weight before my wedding in 2010, but I developed poor eating habits and didn’t exercise much because of my office job.
“I had a big sweet tooth and often ate too many sugary treats.”
To start, Amanda overhauled her diet and began focusing on balanced meals, aiming to consume 100g of protein throughout the day.
She also increased her water intake while making sure to get plenty of fiber for optimal digestion.
However, the mum’s ‘secret weapon’ was that she started lifting weights and working out regularly with personal trainer Nikki Ellis at Cinch Studio, which she says totally transformed her body .
This decision even inspired Amanda to become a personal trainer herself, where she can now motivate and help others on their health and fitness journey.
“It was really after I had my second baby that I had a strong feeling of ‘OK, let’s do this,'” she explained.
“That’s when I started a home workout program and lost a lot of weight. I was thin, but I didn’t feel strong and I didn’t look defined.
“I decided to join Nikki Ellis and that’s when my physical appearance and especially the way I perceived myself completely changed.
“There is something magical about women training together in a group. I loved it so much that I trained to become a coach myself. »
“Nikki inspired me to be the best version of myself and now I can help other women do the same. »
After her transformation, Amanda says she looks and feels ten years younger, and many people think she is actually in her twenties.
“I definitely feel younger now,” she said.
“I’ve put so much work and effort into my health, nutrition and fitness, and it’s paid off. “People think I look 10 years younger than I actually am.
“This year I’ll be 40 and I feel like I’m in better shape than when I was 20.
“I feel confident, strong and capable, and I continue to achieve personal bests every year.
“Most importantly, I am a role model to my two young daughters of the importance of exercising consistently, being really strong, and having a great group of women to do it with and who all support.”
Amanda suffered from severe pain throughout her teenage years. She later discovered it was endometriosis, a condition in which the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus.
This pathology is often neglected or misdiagnosed.
For this pain, a doctor suggested she take the contraceptive pill, but this only led to a whole series of more serious problems.
Three months after starting the pill, just before her 18th birthday, Amanda developed a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in her left leg.
It was rare, so after running some tests, it was discovered that she had three major blood clotting disorders known as lupus anticoagulant, antiphospholipid syndrome and a prothrombin gene mutation.
She was told she would have to take a blood thinner forever, but after losing weight and checking her health, she was able to stop taking the medication; a huge feat that shocked even his doctor.
“As a teenager, I spent many nights in hospital on morphine to cope with the pain of my undiagnosed endometriosis,” she said.
“When I was in my final year of high school, my GP suggested I take the contraceptive pill to manage the pain while I finished my studies.
“Three months later, I developed a DVT in my left leg, starting at my ankle and extending to 11 cm (about 4.3 inches) above my knee.
“That’s when I was diagnosed with a blood clotting disorder. I was put on a blood thinner and told I would have to take it for the rest of my life.
“But since I lost weight and started strength training, I’ve been able to get rid of it for good. My doctors had never seen anything like it before.
“This is one of the most important aspects of my transformation. Health is essential. »