A Lanarkshire mum has dropped a whopping five dress sizes and become a competitive bodybuilder after ditching takeaways.
Helen Buchanan, 39, from Wishaw was struggling with her weight before she embarked on an intense diet and exercise regime to turn her life around.
The hairdresser was tipping the scales at around 13st following years of 'binging on takeaways' but said she slowly realised her lifestyle was making her unhappy, the Daily Record reports.
Within six months Helen dropped from a size 16-18 down to a size 6-8 and is now a ripped 9st.
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In 2022, the mum-of-one hired personal trainer Adele MacGillivary and started a fitness regime that saw her lifting heavy weights to shed fat and build muscle.
She told the Record: "I was not in a good place mentally or physically. I was eating takeaway after takeaway and I didn't care about myself.
"I realised I didn't want my daughter to see me like that. One day I decided something had to change. I met up with a friend and started walking and running after work. Then I hired a personal trainer to keep pushing me."
Helen swapped junk food for chicken, rice, and vegetables as she worked towards her super-ripped physique but said she still enjoys the occasional sweet treat.
As she continued to lose weight, Helen decided she wanted to begin training as a bodybuilder and compete at the British Natural Bodybuilding Federation competition in Perth earlier this month.
She said: "I started exercising more to feel good about myself.
"I was losing fat and building muscle last year. Then I set myself a goal of entering a bodybuilding competition.
"In January I started 'prep' for the bodybuilding show, which is fat cutting to show off all the muscle. It was really hard.
"I had to cut out a lot of things including dairy and chocolate. There were a lot of things I couldn't do for six months.
"I was working out in the gym for about three and a half hours a day. I lost two family members during that time and it made it very hard to stay focused but I kept going as I wanted to prove to myself I had the determination and I could do it."
Helen, who turns 40 this week, showed off her hard work on the stage at Perth and raised cash for St Andrew's Hospice along the way.
She also said she believes her transformation has had a positive impact on her 13-year-old daughter.
"It has been a very tough journey and some days were really hard but I had the determination to do it for myself." she continued.
"I feel like a completely different person now. I am a role model for my daughter and I think seeing me thriving has helped her come on leaps and bounds."
She now plans to compete in a second bodybuilding competition next year. She added: "Now I feel good mentally and physically. I know I've inspired my friends.
"Your health is the most important thing in the world and I hope by sharing my story I can inspire other women."
