A mum-of-three has shared how she lost nearly five stone after a lifetime battle with food and "eating for two" during pregnancies saw her health rapidly decline.

Rachael Sacerdoti, 43, from London, has struggled with her body since she was a teenager but her weight issues didn't become serious until she got pregnant with her first child in 2011.

Not knowing much about healthy eating, the mum would often eat dishes without realising just how calorific or high in sugar content they were and also fell for myths such as "eating for two" to produce more breast milk.

However, after giving birth to her three children, aged nine, eight and five, Rachael found herself miserable as her eating habits had spiralled out of control.

At her heaviest, in 2017, she weighed 13st and 8lbs.

Rachael's health started to rapidly decline, with the mum experiencing pain while standing up and in her back, as well as becoming out of breath easily.

An intervention from her brother, who was concerned about her ailing health, became a turning point in her life.

“One of my brothers [came back] from holiday and had asked me why I had let myself go – it was the wake up call I needed,” Rachael told Jam Press.

“I felt totally out of control and caged, mentally and physically, anxious and panicked.

“I had young kids and saw myself becoming increasingly lazy, sedentary and out of breath easily.

"I couldn't run around with my kids in the park - even pushing them on the swings had me out of breath.

“My health was suffering, where standing up hurt, my feet were cracked and sore, and my back was groaning under my weight.

“I was disappointed in myself and my self-esteem was on the floor, as I had little to no confidence.

“I really had no idea about healthy eating, such as different food macros or how to construct a healthy balanced diet based on them.

"Truth be told, I was a total sugar junkie – a favourite snack in my childhood home was bread and butter with sugar.

“Everyone said I had to eat for two [during my first pregnancy] so I did and I did with some zeal.

“I had always battled with my weight and relationship to food, so pregnancy became the perfect excuse to go to town.

“I didn’t exercise enough and all in all, it was a collection of bad habits, as well as a lack of basic knowledge, to put good ones in place.

"It took a toll on how I showed up to my relationship with my husband and although he never said a word about my weight and provided me with unconditional love - I didn't love myself.

"[All of this] made it hard for me to accept love."

In 2019, the mum-of-three started by taking small steps towards living a healthier lifestyle, such as working out at home and using online workouts.

She also gave up snacking, read up on foods and what to give her body – and what to leave off, such as excessive sugar.

Before, she would eat pancakes or French toast "smothered" in maple syrup for breakfast and salads covered in dressing filled with sugar for lunch.

Now, she eats eggs with lactose free cheese and protein bread for her morning meal, along with omelettes or edamame pasta for a light lunch.

She's swapped out the processed sugar for natural foods such as Greek yogurt or berries and as her favourite snack, a chocolate rice cake with Halo Top ice cream.

Rachael claims to have reached her goal weight within six months – now weighing 9st 1lb.

She said: “The weight came off fast and in six months most of the fat had gone.

“All I had was a mat and some very light weights, but I knew even then that I had to track how I was doing and to keep myself accountable.

“In the beginning, I was so unfit that I could barely manage a five minute walk – but I started to see improvements, such as being able to walk for another five minutes.

“I started to look at what I was eating and educate myself about how to eat, as I had tried every fad diet under the sun, but this time had to be different.

“I implemented 16:8 intermittent fasting, meaning I only ate for eight hours of the day and had black tea, black coffee or water outside of this window.

“I stopped snacking all the time, having a large healthy lunch, snack in the afternoon and dinner instead.

“I got off the sugar rollercoaster I had been on all my life and after a few weeks, I was ready to face the gym."

Rachael joined stepping classes, which has now become a weekly part of her exercise regime, and found a passion through forming good habits.

She aims to ensure that her kids see how active she is and how much this has improved her lifestyle, by providing them education around healthy eating choices.

However, in a bid to make sure that weight isn't deemed an "issue" she also teaches them about overall body health and strength.

She said: “For me, [the intermittent fasting] is an important part of my lifestyle and the discipline stops me sneaking in other snacks.

“It’s very much a personal choice and I make sure to eat lots of protein including fish, chicken or supplements.

“I chose low glycemic index fruits and carbs, as well as simple substitutions such as sweet potatoes in place of [white] potatoes.

“I try to balance things out over the day, but I don’t deprive myself of [food] if I really want it – in moderation of course."

The mum has gone from eating around 3,500 calories per day to now taking in around 1,400 daily.

Rachael has regained not only her confidence but her pain symptoms are gone, and the lifestyle change has also inspired a career change.

She has now qualified as a personal trainer to help others develop better eating and fitness habits.

Rachael, who now runs the coaching business It's So Simple, said: “I really want to be a good role model for my kids and I am still on [my own] journey.

“The secret is eating well and exercising to build muscle, not to bulk up, but to become tighter, stronger, fitter and get the metabolism working even at rest.

“Most importantly, accountability is key.

"We help women from around the world on their own body transformation journey."

ENDS

BEFORE DIET
Breakfast: Pancakes or French toast (smothered with maple syrup)
Lunch: Pasta or salad with lots of dressing
Dinner: Fried or saucy foods
Snacks: Anything left on the kids' plates or crisps

AFTER DIET
Breakfast: Eggs, lactose free cheese and protein bread
Lunch: Omelette, sandwiches, healthy wraps or edamame pasta
Dinner: Grilled meat, tuna salad with homemade dressing or stir fry
Snacks: Greek yogurt, berries, cheesy wraps, protein bars, vegetables and humous or chocolate rice cake with Halo Top ice cream

EDITOR'S NOTE: Press must include mention of It's So Simple and digital press are kindly asked to include hyperlink: https://www.itssosimple.co.uk/