For as long as she can remember, Jessica Ingleson felt like she was fighting a battle with her body.
The 40-year-old business owner from South Australia’s Barossa Valley wine region had spent decades trapped in a yo-yo cycle familiar to millions of women.
Losing weight, regaining it, and carrying the emotional burden of never quite feeling comfortable in her own skin.
At her heaviest, Jessica weighed 135kg (298lb / 21st 4lb) on her 170cm (5ft 7in) frame and wore a size 24. Today, however, after losing an astonishing 56kg (123lb / 8st 11lb) over two years, she maintains her weight at 79kg (174lb / 12st 6lb) and is a size 8-10.
But despite the dramatic transformation, Jessica insists the biggest change wasn’t physical.
Instead, it came from confronting the emotional reasons she had spent much of her life turning to food for comfort, acceptance and reassurance.
‘I’ve always had stigma around my body size,’ she told the Daily Mail.
‘It started when I was very young, around six years old.’
Mother-of-three Jessica Ingleson (pictured) had struggled with her weight since six-years-old. At her heaviest she was an ‘uncomfortable’ 135kg and size 24 in clothing
The 40-year-old business owner from South Australia’s Barossa Valley had spent decades trapped in a yo-yo cycle familiar to millions of women, but finally shed 56 kilos through small tweaks in her diet and exercise regime. (Pictured: Jessica after her weight loss)
Growing up, she said she became painfully aware that she looked different to her peers, particularly during high school when comments about appearance often felt impossible to escape.
‘Body inclusivity was not how it is now when I was growing up,’ she said.
‘If you were the fat kid at school, you were a minority.’
Like many people who struggle with their weight, food gradually became far more than simple nourishment.
Jessica, who comes from a close-knit Spanish family where meals have always been central to celebrations and connection, found herself using food to fill emotional gaps long before she recognised what was happening.
‘Food has always been the focal point of gatherings. We always feed each other and it’s how we show love.
‘There was a positive side to it, but the negative side was me turning to food in my need of being accepted and filling the void.’
While she managed to slim down to 82kg (181lb / 12st 13lb) ahead of her wedding in 2013, the weight gradually returned over the years that followed, especially with pregnancy accelerating the cycle.
Growing up, she said she became painfully aware that she looked different to her peers, particularly during high school when comments about appearance often felt impossible to escape. ‘Body inclusivity was not how it is now when I was growing up’
Jessica found herself using food to fill emotional gaps long before she recognised what was happening. She is pictured with two of her three children
She revealed each of her three pregnancies resulted in weight gains of about 30kg (66lb / 4st 10lb), and while she was able to lose weight whenever she put her mind to it, maintaining those results became difficult amid the demands of motherhood and family life.
‘I’ve always been able to lose weight, but keeping it off has been the struggle.’
By 2022, after welcoming her third child, Jessica found herself physically and emotionally exhausted.
Although she wasn’t formally diagnosed with postnatal depression, she admits there was a lingering heaviness that accompanied caring for three young children while putting her own needs firmly at the bottom of the priority list.
Then came the moment that changed everything. Seven months after giving birth, Jessica attended a friend’s 40th birthday celebration.
She remembers carefully getting ready for the event and feeling confident as she walked out the door, but when she later looked through the photographs, she barely recognised the woman staring back at her.
Each of her three pregnancies resulted in weight gains of about 30kg, and while she was able to lose weight whenever she put her mind to it, maintaining those results became difficult
‘I looked uncomfortable,’ she recalled. ‘I just wasn’t happy.’
Far more confronting than the number on the scales was the realisation that she had stopped taking pride in herself.
‘I knew that wasn’t how I was meant to look and how I was meant to feel about myself. I thought, enough is enough.’
The turning point wasn’t driven by looks alone, but the desire for more energy, more confidence and, most importantly, the ability to fully participate in life alongside her children.
For years, she had quietly overthought situations that many people take for granted – whether she would fit comfortably in a cinema seat, whether she would be able to keep up on a hike with friends, or whether everyday activities would leave her feeling self-conscious.
‘If my friends wanted to do something adventurous, I’d be wondering if there was going to be a big steps to climb or if I’d actually be able to do it.’
Seven months after giving birth to her third child, Jessica attended a 40th birthday party. She remembers carefully getting ready for the event and feeling confident as she walked out the door, but when she looked at photos, she barely recognised the woman staring back at her
For years, she had overthought situations that many people take for granted – whether she would fit comfortably in a cinema seat, whether she would be able to keep up on a hike with friends, or whether everyday activities would leave her feeling self-conscious
Determined to make lasting changes, she deliberately avoided another crash diet or obsessing over restrictions and instead focused on understanding.
That journey led her to a clinical hypnotherapist, where sessions uncovered years of negative self-beliefs surrounding food, body image and self-worth.
‘What it all really boils down to is your own self-worth,’ she said.
‘If you inherently don’t believe you’re worthy of it, then you’ll never change.
You’ll never stick with anything long enough where you actually feel you deserve it.’
Alongside the mindset work, she embraced breathwork, somatic movement and nutritional coaching, gradually developing healthier habits that felt sustainable rather than punishing.
Instead of skipping meals, she prioritised protein-rich breakfasts, balanced lunches and dinners built around lean protein, vegetables and carbohydrates.
Alongside the mindset work, she embraced breathwork, somatic movement and nutritional coaching, gradually developing healthier habits that felt sustainable rather than punishing. She also attributes walking every day and at-home strength training for quick results
Importantly, nothing was banned: ‘I have my cake and I have chocolate here and there,’ she added.
The difference, she said, was learning about portion sizes and viewing food as fuel rather than comfort.
‘I took the emotion out of it and treated it like a science – like, ‘This is all I need. This is fuel.”‘
A typical day for her begins with eggs on toast and avocado, followed by a protein-focused wrap or salad for lunch, and a balanced family dinner of meat and three veg.
Rather than eliminating treats, Jessica swapped quantity for quality, enjoying a few pieces of premium chocolate with her husband after dinner instead of mindlessly overeating.
Exercise was equally uncomplicated, but rather than launching into intense workouts, she started walking regularly.
The daily walks quickly became a form of therapy, offering precious moments of solitude and clarity away from the demands of family life.
As the kilos came off and her confidence grew, Jessica gradually built a home gym and began strength training five mornings a week before her children woke up.
Although she’s proud of losing 56kg naturally, in late 2025, Jessica used Mounjaro for three months to shift the eight kilos she put on while travelling in Europe
The consistency paid off, with not only her body changing, but her energy levels too.
‘It gave me such a great start to my day. Why would I stop doing something that made me feel so good?’
By the end of her two-year transformation, Jessica had lost 56kg (123lb / 8st 11lb) naturally, but it wasn’t all smooth sailing.
After returning from a European holiday and navigating the usual Christmas indulgences in late 2025, she found herself 8kg (18lb / 1st 4lb) above her goal weight.
Wanting support to lose the regained weight, she decided to try Mounjaro weight loss injections through an online telehealth service.
The medication helped her return to her maintenance weight, but she said its greatest impact wasn’t on the scales, but rather the relief of finally escaping the relentless mental chatter that had accompanied weight loss for years.
‘The whole process of losing weight, I was constantly thinking about food. I was constantly thinking about how much I needed to eat and when I could eat.’
For Jessica, that mental freedom alone helped her understand why so many people are turning to weight-loss medications, but she knew hers was only a temporary solution. At a cost of $700 per month, it was too expensive to maintain.
Having since stopped using the medication, Jessica says maintaining her weight remains an ongoing commitment, but she believes every challenge was worth it.
‘There is no amount of anything that tastes as good as feeling healthy and strong and having the energy.’
