A woman has left TikTok users stunned after sharing her near six-and-a-half stone weight loss transformation online to help others – overhauling her lifestyle in under a year.

Natalia Masterman, 28, a personal trainer from Tacoma, Washington, US, started struggling with her weight as a child and claims she used to receive harsh comments from people online that would "ruin" her day.

She recalls being unhappy within her body and began to develop insecurities about her love handles and arms, which affected her mental health and motivation.

At the start of her journey, she was a UK dress size 24.

In a bid to overhaul her lifestyle, Natalia decided to change her diet and adopt a healthy workout regime and a year later, she had lost 6st 4lbs, now wearing a UK dress size 12.

Now, in a bid to share her transformation, she documents her overall journey on TikTok, with one clip racking up 57,000 views and 6,000 likes.

"I would post photos on social media and get comments like: 'Let's stop normalising obesity' or 'That's a big girl' and 'When are you going to kickstart the new year with a gym membership?' which would really ruin my day," she told NeedToKnow.Online.

"At school, I would sometimes be called 'fat' or 'chubby' and people would make jokes about me binge eating, which didn't do any favours for my self-confidence.

"Before weight loss, my confidence was very low and I was quire reserved, as I was hesitant to open up or put myself out there, which put a strain on relationships and dating.

"I had the assumption that I would be judged for my body, so I held myself back from connections that could have been good for me.

"My earliest memory of trying to lose weight was at age eight, as I had struggled with [this] since my childhood.

"I always had the intention of losing weight, but lacked the drive to make it happen.

"I used to tell myself that I'd start tomorrow on a daily basis.

"But, I was very unhappy with my body – I felt I looked a way that was contrary to the person I wanted to be.

"I was especially insecure about my gut, love handles and arms."

In 2019, she recalls reaching a point where she was "tired" of living in her current ways, so decided to act upon changing her routine.

Previously, she tried being vegetarian to help shift the pounds, but she wasn't consistent with diet and therefore didn't see any results.

Before, she used to indulge in pizzas and takeaways, as well as various processed snacks, such as crisps, cookies and sweets – and claims she was often eating up to 6,000 calories in one sitting.

Now, she varies her diet based on her end goal, but regularly eats oatmeal for breakfast, chicken and rice for lunch, turkey burgers or a vegetable omelette for dinner, as well as protein bars or a spoonful of cookie dough as a snack to satisfy her sweet tooth.

Speaking about her eating habits, she said: "I wouldn't say my diet was absolutely terrible in theory, but the problem was my tendency to give into emotional eating.

"I would have a day where I would eat pretty 'normally' and then the next day, I'd eat thousands of calories at night.

"I had a 'life flashing before my eyes' moment, where I didn't like what I saw and decided I would finally never look back on my damaging habits.

"Now, my diet varies largely on what my goal is, as I'm a weightlifter who is working to build muscle.

"I go through cutting and bulking phases often, but I usually eat oatmeal for breakfast, lean meat and rice for lunch, with more lean meat or other forms of protein for dinner.

"Sometimes, I'll have a protein bar, bagel or a spoonful of cookie dough if I have a sweet craving, but if I'm cutting (eating in a deficit), I eat a small quantity of these foods.

"If I'm bulking, I'll eat a higher quantity, but my goal now is no longer about weight loss and more about building muscle to get stronger."

Previously she recalls not being consistent with exercise, but soon started doing six months of steady-state cardio for up to an hour per day.

Now she lifts weights five days per week, with a mix of cardio up to four days a week.

Natalia said: "There's no such thing as perfect body image, but I am happy to say that I feel much better about my body.

"I love that I'm no longer stressed about wearing a bikini and shopping for new clothes doesn't give me anxiety anymore.

"It took me about a year to lose the weight and I have been spending time now working on body recomposition, such as losing fat and building muscle, but most importantly, maintaining my weight.

"I make it a point to not disclose my starting or current weight because I do not want others comparing their numbers to mine.

"I remember how it feels to be discouraged when you're just getting started, so I posted my story to show others what's possible if you decide to show up for yourself and stay consistent.

"I needed to get my story out there in the hopes it would resonate with others."

In the clip, she shows a picture of herself from 2019 while wearing her underwear, before cutting to a recent clip of her weight training in the gym.

Users flocked to the comments to share their reactions, with many in awe of her transformation.

"I am absolutely better than a man please accept my marriage proposal," one user commented.

Another person added: "Yessssss queen."

"I hope you are so proud of yourself," User TheLemonLicker said.

Someone else added: "You look amazing."

"Respectfully...DAYUMMMM," another user commented. [sic]

In a bid to help others find a sense of "empowerment" in the gym, she's now trained and qualified as a personal trainer.

Natalia's biggest advice to her clients? Give yourself time and start small.

She added: "The gym can be an intimidating place for beginners, so I give my clients a solid foundation of knowledge so they know how to form an effective routine.

"To make progress, you have to embrace discomfort and I try to help my clients see this as something motivating, as opposed to discouraging.

"Make sure you're in a good place to give yourself the time and energy to be successful.

"Start small and work your way up – don't overwhelm yourself thinking you have to do everything, as you can't effectively set a goal without building a system to reach that goal.

"You can start as many times over as needed, as this journey is never-ending and not linear."

ENDS

DIET BEFORE:

Breakfast: Oatmeal or smoothie
Lunch: Sandwich
Dinner: Pizza or takeaway
Snacks: Crisps, cookies, sweets or nothing

DIET AFTER:

Breakfast: Overnight oats
Lunch: Chicken, rice and green beans with teriyaki sauce and sriracha
Dinner: Turkey burger or vegetable omelette
Snacks: Power bars, pancakes or bagels with light cream cheese

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Video Restrictions: None.