Sales consultant, 35, who 'lived off' McDonald's sheds over HALF her 132kg body weight without resorting to surgery - and shares the healthy meal swaps she swears by to stay slim
- Elaine Kalache, from Canberra, tipped the scales at 132kg at her heaviest
- Her weight escalated after living off an unhealthy diet for most of her life
- She fell into depression after a car accident at age 15 turned her life upside down
- The 35-year-old was determined to get on top of her weight once and for all
- She shed more than half her body weight naturally after tweaking her lifestyle
- Looks unrecognisable after slimming down to size eight within a year and a half
A sales consultant who once 'lived off' fast food has shed more than half her body weight naturally after cutting out oils, sugar and fried foods.
Elaine Kalache, from Canberra, wore size 20 to 22 clothing, and weighed 132kg at her heaviest after a horrific car accident at the age of 15 turned her life upside down.
The 35-year-old said she fell into severe depression, 'feeling like I wasn't good enough even though I looked like I had so much confidence... I wasn't happy'.
She said she lived off fried foods, takeaway meals from McDonald's, KFC and Red Rooster, snacked on chips, chocolates and lollies and drank soft drinks.
But determined to get on top of her weight once and for all, she now looks unrecognisable after slimming down to a size eight within one and a half years after she completely overhauled her lifestyle.
Before and after: Elaine Kalache whose weight escalated after living off an unhealthy diet has shed more than half her body weight naturally after cutting out oils, sugar and fried foods
She tipped the scales at 132 kilos at her heaviest after a horrific car accident at the age of 15 turned her life upside down. But her turning point came in 2004 to lose weight for good
Before her incredible weight loss journey, Elaine said she was always 'chubby as a kid' but after the car accident, she gained a staggering 48 kilos.
'I faced a lot of challenges from a very young age being overweight. Which caused me to have depression. Having three slim sisters I always felt like I was the odd one out,' she told Daily Mail Australia.
'At 15 I was a passenger in a car accident which basically turned my life upside down. Being in and out of the hospital and on so many different medications, I gained even more weight.
'Even though I may of looked happy, was the life of every party, loud and outgoing, deep down it was opposite, I was so unhappy.'
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Elaine dropped 69 kilos after one and a half years after cutting out oils, fried food and sugar
But determined to get on top of her weight once and for all, she now looks unrecognisable after she slimmed down to a size eight within a year and a half after she overhauled lifestyle
Elaine said the challenges she faced in her daily life were a 'combination of being depressed, unhappy and being bullied'.
'I had no fitness regime. I didn't know much about nutrition and basically I ate anything, pretty much all foods,' she said.
Her turning point came in 2004 when she realised she needed to change her life.
'I was just fed up. I was mentally exhausted from trying diets for a few days and then going back to my old eating habits,' she said.
Turning her life around for good, Elaine completely changed her mindset and unhealthy habits.
'I cut out all oils completely. I followed a high carb and low fat diet. I completely swapped all sugary drinks to sugar free,' she said.
'I cut out all fried foods, most processed foods and basically would eat sandwiches for lunch with either chicken, turkey or ham and salad. Dinners looked liked lean meat stir fries, pastas and anything that didn't contain much fat in it.
'I started going to the gym and doing cardio five days a week. Cross trainer and treadmill were my thing.'
The sales consultant said she lived off fried foods, takeaway meals from McDonald's, KFC and Red Rooster, snacked on chips, chocolates and lollies and drank soft drinks
Turning her life around for good, Elaine completely changed her mindset and unhealthy habits
Elaine - who documents her amazing weight loss on Instagram to more than 320,000 followers - dramatically dropped 69 kilos after one and a half years.
'I definitely do feel better. I am more confident,' she said.
'It can still be very challenging at times. Because I was overweight basically most of my life, I still see that girl in the mirror.
'I believe that's more emotional though with some of the pain I went through as a child being overweight. I need to sometimes snap myself out of it and realise how far I've come.'
She now follows a healthy diet, including eggs on toast or avocado for breakfast, tuna salad for lunch, a veggie burger for dinner and lettuce wraps with cottage cheese and tomatoes as a snack.
Despite her healthy meal choices, Elaine - who now weighs 63 kilos and wears a size 8 to 10 - said she still enjoys her favourite foods such as pizza occasionally.
Before her incredible weight loss journey, Elaine said she was always 'chubby as a kid' but after the car accident, she gained a staggering 48 kilos (pictured in 2004)
For anyone who struggling to lose weight, Elaine said: 'Quit going for quick fixes as they are only temporary and will have you feeling more miserable than when you started'
For anyone who struggling to lose weight, Elaine says: 'I know it's not easy. It will be a slow and frustrating process and at times you feel like you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel.
'Know that everyday will be different - some will be good and some bad, but don't let a bad day turn into a few bad weeks because you will only end up where you started.
'The key to seeing results is being consistent and being very patient. Always remember why you have decided to make the change and don't let anything get in your way.
'I didn't see results overnight. It definitely took time, lots of failures, self analyses, and everything in between to get where I am today - and guess what? I'm still learning everyday.
'Quit going for quick fixes as they are only temporary and will have you feeling more miserable than when you started. Remember this is a lifestyle change. Focus on creating little habits everyday.'
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