As a plus-size girl, Kayla Lavende lived vicariously through Barbie.
Her parents gave her a doll every week as a reward for dealing with her rapid weight gain.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Kayla shares her weight loss journey
Despite tipping the scales at 155 kilos at her heaviest, she never let her XXXXL size stop her from dressing up as her favorite doll.
But he knew he needed to get his weight under control once and for all after a “mortifying” experience in which he couldn’t strap himself into his seat on a plane.
And so the now 37-year-old, from Sydney but now living in Las Vegas, shrunk down to a size petite after losing a staggering 200 pounds and up eleven sizes following gastric sleeve surgery.
“I’ve been yo-yo dieting my whole life, but I made the decision to change my lifestyle forever after a very uncomfortable plane ride where I needed two seats and a seatbelt extender,” he says. 7Life.
Her parents tried everything imaginable to help Kayla after they noticed her rapid weight gain as a child.
“I was always with doctors, dieticians, nutritionists…trying to figure out why I was so overweight at such a young age,” he says.
“So as a reward for having to deal with all of that, my parents would buy me a Barbie every week because I loved her and everything about her style.
Growing up a plus size girl, I had to wear plus size women’s clothing, so I lived vicariously through Barbie – Kayla Lavende
“Growing up as a plus-size girl in the ’90s, I had to wear plus-size women’s clothing; there weren’t many fun options, so she lives vicariously through Barbie. She inspired me to start being creative and make my own outfits.
“I love that Barbie says ‘you can be anything,’ so I thought, I can be anything too.”
As an adult, Kayla, who wore dress sizes 26 to 28, would starve throughout the day before bingeing on unhealthy foods before bed.
“I worked long hours and didn’t eat during the day,” he says. 7Life.
“It wasn’t until late at night, when I got home from work, I was starving and would indulge in fast food or pasta and go to sleep.”
“I love that Barbie says ‘you can be anything,’ so I thought, I can be anything too” – Kayla Lavende
His turning point came in 2018 when he underwent gastric sleeve surgery in which 80 percent of his stomach was removed.
“After the surgery, I felt excited and like a new woman with the fresh start I needed. He had a lot of mental clarity,” she says.
“But I knew that was not the end and the end. I knew I had to change my entire lifestyle. Obviously, due to the surgery, my portions were much smaller; however, I learned all about nutrition and what my body needed versus what I wanted.”
He learned how to feed his body with healthy and nutritious food.
“I cut out carbs, sugar, and processed foods. I incorporated high-protein foods and prepared meals,” he said.
“I also started exercising every day. First I started walking, then I progressed to jogging, now I start every morning with a jog. I also started incorporating weight training.”
After the surgery, it took two years to lose 92 kilos. She later removed the excess skin around the skin.
Kayla’s healthy day on a plate
Breakfast: protein shake every morning
Morning snack: raw almonds without salt
Lunch: Season ground turkey or chicken breast
Afternoon snack: Nuts or a protein bar
Dinner: Usually the same as lunch.
Kayla says she now eats a healthier diet and no longer indulges in her “guilty pleasures.”
“My favorite thing to do is freeze my protein shake and eat it like ice cream,” she explains.
“If I have a craving for sweets, I’ll have a protein cookie or protein chocolate bar, never the usual sugar-filled chocolates.”
His quick and effective workout routine is “run for a minute and then walk for a minute.”
“Repeat this for 20 to 30 minutes; this definitely gets his heart rate up and moving and he’ll be sweating in no time. I do this every day and weight train three times a week,” she says.
Reflecting on old photographs, Kayla says she feels “proud” of herself.
“I’m so proud of the girl in the ‘before’ photos because she’s the one who got me to where I am today,” she says.
As for her fashion, Kayla, who now wears sizes six to eight, is still inspired by her favorite childhood doll.
“I’ve always stayed true to my style, going from a size 4XL Barbie to a size petite, while transforming my body,” she says. 7Life.
“Barbie influenced me to start bringing my own outfits to life. From animating my own outfits, I started making my own outfits. I never let my size stop me from dressing bright, vibrant and colourful.
“Fast forward to when I became an adult, I moved to Las Vegas where I started working as a costume designer. Honestly, I have Barbie to thank for everything.”
“Honestly, I have Barbie to thank for everything” – Kayla Lavende
For anyone struggling to lose weight, Kayla says she “highly recommends seeking weight loss surgery.”
“It’s not an easy fix, you still have to put in the work,” she says.
“I would also say to anyone on a weight loss journey that consistency is key and don’t focus on one number on the scale, focus on being consistent.”
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