Obese woman who used to drink two liters of soda a day reveals how she lost 175lbs in two years - so she could be a better mom to her adopted baby boy

An obese woman who once consumed two liters of soda a day has revealed how she kicked her unhealthy habits and shed more than 175lbs, going from 373lbs to 198lbs, in less than two years, after being overweight her entire life. 

Jennifer Downard, 30, from New Kensington, Pennsylvania, weighed 373lbs when she and her husband Brett, 35, started the process of adopting a child. The mother-to-be realized she didn't want to be the parent who couldn't keep up with her child and vowed to lose weight; she started by making simple changes, including signing up for a calorie-counting app to keep track of her food.

'I didn't change my eating habits much, though,' Jennifer told Women's Health of the moment she started counting her calories. 'I wanted to see what I was typically consuming. That total came out to be about 3,000 calories per day. I was actually a little shocked to see how much I was eating.'

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Amazing transformation: Jennifer Downard, 30, from New Kensington, Pennsylvania, went from being 373lbs when she married her husband Brett (left) to 198lbs (right) after a year and a half of diet and exercise 

Jennifer recalled that when she first 'set out to get healthy', she quit drinking soda cold turkey, however, she noted it was difficult because she had always hated the taste of water.

But instead of giving into her soda cravings, she used flavoring packets to make water more enjoyable and over time found that she no longer needed them. 

And Jennifer stayed motivated by using DietBet.com, a social dieting game that allows users to win money if they stick to their weight loss goals. 

In order to achieve her weight loss, Jennifer knew she had to stop indulging in the processed food and fast food that she had eaten almost her entire life. 

New motivation: Jennifer, pictured with her son Oliver, vowed to lose weight when she and her husband started the adoption process a few years ago. She knew she wanted to be physically able to keep up with her child

'My family and I have always been overweight; I don't want to blame my parents, but they pretty much let my brother and me eat whatever we wanted when we were kids,' she recalled. 'There were times where I would eat an entire box of Pop-Tarts, and no one said anything.'

By the time she reached high school, Jennifer weighed 260lbs, but she said she never felt the desire to lose weight because she her sense of humor made her feel confident. 

Instead of putting on the 'freshman 15' when she started college, Jennifer, who was 300lbs at the time, added another 30lbs to her frame, which she chalked up to eating 'like a college kid' and not exercising.  

'I don't think I had one vegetable while I was there,' she noted. 

Then and now: Jennifer and Brett are pictured on their wedding day (left), while the mother-of-one can be seen showing off her weight loss by taking a selfie (right)

Jennifer said she put on even more weight after college because she started dating a guy 'who was also on the heavy side' because they both relished in enjoying fast food, including ice cream and stuffed-crust pizza. 

When their relationship fizzled, she fell in love with and married Brett, who is naturally slender, something that made Jennifer feel insecure when they were out together. 

'Before I lost weight, I was always worried that people were judging us because I was so heavy and he was the complete opposite,' she said. 'If you ask my husband, he'll say he never noticed other people staring, but I saw the judgmental looks when we held hands.' 

At the start of her weight loss journey, Jennifer incorporated fruits and vegetables into her diet as she eliminated processed foods. A month after she began to alter her eating habits, she started doing Zumba on her Nintendo Wii.

Healthier habits: Jennifer said she used to drink two liters of soda a day, but she has since traded sugary drinks for plenty of water

Maintaining her progress: Jennifer said she is 'okay' with counting calories for the rest of life if it means she stays healthy 

After first she was only able to dance for about 10 minutes, but she pushed herself to add a few minutes to her workouts each time she did Zumba. Soon she started walking and eventually jogging on a treadmill. 

If she has enough calories budgeted, Jennifer said will still treat herself with ice-cream or some of her other favorite foods, however, she tries to have frozen Greek yogurt instead to satisfy her sweet tooth. 

A year and a half later, Jennifer said she can do an hour of Zumba, she learned to love running and she has won close to $1,500 as she continues to work toward her final weight loss goal of 160lbs. She is also the proud mom to a baby boy named Oliver.

'This might sound weird, but I plan on counting calories for the rest of my life - and I'm totally okay with that,' she said.