Mother-of-five, 34, drops five dress sizes as she flaunts her abs

A mother who struggled with her fluctuating weight after her fifth pregnancy has dropped five dress sizes in an astonishing body transformation.

Personal trainer Gabrielle May, from Hobart, Tasmania, weighed 90kg after ‘mindlessly eating’ convenient prepackaged meals – and she would sometimes devour a whole family sized dessert in one sitting.

At her heaviest, the 34-year-old said she wore size 16 clothing and she found the daily tasks of being a mother challenging.

But determined to get on top of her weight once and for all, she banished her tummy and sculpted a toned figure just by tweaking her diet and exercising.

Before her weight loss, Ms May – who documents her body transformation on Instagram – said she led a ‘sedentary lifestyle’ after she got pregnant with her fifth child.

‘I’d never been overly active, I was thin due to an illness and then when I got pregnant with my fifth baby, I gained a lot of weight and had no strength,’ she told Daily Mail Australia.

‘The issue with my weight had nothing to do with my worth, my beauty or my value. But it made life hard. It made getting up in the morning, hard.

‘It made walking and sleeping hard. To be constantly uncomfortable, out of breath and aching is hard. I was miserable and didn’t even know there was another way to live.

‘I was always tired, lacked confidence, put myself last every day, every time. I struggled with the daily tasks of being a mum and I had no energy left at the end of the day to do anything.’

After her marriage breakdown, Ms May said she was in a ‘very lonely place’ and she would mindlessly comfort eat with no portion control.

‘Everything was for convenience so I was eating lots of prepackaged foods,’ she said.

‘I thought I ate pretty healthy. I’d have “healthy” cereal for breakfast, maybe with yoghurt too. I’d snack on muesli bars or protein bars if feeling good, or biscuits and chips if wanting a treat. 

‘Lunches were white bread sandwiches, or pies and pastry from the oven. The main meals I often made were meal bases, like Indian in a jar. But I’d always add oodles of naan bread, and never a veggie. Top it off with dessert.

‘I would also never say no to the odd snacks, I’d eat the biscuit alongside my coffee, or the cake passed around at a party, or the left over sausage roll on my kid’s plate. Mindless eating led to lots more food intake than I probably even remember.’

But her turning point to lose weight once and for all came after she realised she was ‘worth more than how I felt’.

‘I realised I deserved the effort that it took and the investment in myself,’ she said. 

‘I knew I was going to love myself strong and that’s what I committed to instead of punishing myself with a workout and then getting discouraged when results don’t happen instantly.’

In less than two years of working out and eating smaller portions of food, she slimmed down to a size six to eight after shedding 30 kilos. 

‘I went from not being able to pick myself up off the floor to smashing out burpees. I went from being puffed out walking 1km to running a marathon in two years,’ she said. 

And she also treats herself to her favourite snacks and she can continue to enjoy any food she wants without depriving herself.

‘It’s a treat now and I enjoy it. I used to eat a whole family sized portion of a dessert and when it was gone, I’d be back to feeling like c**p,’ she said. 

‘Now, I eat real food, plenty of pasta, bread, fruit and vegetables. Lots of variety but I portion it to match the energy I use. I can stick to my portion, I enjoy it and I’m eating it for the flavours and not to feel better.’

With exercising, she works out at the gym between five to six times a week, up to 30 minutes each session.

‘It depends on the season. I just finished marathon training which was five runs per week and two gym sessions. Now I’m back to five to six gym workouts a week,’ she said.

The mother-of-five – who currently weighs around 60kg – has more energy now than before having just two kids at the age of 22.

‘I’m proud of myself. I’m all about women embracing their right to not just accept their bodies but fully love the hell out of themselves,’ she said.

‘I feel proud, excited and I think I look great.’

For anyone who’s keen to lose weight but don’t know where to start, Ms May said: ‘Consistent work will change your life, energy and ability – and that will change your weight.’