A mom looks ten years younger after undergoing an incredible body transformation.
For most of her life, Amanda Presta, 40, from Melbourne, has struggled with her weight and said she always felt bigger than her peers throughout her childhood and teenage years.
While she was never obese, she felt uncomfortable and unfit after reaching her heaviest weight of 80kg [about 176 lbs] with a size 16 frame.
The marketing and communication manager also suffered from a number of complicated health conditions that had a major impact on her overall health.
But after going through a jaw-dropping body transformation, she now feels healthier than ever after dropping an incredible 18kg [about 40 lbs] and three dress sizes.
Amanda is now being told she looks at least ten years younger in her brand new 62kg [about 137 lbs], size 8 frame.
“I didn’t have the best habits growing up and ate lots of high calorie food,” the mom-of-two told news.com.au.
“I struggled with having a bigger body since I was a child and dealt with some chronic illnesses.”
“Before I had kids, I was always self-conscious and was definitely carrying more weight than I was comfortable with.
“I managed to drop some weight before my wedding in 2010, but fell into bad eating habits and was not exercising much due to having an office job.
“I had a huge sweet tooth and would often have a few too many sugary treats.”
As a starting point, Amanda overhauled her diet and began to focus on eating balanced meals, with a focus on getting 100g of protein throughout the day.
She also upped her water intake while also ensuring she gets lots of fibre for optimal digestion.
The mom’s “secret weapon” however was that she began lifting weights and doing regular strength training with personal trainer Nikki Ellis at Cinch Studio, which she says totally transformed her body.
This move even inspired Amanda to become a personal trainer herself, where she now gets to motivate and help others on their health and fitness journeys.
“It was really after I had my second baby that I had a strong sense 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 or look defined.
“I decided to join Nikki Ellis and that is when my physique and most importantly the way I felt about myself completely changed.
“There is something magical about women training together in a group. I loved it so much I trained to become a PT myself.”
“Nikki inspired me to be the best version of myself and now I get to help other women do the same.”
After her transformation, Amanda says she looks and feels over a decade younger, with many people believing she is actually in her 20s.
“I definitely feel younger now,” she said.
“I‘ve put so much work and effort into my health, nutrition and fitness and it has paid off. “People think I look more than 10 years younger than I really am.
“This year I will be turning 40 and I feel like I am in better shape than when I was in my 20s.
“I feel confident, strong and capable, and I continue to hit personal bests every year.
“Most importantly, I’m a role model for my two young daughters of how important it is to exercise consistently, be really strong, and have a great group of women to do it with who all support each other.”
Amanda struggled with severe pain throughout her teens that she later discovered was endometriosis, a disease where uterine lining grows outside the uterus.
The condition is often overlooked or misdiagnosed.
For this pain, a doctor suggested she take the contraceptive pill, but this only lead to a whole host of bigger issues.
Three months after starting the pill, just before her 18th birthday, Amanda developed an extensive Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) on her left leg.
This was uncommon, so after running some tests, it was discovered she was suffering from three major blood clotting disorders known as lupus anticoagulant, antiphospholipid syndrome and a prothrombin gene mutation.
She was told she would need to be on a blood thinner forever, but after losing weight and getting her health in check, she has been able to come off the medication; a huge feat that even shocked her doctor.
“As a teen, I would spend many nights in hospital on morphine to cope with the pain of my undiagnosed endometriosis,” she said.
“When I was in year 12 my GP suggested I take the contraceptive pill to manage the pain while I was completing my studies.
“Three months later I developed a DVT in my left leg, beginning from my ankle and extending to 11cm [about 4.3 inches] above my knee.
“That is when I was diagnosed with the clotting disorders. I was put on a blood thinner and was told I would have to be on it for the rest of my life.
“But since losing weight and starting strength training, I have been able to come off them permanently. My doctors had never seen anything like it before.
“This is one of the most important parts of my transformation. Health is everything.”
