Woman was addicted to sugar reveals how she lost 40 KILOS

It rots our teeth, makes us fat and contributes to mood swings, yet still sugar is one of the most addictive dietary demons out there.

Just ask Holly Evelyn, from Brisbane. The 26-year-old spent 25 years of her life hooked on sugar in any form – takeaways, cookies and chocolate – before she finally took control of her body and her mind.

Some 18 months later, Ms Evelyn has gone from 105 kilograms to a svelte 66 kilos – and learned to love herself in the process.

‘My sugar addiction is no longer in control of me,’ Ms Evelyn told Daily Mail Australia.

Holly Evelyn (pictured after, left, and before, right) clocked in at 105 kilograms (right) when she knew something had to change 

The 26-year-old (pictured before) said she was addicted to sugar and found it to control her life – she would binge on takeaways, cookies and chocolate much of the time

According to Ms Evelyn, her weight gain problems really started when she moved away from home at age 17 and discovered alcohol – she found alcohol led to bad food choices (pictured before, left and after, right)

‘It’s funny because when you’re bigger, you never look at yourself as bigger – you don’t realise your size,’ Ms Evelyn (pictured) explained

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HOLLY EVELYN’S TIPS FOR WEIGHT LOSS

* You can eat the things you love, you just need to find a healthy way to do so. Think homemade chocolate and pizza or pasta in moderation.

* Find a programme and a lifestyle that works for you and your body. For Holly, she was bored by the endless chicken, rice and broccoli bodybuilder diet.

* If you fall off the wagon one day and eat chocolate, don’t feel you need to see out the entire day unhealthily. If you bust one tyre accidentally, would you do so with the other three too?

* Change something daily – you won’t change your life until you do so. 

* Change something slowly and try not to lose weight quickly. Don’t do something out of punishment.

* Listen to your body with regards to training and exercise.

* Never go into a new regime alone. Get the support of your family and friends.

* Make everyone aware of your goal and it will become real. You need to talk about these things. 

* Weigh out your portions as your brain often thinks you’re eating less than you really are. 

According to Ms Evelyn, her weight gain problems really started when she moved away from home at age 17 and discovered alcohol:

‘I suddenly had this ability to do what I wanted and eat what I wanted,’ she remembered.

‘The problem wasn’t so much with the alcohol, it was that the alcohol led to bad food choices.’

Confessing that she didn’t really know what a healthy meal looked like, Ms Evelyn told FEMAIL she would survive off a diet of takeaways, cookies and chocolate and eschewed food prep and fruit and vegetables:

‘It’s funny because when you’re bigger, you never look at yourself as bigger – you don’t realise your size,’ she explained.

It wasn’t until she developed tonsilitis at age 22 and was placed on the scales at the doctors that Ms Evelyn even realised she clocked in at 105 kilograms.

‘I remember bawling my eyes out on the phone to my mum and saying things had to change,’ Ms Evelyn said.

What followed was not a smooth weight loss journey. Instead, the now 26-year-old spent three years on various challenges, trying to go entirely without sugar and ‘crashing off a lack of sugar all the time as I was used to it’.

‘It was basically a three year battle,’ Ms Evelyn said. 

‘A lot of the challenges I went on followed bodybuilder-style diets – ones where you eat chicken, broccoli and rice the whole time.’

‘By the time I got to age 25 and hadn’t had much success with the challenges, I knew I needed to find something which worked for my mind and my body.’

It wasn’t until she developed tonsilitis at age 22 and was placed on the scales at the doctors that Ms Evelyn even realised she clocked in at 105 kilos – and that something had to change (pictured after, left, and before, right)

Her weightloss journey wasn’t smooth – it took Ms Evelyn three years to find a programme which suited her and allowed her to eat and train as she wished 

‘Now, I can eat goat’s cheese carbonara – which I had the other evening – healthy homemade chocolate and pasta, it’s all about moderation,’ she said – of her new approach

Ms Evelyn said she is a huge fan of working out and does so five times a week (pictured) – but she also said she listens to her body when she needs to rest 

With regards to tips for other women, Ms Evelyn said it’s all about making a daily change to your lifestyle in order to see a difference

A TYPICAL DAY ON HOLLY EVELYN’S PLATE

* MORNING: 150 grams of baked beans, 1/4 of an avocado and eggs.

* SNACK: Greek yoghurt and berries.

* LUNCH: Moroccan-style chicken, broccoli, sweet potato chips and asparagus.

* DINNER: Goat’s cheese carbonara. 

Ms Evelyn eventually landed on the Drew Baird fitness method, because it allowed her to eat what she wanted but also made sure that she re-trained her mind when it came to her nemesis, sugar:

‘Drew cuts nothing out. The method gives you that perfect balance of carbs, fat and sugar,’ she said.

‘Before I would eat my chicken, rice and broccoli and feel good, and then eat something bad later and be filled with self-loathing.

‘On this programme, I can eat goat’s cheese carbonara – which I had the other evening – healthy homemade chocolate and pasta, it’s all about moderation.’

‘Change one little thing at a time and do it slowly. You shouldn’t try to lose weight quickly or out of punishment,’ she said (pictured now)

Ms Evelyn has also found a way to eat all of the things she loves, but in a healthy way – she makes homemade chocolates, for instance, or homemade pizza (pictured now)

Ms Evelyn said that over the course of the past 18 months, she has learned the power of restraint, so that she can still eat the things she loves:

‘If you were to have a flat tyre, would you bust the other three just because one is gone?,’ she asked.

‘It’s the same with sugar. Now if I have one chocolate or let myself enjoy a takeaway, I plan for it, enjoy it and get back on the wagon with some gentle cardio the next day.’

She also now weighs 66 kilos, but said the main improvement has been in her mind:

‘I love myself now. I don’t pick at things I hate, I eat what I enjoy,’ she said. 

‘I love myself now. I don’t pick at things I hate, I eat what I enjoy,’ the 26-year-old told Daily Mail Australia – the change has been as much in her mind as it has in her body

Ms Evelyn said what helped her was having a support network in her friends and family – she said you have to be upfront about your goals if you want to achieve them

Ms Evelyn said she still lets herself have a bit of what she loves – refined sugar – every once in a while, but she plans for it and recovers easily by being healthy afterwards (pictured now)

‘You’re never going to stop yourself from wanting something, you just have to moderate your intake,’ she told FEMAIL  

With regards to tips for other women who want to get started and lose weight without denial, Ms Evelyn said you will never see a difference until you make something a habit:

‘You will never change your life until you change something daily,’ she said.

‘It needs to be about lifestyle. Change one little thing at a time and do it slowly. You shouldn’t try to lose weight quickly or out of punishment. And you should be able to eat what you want – just healthily.

‘Nowadays, when I want chocolate I go away and make my own homemade chocolate. When I want pizza, I can also make that. I also train five times a week which might sound like a lot, but I listen to my body.’

Ms Evelyn said what helped her was having a support network in her friends and family:

‘Never go into something like this alone. Don’t just have these goals in your head – make everyone aware of what you’re trying to do and the goal becomes real.’

Ms Evelyn said she still lets herself have a bit of what she loves – refined sugar – every once in a while, but she plans for it and recovers easily:

‘Sometimes I plan to come home, eat a bag of lollies and then go to bed and do some cardio the next day and feel okay.

‘You’re never going to stop yourself from wanting something, you just have to moderate your intake,’ she concluded.

For more information about Drew Baird Fitness, click here.