Holiday miracle ‘MY CHRISTMAS TREE HELPED ME LOSE 45KG!'

Once ‘fatter than Santa’, Heather is now half the woman she was

- MATTHEW BARBOUR

For most of us, the indulgences of Christmas prompt pledges to make next year different. But for Heather Blair, a health drive seemed almost impossible.

With a newborn baby to care for, she was unable to cook more than microwave meals and as she squeezed into once-baggy size-20 clothes, she felt like it might not be the right time to make resolutions she couldn’t keep.

But holding onto a photo of herself where her bulk blocked out an entire Christmas tree, Heather entered 2019 vowing she’d become the mum baby Ollie deserved. And incredibly, since then, the healthcare administrator has transformed herself, losing 45kg and now bursting with energy.

“I’m proof that anyone can become the person they want to be,” says Heather, 30. “When I look at old photos, it’s hard to imagine how I got that big, but now I’m here, I want to inspire other mums.”

Heather was always slim at school, but when she and her partner Craig got together 12 years ago, the comfort and complacency of a stable relationship took its toll.

“Working all day at a desk, I basically did no exercise during the day and slowly sunk into bad diet habits.”

Heather never learned to cook and didn’t see the need, with a drive-through McDonald’s two minutes from her office. Every lunchtime, she’d get a Big Mac with extra cheese, fries and a large milkshake. And every night, she’d order in Chinese or a chicken burger with onion rings, fudge cake and a Coke.