Mother-of-four loses 66 KILOS after realising she was passing on her unhealthy habits to her children - including giving her one-year-old a sip of her Coke

  • At her heaviest Eden Clemett, 26, weighed 137 kilos and was a size 22
  • The New Zealand woman had been obese since a child, and had obese parents
  • When she was pregnant she continued to eat poorly and developed diabetes 
  • As a mother she realised she was passing her bad habits on to her children
  • She decided to make a change, and lost 66 kilos through diet and exercise  

Eden Clemett knew she had reached a turning point when she gave her one-year-old daughter a sip of her coke.

At 137 kilos and a size 22, the mother-of-four knew if she did not take her health in to her own hands, she would pass her bad habits on to her children.

'I didn't want to end up like my mum, who never fed me vegetables,' she said.

'I've got my whole life ahead of me and I want to be a role model for my kids.'

Before and after: New Zealand mother Eden Clemett lost an incredible 66 kilos (right) after her weight ballooned to 137 kilos (left)

Passing on bad habits: The mother-of-four decided to make a change after giving her one-year-old daughter a sip of her coke

Ms Clemett, 26, from Otaki in New Zealand had struggled with her weight since she was a child.

Her parents were obese, and at school she was bullied by the other children about her size.

'I'd try to do my makeup to fit in with the other girls, but they told me I shouldn't even bother trying to make myself look pretty,' she said.

'I look at photos from when I was about 11 years old and I look like I was pregnant. My face was so puffy.

Unhealthy: At her heaviest Ms Clemett was 137 kilos and a size 22, eating burger and up to three litres of coke a day

Embracing exercise: Her husband bought her a bike and she started to exercise in an attempt to lose weight

'When I was 13, I started skipping school because I hated being bullied.

'My mum wouldn't let me stay at home, so I'd hang out behind the school and smoke with my friends. I also started cutting myself. I think I wanted to rebel against my mum.

'It worked, too. By the time I turned 14 I was kicked out.'

Eden was shifted from home to home, and when she was 19, fell pregnant with her first child Bailey.

But while she tried to eat healthier while pregnant, she found she couldn't stick to it.

Doing it for the kids: Ms Clemett is pictured with her husband Aaron and children Briah, Bailey, Willow and Noah

Fighting for fit: She started to exercise and swapped sugary drinks out of her diet

'For breakfast, I'd eat five slices of toast with peanut butter, and maybe a chocolate bar on the side,' she said. 

'I'd go to Maccas for lunch and order a Filet-O-Fish, which I thought was a healthy option.

'At dinner I'd eat three hamburgers and a salad smothered in dressing. Still, it was the first time I could recall eating vegetables.

'I was also still drinking fizzy drinks. I'd just switched Coke for Coke Zero instead.

'After I had Bailey, I felt like I didn't have to eat as healthy anymore. I went back to Big Macs.'

The cycle continued throughout Eden's next two pregnancies, and with each one she developed pregnancy diabetes.

She even admits that she'd give a sip of her fizzy drink to her daughter, and let her children eat chocolate and takeaway.

Role model: Ms Clemett, pictured with daughter Bailey, said she needed to make a change not just for herself but for her children

Transformation: Today she has cut bad foods from her diet and has educated herself about nutrition

Making changes: 'I slowly started cutting out more foods, like chocolate and chips, and then my husband got me a bike for Christmas with some seats for the kids,' she said

Eventually, in December 2015, Eden hit an all-time high of 137 kilos and was wearing a size 22.

She knew she needed to make a change while she was still young, if not for herself then for her children. 

'I started off slowly by taking walks around the block and swapping fizzy drinks for flavoured water,' she said.

'That was one of the hardest things I've done.

'I've had a sugar addiction my entire life, but I just told myself 'you can do this!'

'I slowly started cutting out more foods, like chocolate and chips, and then my husband got me a bike for Christmas with some seats for the kids.

'We started going out on family bike rides and we haven't stopped since! It's so fun to be outside with the whole family.

Finding motivation: 'But I did it for them. I didn't want to end up like my mum,' she said

'I was brought up thinking that you eat when you're happy or sad.

'I was never taught the difference between healthy and unhealthy foods and it's only been within the last year that I've learned about nutrition.

'I knew I wasn't going to get any happier sitting around eating junk, and I think as you get kids it gets harder to lose weight.

'But I did it for them. I didn't want to end up like my mum.'  

The comments below have been moderated in advance.

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

By posting your comment you agree to our house rules.

Who is this week's top commenter? Find out now