A mum who slimmed from a size 20 to a toned size 10 has revealed how she lost an incredible five stone in just six months without weight-loss jabs, detox teas or punishing cardio sessions.
Teagan Hopwood tipped the scales at 16st 4lb after gaining weight during pregnancy and continuing to overeat afterwards.
The 31-year-old says that rather than turning to quick fixes, she focused on building sustainable habits she could stick to long-term.
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Now she weighs 11st 9lbs and boasts a ripped stomach after eating in a controlled calorie deficit, initially consuming around 2,200 calories per day before gradually reducing that amount as she lost weight.
By the time she reached her goal weight, she was eating around 1,700 calories a day while still enjoying many of her favourite foods.
And it’s a loss she has been able to maintain for years – unlike weight loss jabs, which carry the risk of piling back on the pounds after stopping use.
“I can safely say I would never have even considered doing that [using jabs],” Teagan, from Canterbury, Kent, told Need To Know.
“Even though I was overweight, I knew I could lose the weight on my own.
“It was staying consistent that I needed to work on.
“It was never that I couldn’t lose the weight, it was that I wasn’t in the right mindset to do so – I had to be ready.
“I have nothing against people taking the jab, but I do wish people would actually try doing it themselves first though instead of thinking they are taking the easy route.
“You have to learn how to keep the weight off.
“Yes, I lost my weight quite quickly but that was never my intention.
“I wanted to lose it steadily in a sustainable way.
“My body just happened to drop the weight in that time.
“Maybe I was in too big a deficit for my body however I was still eating a lot and fuelling my body.
“If you need the jab for a medical reason then fair be it but if you are just taking it because you don’t want to put in the work then I don’t agree with it.”
Standing at 5ft 9in, Teagan was deeply unhappy with her appearance and one small moment during the summer of 2022 became the catalyst for a complete lifestyle overhaul.
The barista said: “It was the first heatwave of 2022 and I couldn’t fit into the only pair of denim shorts that I owned.
“I was already unhappy with my weight however this was the push that made me change for good.
“I had just had enough and this time I’d seen so many videos about calorie deficits that I actually understood what I needed to do now.
“The biggest change wasn’t just physical, it was my mindset.
“I stopped comparing myself to others and focused on being consistent, even when progress felt slow.
“Some weeks I wouldn’t see any weight change and some weeks there was a big weight drop.
“I weigh myself daily to get my weekly average as weight fluctuates so much during the week.
“You could be weighing in a high fluctuation day when really you’ve lost 2lbs.
“I prioritised protein at every meal, making smart swaps and still eating all the food I love like Pizza Hut takeaways, home made chicken burgers and I perfected my baked oats recipes.
“I upped my activity level I did maybe two hiit workouts in my dining room while my daughter napped and did some weights at home.
“I strength trained four times per week after I lost the weight to build muscle and change my body composition.
“This is how I look so toned.
“It’s the result of building muscle through progressive weight training and losing fat through a calorie deficit.”
The mum-of-one began documenting her fitness journey on her TikTok account @teags.weightloss, where she shared home workout routines and healthy meal ideas.
Teagan says she has completely transformed her relationship with food.
She said: “I’m happy, way more confident and I can safely say I love my body.
“Despite the stretch marks and saggy skin from the weight loss I am the most confident I have ever been.
“I’m more active, made new friends at the gym ns my daughter aspires to be strong like me instead of how I felt growing up wanting to be skinny.
“I have more energy and a drive that I didn’t have before.
“I’ve kept a healthy lifestyle since and for me that means balance.
“Yes, I eat processed foods.
“I like to go by the 80/20 rule so 80% of home made good and 20% takeaway and chocolate.
“I’m still human and still want to enjoy my life.”
Teagan says that large portion sizes and bags of chocolate were her downfall.
She said: “I wasn’t tracking anything and would make for fajita wraps but would have about three wraps which adds up.
“I never really used to eat breakfast but loved bags of chocolates in the evening.
“It was never much about what I was eating just how much I was eating.
“I gained the weight through pregnancy and sort of used it as an excuse to over eat since I was going to get big anyway.
“Then I guess I just continued eat in that way.
“Now I plan out my weekly meals on a Sunday before I do the food shop.
“I have things like chicken burgers, fajita mince with butternut squash, home made pizzas, chicken skewers with rice and veggies.
“I love making egg wraps for lunch and filing them with chicken wafer and mustard and lettuce/
“And I always have light Babybels and kiwi with lunch.
“I enjoy a sweet treat in the evenings, I make something I like to call a movie night bowl which is 200g 0% fat greek yogurt mixed with chocolate protein powder, topped with mini marshmallows, pretzels, m&ms and chocolate sauce.
“It fits my calories so why not.”
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