Obese bride-to-be sheds 8st to fit into her dream wedding dress – thanks to the keto diet
WHEN Breeana North's partner proposed to her, she knew she couldn't walk down the aisle looking and feeling the way she did.
Weighing in at 19st 2lbs, the 24-year-old wasn't prepared to get married wearing a size 24 wedding dress.
So, Breeana switched to a strict ketogenic diet - focusing on high fat, high protein, low carb macros.
And by the time her big day came round in October of 2017, she had shed a staggering 8st and dropped seven dress sizes.
In fact, after using a mental picture of her dream dress as inspiration throughout her weight loss journey, Breeana actually had to get her wedding dress taken in because it was too big by the time she tied the knot.
Her husband Tye North, 29, also joined her on the keto diet in the lead up the nuptials, managing to shift an incredible 15st 2lbs.
“When Tye proposed to me, I was over the moon but a wave of sadness washed over me at the same time. I knew I wanted to marry him, but not the way we were," Breeana said.
“We were both so obese and had terrible eating habits. We would binge on mountains of fried food, sweet treats and drink four litres a soft drink daily between us without issue.
“I told Tye that I’d only marry him if we made a solid effort to get healthy, and he agreed."
She said that she'd heard of the keto diet before but thought that it was just another fad diet.
What is the keto diet?
A keto diet is basically a low-carb, no-sugar plan that pushes the body to produce ketones in the liver which can be used as energy.
In other words, you’re getting your body to make its own energy rather than relying on fat-producing foods. And that means keeping the blood sugar balanced, maintaining regular energy levels, and more effectively burning fat.
The keto diet refers to being in the state of "ketosis". You get there by removing the majority of carbs from your diet - forcing your body to use fat to fuel itself instead.
Think of it like fuelling a car.
You can run a plug-in hybrid by filling its tank with petrol, or it can run on internally stored electricity - recharging it when you need to.
Our bodies always opt for the easiest option (sugar), which means that by eating carbs, we're constantly pouring petrol into our car rather than making use of the internally stored power.
That means that many of us walk around with all this excess energy (read: fat) but we never get to a point where we can actually use it.
“But I saw people having amazing results and decided to give it a go. I’m so glad I tried it because it’s worked so much better than any other diet out there," she said.
“We’re so used to trying to avoid fat, and the thought of eating a high-fat diet was baffling.
"But it’s made me feel better than I ever have in my entire life.
“Just a few days after going keto, I had so much more energy. I was sleeping better, my skin cleared up and I was just happier. I knew at that point I would never look back.
“We threw out everything bad we had in the fridge and started again with keto-friendly foods."
As well as overhauling their diets, the obese couple also hired a PT and started to go to the gym five days a week.
That's when, Breanna said, "the weight just began melting off".
Breeana, a customer service assistant, had been overweight her entire life and was so severely bullied over her weight that she ended up dropping out of school.
She explained: “I had a really hard time. People would throw my schoolbag in the bin, follow me home, taunt me and just make my life hell because I was fat.
BEFORE DIET
Breakfast: Four slices of white toast with tin spaghetti and cheese (720 calories)
Mid-morning Snack: Chocolate and lollies (400 calories)
Lunch: Large takeaway meal from McDonalds (950 calories)
Afternoon snack: Packet of chips or instant noodles (350 calories)
Dinner: Pasta with sausages (900 calories)
Dessert: Ice cream and chocolate (450 calories)
Drinks: Two litres of soft drink (1,000 calories)
TOTAL: 4,770 calories
AFTER DIET
Breakfast: Keto bulletproof coffee (400 calories)
Mid-morning Snack: Almonds with cream cheese and celery (200 calories)
Lunch: Eggs with mayonnaise, bacon, avocado and cheese (500 calories)
Dinner: Meat cooked in fats or garlic butter with avocado and vegetables (600 calories)
Drinks: Water or tea (0 calories)
TOTAL: 1,700 calories
“In year eleven I just couldn’t take it anymore, so I dropped out.
“I piled on the weight after that. I’d just stay inside all the time and eat.
“My parents ended up taking me to get help, and things got better."
It was then that she started talking to Tye online.
Crippled with poor body image, she said that she didn't feel confident enough to meet him in real life for months.
“But when I finally did, I felt like everything was right with the world. We just fell in love straight away," Breeana said.
“It happened all so quickly, and he proposed seven months later. But when you know, you just know.”
Together, the pair lost a total of 23st 13lbs in the run-up to their wedding, and Breanna said that she couldn't have done it without Tye by her side.
“He still has a long journey ahead of him, but he is very determined. It’s so inspiring."
And losing the weight has had a significant impact on their relationship.
"It was the best thing we could have done for our relationship.
“We actually used to struggle to fit onto a queen size bed, and I couldn’t even put my arms around him properly for a hug. But now we’re very passionate and closer than ever."
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