Losing weight is difficult for anybody. Point. Blank. Period!

But when you’re a teenager, the pressure to look a certain way can be downright traumatizing. There are several things kids tease one another about and being overweight is definitely one of them.

It can be incredibly discouraging and feel as if it’s impossible to build your confidence. For a quick fix, many people turn to 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.

But one teen determined to shed some pounds knew that she wanted to follow a program that would last a lifetime. There would be no quick fixes for her, she decided.

16-year-old Josephine Desgrand from Queensland, Australia wanted to be healthy. It wasn’t just about losing weight, though it was a big part of it, she wanted to be healthy and keep the weight off.

At her highest, Desgrand was tipping the scale at 280 pounds.

She knew that she had to make changes to her health. She also wanted to be able to fit into the perfect dress for prom.

Most of all, Desgrand was tired of being bullied and tormented because of her weight. That alone was enough for her look into ways to become a much healthier teen.

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! Two years later and the once heavy teen looks like an entirely different person.

Desgrand feels confident about her new look. So much so, she began an Instagram where she let followers in on her secrets to losing weight and changing their lifestyle.

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.”

She worked at achieving her goal for a whole two years! But she’s been able to maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle!

Today, Desgrand’s Instagram boasts over 120,000 followers. Whereas last year, she had almost 80,000. Scrolling through her page, it’s evident why anyone who is looking to become healthier would want to follow her journey.

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!”

She’s right! It’s so important to take care of what we have.

Desgrand’s page is full of inspirational sayings and astonishing before and after photos. 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!”

Sage advice from someone who is living out their own words!

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Source: Relieved