Brazilian mother 'too fat' to fall pregnant loses 70 lbs
A mother has revealed how she struggled to conceive because she was overweight.
Businesswoman Rafaela Arlotta, 32, and her husband, from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, tried for two years before she finally fell pregnant in 2012, and she believes her 185lbs (13st 3lbs) frame was partially to blame.
A few months after giving birth to her daughter, Mel, in June 2013, Rafaela started on her weight loss journey, changing her diet and introducing exercise into her daily routine. She has since dropped six dress sizes and now weighs 115lbs (8st 3lbs).
Transformation: Rafaela Arlotta, 32, has lost 70lbs (5st) since welcoming daughter Mel in 2013
Toned: The mother-of-one, pictured today, weighed 185lbs (13st 3lbs) at her heaviest
She said: 'When Mel was born, I lost only her weight, 7lbs, and then I lost almost nothing. Since I work on my own, I only had 47 days of maternity leave, so it was just me and my daughter. I did not have a nanny and my husband only arrived at night).
'When she was three months old, I decided to challenge myself. At this point I got nanny twice a week. This gave me time to work and to take care of myself, while being able to do other things.
'I began to organise myself with food. Nothing radical, but cutting the sweets, which I consumed daily until then. I took it as a life challenge to be well with myself, because it bothered me a lot to not have a disposition, not to like or take a picture.'
Rafaela said she was 'chubby' growing up and spent her free time lounging on the sofa and watching television.
Then and now: Rafaela previously wore a US size 14, left, and now slips into a US size 2
Role model: Rafaela said she wanted to set a good example for her daughter, Mel, pictured
She said: 'When I was single I was the laziest person and my favourite place was the sofa; where I watched the world go by through the programs I watched, one after the other. I could lie down all day.'
By the time she married in November 2009, Rafaela's lifestyle had become even worse and the couple would often eat out rather than cook at home. This 'lazy' routine lead her to reach 185lbs (3st 3Ibs) and a US size 14 (UK 18).
The couple knew they wanted to start a family but found themselves struggling and Rafaela believes her weight was part of the problem.
She said: 'Work was always an excuse not to have time to exercise. My husband and I had a vision that going out to relax was going out to eat.
'Lazy' lifestyle: Rafaela, left before and right now, and her husband often used to eat out
'Well, after much gain and little loss of weight, I finally got pregnant, but I was overweight - it took me over two years to get pregnant.'
Rafaela, an entrepreneur, has lost 70lbs (5st) since her pregnancy and now wears a US size 2 (UK 6). She said part of the motivation was not wanting her daughter to grow up with unhealthy habits.
She said: 'What would I show my daughter? What would her relationship be with food and exercise and self-esteem?
'I did not want to be bitter, unhealthy, out of order. I did not want my daughter to grow up seeing me eat things that only hurt me.
Barrier: Rafaela believes her weight was partly to blame in her struggle to conceive
'One of the greatest motivations of my journey was to be a better and healthier person for my daughter, Mel. She only remembers this new Rafaela.'
Reaching her goal has helped her see that time was a big factor in the weight loss process, but Rafaela says that it's important for those who want to lose weight to do it gradually.
'For those who start I always say take it easy. It changes gradually, it will let your body and your mind understand every change of habit you are making,' she said.
Small changes: Rafaela stressed the importance of slowly shifting your diet to lose weight
Leading by example: Rafaela is joined on a run with her three-year-old daughter, Mel
'Read about the foods you eat, understand their benefits and their harm. Try new flavours, spices, foods, and discover a physical activity that you cannot live without.
'No radical changes and don't hurry. Your body, and especially your mind, need to understand everything.
'I fell in love with racing. I have become a runner, participated in races, and I have a coach. My training routine is aimed at improving my performance in the race.
'I love to see the good that I do to my body, my life, my daughter and my family. I love seeing that I managed and still managed to motivate everyone around me, it makes me very happy.'