Candace Hopkins was motivated to lose 40kg through taking photos of herself. Photo / Instagram
An obese Melbourne woman has shed 40kg thanks to selfies.
Candace Hopkins weighed 100kg at her heaviest and decided to lose weight after seeing herself in pictures from her 21st birthday party.
As she lost weight she bravely decided to document her journey in a series of selfies.
Over three years Candace has gone from a size 18 to a size six and now promotes her own fitness and yoga studio.
"My confronting selfies helped me slim, and now they help people on their own weight loss journeys. If I can do it, anybody can," Candace says.
"I hadn't always been overweight, in fact, as a kid I always ate pretty healthily.
"But when I left school, I wanted to become a vet. When I didn't get onto the veterinary course I'd applied for, I was devastated and turned to food for comfort.
"I loved potatoes and would sit on the couch all day eating chips and lollies, then I'd order a takeout for dinner that usually always came with a large side of hot chips.
"With no direction in life, I plodded along, eating my way through my days. My level of self-control was zero and I quickly ballooned."
By the time she turned 21, Candace tipped the scales at almost 100kg and was wearing a size 18.
Candace, now 24, said: "Despite the fact I'd put on weight, I didn't really feel fat.
"I had a lovely boyfriend, Gerard, and my family never said a word about my expanding waistline.
"It was only after my birthday party that I saw a photo of us together, that it hit me just how big I was. I look huge next to him. It was mortifying.
"I remember looking at the photo of myself in the black dress I'd bought specially for the occasion and thinking 'that's not me'.
"But it was. I couldn't believe at how much I'd let myself go."
After the shock of seeing herself properly for the first time in ages, Candace decided to take control.
In the first few months, Candace lost 5kg and was so thrilled with the results, she decided to take photos to keep herself on track.
"The changes happened pretty quickly and as I started to lose weight, I started to take selfies of my progress in the mirror," she says.
"I couldn't believe how much my body was changing."
Over three years, Candace's body changed from a size 18, to a size six, and she decided to share her transformation photos on her Instagram account @eyecandy_fitness_
The item is described as 'perfect for relaxing after a long day of work'.