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Cassandra Hili lost half her body weight over five years ago after watching a movie starring Christina Aguilera and deciding she wanted the freedom to move just like the star performer.

Now 24, the Sydney-based PR consultant said she's been able to keep the kilos off by incorporating intermittent fasting into her regime and counting her macros.

'Fasting has given me a lot more fat loss. Because I have loose skin it's hard for me to lose weight per se but I can lose fat,' she explained to FEMAIL.

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Cassandra Hili lost half her body weight over five years ago after watching a movie starring Christina Aguilera and deciding she wanted the freedom to move just like the star performer

 Now 24 the Sydney-based PR consultant said she's been able to keep the kilos off by incorporating intermittent fasting into her regime and counting her macros

Cassandra, who weighed 117 kilos at her heaviest, admitted to trying the rising trend in mid-August this year and loves how the eight-hour eating period suits her busy lifestyle.

'I feel like I can control my weight better and I eat now when I listen out for hunger signals,' she said.

'But I'll still track my macros to make sure I'm getting in enough nutrients throughout the day.'

It was with the help of Christina Aguilera, Tumblr, and a treadmill that Cassandra was able to make a drastic change, which eventually inspired her to launch her own PR company 

Intermittent fasting usually involves withholding from eating for 16 hours of the day - while you're asleep and then extra time in the morning - before having your first meal of the day at midday.

Meanwhile your 'macros', otherwise known as macro nutrients, are the fats, proteins and carbohydrates you eat every day.

'So I'll have a long black coffee when I wake up but if I don't have morning meetings I'll eat some avocado on sourdough at 12pm,' she said.

'I'll also start my Monday with exercise, and Saturday morning, with an extra session sometime between those days.'

Cassandra, who used to work with a personal trainer, now completes body weight exercises outdoors and at home.

'My body likes certain things so I do more of that instead of forcing myself to partake in things I'm not interested in. But you also have to make sure you're just enjoying life,' she added.  

Cassandra's weight issues began when she was just eight years old, and intensified as she started puberty. At her heaviest Cassandra weighed 117 kilos

Cassandra grew up with a big Mediterranean family, where every Sunday was spent at her grandmother's house surrounded by big plates of pizza and pasta

Cassandra's weight issues began when she was just eight years old, and intensified as she started puberty. 

'The more my body started changing, the more the weight began to be a problem,' Cassandra said previously. 'It was just ridiculous.'

Cassandra grew up with a big Mediterranean family, where every Sunday was spent at her grandmother's house surrounded by big plates of pizza and pasta. 

'I never ate poor quality food, it was just large amounts of food that should have been controlled better,' she explained. 

'I was probably not picking the best choice of food, but if you look at a child's food menu there aren't really great options available. There was a lot more to it then just food,' she said.

Cassandra's parents realised something was going on as she continued to pack on more and more pounds, and so they immediately took her to a doctor. 

Cassandra's parents realised something was going on and immediately took her to a doctor, who eventually diagnosed her with insulin resistance

Soon, she was visiting the Westmead Children's Hospital on a weekly basis, seeing dietitians, nutritionists, and exercise physiologists 

Soon, she was visiting the Westmead Children's Hospital on a weekly basis, seeing dietitians, nutritionists, and exercise physiologists.  

At first, doctors attributed the weight gain purely to Cassandra's diet or puberty. But after three years, she was diagnosed with insulin resistance. 

It was then they realised they had missed one of the tell-tale signs. The more weight Cassandra put on, the darker the skin on her neck and arms got.

By the age of 16 the frustrated brunette was almost ready to give up hope, until she started watching feature film Burlesque, which features a young and extremely toned Christina Aguilera.

She went through all the cupboards of the house and got rid of anything she loved to eat, including chips and bread 

'I adored her, I wanted to be her, watching her perform was insane,' she recalled.

'It kind of inspired me, and the light came on and I thought "I don't want to do this anymore, I don't want to be like this'". 

And so, just like that, Cassandra began to make changes in her life. She went through all the cupboards of the house and got rid of anything she loved to eat, including chips and bread. 

Cassandra began reassessing her eating strategy, preparing small meals throughout the day and being conscious of the quality of food she ate.

Cassandra began reassessing her eating strategy, preparing small meals throughout the day and being conscious of the quality of food she ate 

She amped up her intake of vegetables and fruit, but still allowed herself to 'indulge a bit' at her grandmother's house 

She amped up her intake of vegetables and fruit, but still allowed herself to 'indulge a bit' at her grandmother's house.

Cassandra began walking on her treadmill at home to begin with. At first she could only manage 15 minutes a day, but slowly she made progress.

After four weeks, Cassandra felt confident enough to do interval jogging, and four months later she was running for a full 15 minutes without stopping. 

As she begun her weight loss journey, Cassandra was also documenting her progress on Tumblr. 

In two years Cassandra lost half her body weight, shedding an incredible 54 kilos

As she begun her weight loss journey, Cassandra was also documenting her progress on Tumblr

And as Cassandra was finding connections online, she was becoming more and more happy with what she saw staring back at her in the mirror. 

'When I was going through everything I was going through with the doctors, I used to pray that some kind of miracle would happen and one day I would wake up and the weight would have fallen off me,' she recalled. 

'It was like this little kid inside of me was saying "Thank you for doing this". I felt really good about myself, I had more love for myself.

'I became very appreciative of what my body could do. I grew a bond with my body that made me very thankful for what its done and what it could do.'

In two years Cassandra lost half her body weight, shedding an incredible 54 kilos.