“I had such a high-processed sugary diet before so it’s just common sense that it will fall off when you stop drinking four litres of coke a day and eating packets of chips and lollies. I started to eat healthily and became obsessed with how good I started to feel. ”

Karlye Thurlow was prepping healthy baby food for her five-month old son when it suddenly dawned on her that she was not being the positive role model that she really wanted to be.
The mother-of- two, from Lismore in New South Wales, Australia always ensured her children had a balanced diet but her own health and well-being had been put on the backburner

Amber and Logan having autism does not hold them back from being themselves.

Karlye lost 20kg in three months after walking for an hour everyday

Three years ago, Karlye Thurlow, 36, watched her weight balloon to 265.5lbs and she decided that she had to make a change to her lifestyle regardless of how crazy her schedule was with the kids and life in general.
The young mother of 2 autistic children said “I was so unhappy but I would say to myself ‘my body made these two beautiful children’. I realised I had to stop ignoring my negative thoughts and face them head on,” Karlye tells Kidspot.
‘My habit of consuming four litres of Coca Cola everyday was replaced with water and smoothies – and the comfy sofa was abandoned for her walking shoes.’

Karlye has been running her own personal training business

Karlye’s complete flip with her mindset paid off  enabling her to she shed an incredible 132.3lbs in just nine months. Her amazing transformation saw her drop from a size 22 to a tidy size 10.
This inspirational mum managed all of this while caring for Amber, who was just four at the time, and baby Logan.
“I would go to the gym after Logan’s 3.30am feed and be back in time for breakfast. I just made it work for me so that I could feel good about myself for the rest of the day.”
Three years on she has maintained her healthy lifestyle despite the significant hurdles she has faced, including the breakup of her decade old marriage and both of their children being diagnosed with autism.

Karlye lost 20kg in three months after walking for an hour everyday

In January 2013, Karlye started walking for an hour every single day and lost the first 20kg over the next three months. changing her eating habits was another major factor in the weight loss.
“I educated myself and reclaimed the power. I was the one doing the grocery shopping and looking after everyone. I didn’t realise how negligent I had been.’
After Karlye had lost some pounds, she summoned the couraget to get down to her local gym: “The manager of the gym at the time became my personal trainer which really helped me smash my goals.”
The fitter Karyle became in both her body and mind, the more clarity she had about her life goals
“In my late 20s, I witnessed my mum in a very abusive relationship – it was really hard to watch as a child. When I became a mum myself, it made me reflect on the kind of role model I wanted to be to my kids. I knew they would love me unconditionally but I knew I could do better.”

A fit Karlye is re-discovering herself, catching up but not ready to dip in the dating pool, yet

Six months after her transformation began, Karlye’s new positive outlook on life also made her review the marriage situation
“We had been having counselling for some time before I lost weight. I had always put him and the kids first and although I still put the kids first – I decided didn’t necessarily want to spend the rest of my life with him,” she says.
“We have always been friends and we remain friends. He’s such a great dad.
Fortunately, the healthy separation has seen the children adapt well to their parents living apart: “As long as they are supported and loved – they are fine. It has become the norm for them,” “We are also lucky to have supportive families which helps a lot.”

Karlye used to drink 4 litres of Coke a day and eat convenience food over healthy meals.

“Each day I talk about the three things I’m grateful for”

The fact that both of the children have autism has also not impacted too greatly on their lives.
“We don’t really talk about it – it’s just who they are – we don’t focus on it too much,” she says.
“We work on their strengths and just tell them how beautiful and amazing they are.”
Karlye has been practicing what she preaches by talking to herself every morning to start her day on the right track.
“I find those little windows – in the shower, getting dressed, doing my hair, brushing my teeth or after dropping the kids off at school to be aware of my internal dialogue,” she says.
“Each day I talk about the three things I’m grateful for.

Karlye used to cover up at the beach now she loves getting her two-piece out.

Karlye’s incredibly ripped bod!

“It’s about breaking the pattern”

But, of course like everyone, she still has her tricky days to work through.
“I still have my worried days but I just focus on my breathing and allow myself to feel it and then let it go,” she explains.
“It’s about breaking the pattern – I use pen and paper now to write in my journal instead of going to the cupboard and devouring a packet of Tim Tams.”
Karlye now has a very healthy relationship with food and enjoys putting the effort into what she prepares.
“After I would put Amber to bed, I would be so fatigued and tired from working full time that we would just eat something that we could throw in the oven or microwave – or just dial up food, it was really bad,” she says.

Karlye was determined to be a good role model for Amber, 4, and Logan, 3

“I wanted to feel sexy and feminine”

Karlye has evolved from being quite reclusive to really loving getting out and about.
“It was so heartbreaking – I would go to the beach in board shorts because I was too self-conscious. I would decline dinner parties because I didn’t have a pretty dress to wear,” she says.
“I became so withdrawn and ashamed of what I had allowed myself to become.”
Now this mama looks smoking hot and even got a new pair of boobs to complete her fab look.
“I got them for myself – not for anyone else. I had worked so hard on my body and wanted to feel sexy and feminine.”

Karlye now feels sexy and feminine

Inspirational plans

Since the start of the year, Karlye has been running her own personal training business.
“I have this nice network of women who have reached out to me. I want to start a wellness clinic and start something massive that not only reaches all of Australia but also globally,” she says.
“I now feel obliged to share my story inspire others to not live in pain for so long like did.”
Well done Karlye! We hope that your story will inspire other mums out there that absolutely anything is possible even with the crazy schedule of juggling kids and work.