Credit: Kylie Hay and Optislim - (left pictured in 2009, middle after losing 60kg and right in 2019)
Editor’s note: In our July 13 edition, New Idea told a real-life story about Kylie Hay. Due to a production error, two photos of Jade Scott were used in that article. We sincerely apologise to Jade and Kylie for the error and for any upset caused.
Before Kylie Hay fell pregnant with her son, the young mum was always healthy, fit and active.
The 40-year-old from Victoria would fluctuate between 60 and 70kg, but her second pregnancy really put the strain on her body.
“I ended up getting to 128 kilos with that pregnancy,” Kylie admits to New Idea.
“I didn’t have any conditions, I just ate and ate and didn’t stop eating, as well as drinking sugary drinks.”
Kylie remembers walking out of the hospital with her newborn baby boy. She weighed in at 117kg, and instead of basking in the glow of new motherhood, she quickly fell into a deep depression.
“When I walked out of the hospital at 117 kilos, I was severely depressed and worried about my health as I could potentially have a heart attack, as this condition runs in my family,” she says.
When she should have been running around with her baby son and older daughter, Kylie would feed her despair with unhealthy and high-fat food.
“I was unable to fit into shoes and I would wear thongs all the time. I was very unfit and not very active at all,” Kylie admits. “I had very bad feet at the time with all cracks due to the weight that I was carrying. Being only 5 ft 2 [157cm], I was a monster. I was a ticking time bomb for death.”
The disability job coach would even sneak takeaway food before dinner after nibbling on junk food all day.
Kylie confesses it was an addiction – just like any other – she simply couldn’t shake.
“It’s an addiction. Eating food is the same as any other addiction out there. All you think about all the time is the next meal or what else could you eat. Your mind tricks you into thinking you’re hungry when you’re not,” she says.
“In a regular day I would eat breakfast, snacks, junk food for lunch, chocolates and takeaway Hungry Jack’s.
“I even had a very bad habit of pre-eating before I went anywhere for tea just in case they didn’t feed me enough.
I would stop off at Hungry Jack’s or McDonald’s prior to going out for tea and then eat tea on top of that.”
At her heaviest, Kylie knew that she needed to make a big change.
With two little bubs to look after, the mum was terrified she was headed towards an early grave. Kylie’s family had a history of health conditions and she had her biggest wake-up call when she experienced what appeared to be the symptoms of having a heart attack.
“My mother became very worried about me and my health. One day I had a severe pain in my chest going down my arms and they thought that I was having a heart attack,” she says.
“Mum was crying so hard and said that she didn’t want to be the one raising her grandchildren if I passed away – she wanted me to raise my own children and be healthy.”
Raising her two little ones as a single mum meant Kylie had very little time to exercise and was desperate for a way to feel healthier.
Losing weight and getting her fitness back was her top priority, so when her children’s grandma suggested Kylie try meal-replacement shakes, she was more than willing to try it.
“I saw Optislim, which was a great price, two boxes for $50 at the time, which was two weeks’ worth of food. I could afford that being a single mum. That is where my weight-loss journey began,” she says.
Incredibly, Kylie was able to drop a staggering 50kg in only eight months by replacing her high-fat, junk-food diet with tasty smoothies and healthy snacks.
One of her proudest moments was slipping into her dream dress after working hard to slim down.
“I was able to get into a dress and go to the Yarra Glen races. I felt amazing, and have never been so proud of myself and my achievements,” she says.
After losing a huge amount of weight, Kylie felt comfortable enough in her body to start exercising. And the kilos just kept falling off.
Not only did she manage to slim down, Kylie has kept the weight off until this day! That’s an incredible 11 years since she first lost the weight and has been maintaining a healthy weight of 55kg ever since.
Kylie’s weight loss success has been life changing, she has even credited Optislim and losing weight with helping her finally find her special someone.
“Ever since I have lost my weight, I have never felt so energised and happy with my appearance and proud of myself for the achievements that I set out and completed,” Kylie smiles.
“I met a fantastic partner and I would not have met him if I was still overweight … I didn’t go out anywhere as I was so embarrassed about myself.
“Healthy eating and exercise is for life, not for the short term.”
