A mum-of-two who lost more than half her body weight has revealed how fears she wouldn’t be able to save her children in an emergency became a major motivation for her transformation.
Tatiana Caso weighed 16st 7lbs at her heaviest and wore a size XXL after years of struggling with her relationship with food and eating McDonald’s burgers daily for lunch.
The 28-year-old could barely keep up with her children and started to become seriously concerned that, should anything happen, she wouldn’t be able to step in.
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After getting on a trampoline to play with daughter Ana, six, and son Mason, three, it became clear just how unfit she was.
“I was so winded, I instantly was so disappointed in myself and I just couldn’t understand how I let things get so bad,” Tatiana, a stay-at-home mum from Florida, US, told Need To Know.
“I had a lot of mom guilt because my daughter just wanted me to do things with her that I was too heavy to do and it was my own fault.
“I was definitely eating out a lot [at the time] – I think that was one of the biggest issues because most restaurants and fast foods are so high calorie.
“My clothes were so ill-fitting and simply going to the playground and chasing my kids around was a feat.
“I felt like I was losing my identity.
“I wasn’t giving myself the attention I needed so my kids were getting this irritable and depressed version of me.”
Tatiana had been powerlifting on and off since she was 15, but after having children she was unsure whether she would ever return to fitness.
She said she had also tried numerous fad diets over the years, but they never provided a lasting solution.
Tatiana said: “Since childhood I’ve had a bad relationship with food.
“Then after being pregnant twice, I used motherhood as an excuse to stay complacent and told myself I didn’t have to be a priority.”
At her highest weight, she was eating sugary cereal, McDonald’s burgers and fries for lunch, carb-heavy mac and cheese for dinner, and snacking on crisps and ice cream.
Determined to make a change, Tatiana began tracking her calories to ensure she was eating in a slight calorie deficit in November 2024.
Rather than drastically cutting her food intake, she focused on slow and steady progress, and saw the weight steadily come off over the course of the next two years.
She also returned to regular exercise, beginning consistent workouts in November 2024, and got the bug for training.
Today, Tatiana weight trains five days a week and adds cardio whenever she can.
She’s prepping for a bodybuilding show, so she trains eight to ten hours per week.
Her diet has changed dramatically too, focusing on whole foods and a high-protein diet.
Tatiana now weighs 8st 1lbs after shedding more than 50% of her body weight.
She has also gone from a size XXL to an XS/S.
She said: “At first, people didn’t say much but as more and more weight came off, people started asking how I did it.
“Friends and family were very supportive and now ask for advice all the time.
“My husband and I recently went to our high school reunion and people said I look like a completely different person.”
But for Tatiana, the transformation is about far more than the number on the scales.
She said one of her biggest motivations was knowing she would be physically capable of protecting her children if something went wrong.
Tatiana said: “We live in a scary world and I want to be sure I could carry my children out of any potential danger.
“I would not have been able to do that effectively before.
“Now I know I could carry my kids and run without a second thought.
“I no longer worry about my ability to keep my kids safe.
“We go to a lot of events and amusement parks and unfortunately active shooter threats are becoming more frequent nowadays.
“If that were to ever happen when I’m out with my kids, I’d want to be sure I can get them out by any means necessary.”
The mum hopes her transformation will inspire others who have struggled with their weight or feel they are incapable of making a change.
She added: “I feel so much more confident and comfortable in my skin.
“I don’t feel ashamed of my body anymore.
“Before, any time I would go shopping, I dreaded it.
“I always knew the clothes I wanted weren’t going to fit right on me.
“And now I sometimes still get that feeling and then try something on and feel this overwhelming sense of relief that I don’t have to feel that way anymore.
“My kids are young and my journey has been fairly gradual, so they haven’t noticed over time, but they love when I chase them around with ease.
“If there is anyone out there with doubts about their ability to lose the weight, please just remember that you deserve to feel your best.
“You deserve true happiness and to live in confidence.”
BEFORE DIET
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: McDonald’s burger and fries
Dinner: Mac and cheese
Snacks: Crisps and ice cream
AFTER DIET
Breakfast: Egg white oats
Lunch: Lean beef burrito with Greek yogurt
Dinner: Shredded chicken breast with potatoes and green beans
Snacks: Rice cake and protein bars
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