A 26-year-old mom from Melbourne, Australia, has stunned internet viewers with her incredible transformation after going through quite a challenging period in her life.
In a post shared on TikTok in April, under the username @djaprilia, she can be seen before and after the transformation, looking like two completely different women. A caption reads: "POV [point of view]: You spend a year getting off anti-depressants, eating clean, oiling your hair + losing 23kg [51 pounds]."
The poster, April, told Newsweek that she has battled relentless anxiety since becoming a mum to her little boy. After managing to pick her life back up, she is now trying to spread awareness about mental health and parenthood.
April said: "After entering the challenging wave of parenthood, I lost myself in the process. I developed a chronic illness, had extremely fast weight gain and couldn't look at myself in the mirror without a mental breakdown.
"I poured 100 percent of my energy, care, and time into raising my baby, which I will forever be proud of myself for. Now, two years postpartum, I advocate and share my journey online to remind parents to fill up their own cup."
April said that she had a "pinch me" moment in 2023, which she remembers vividly, that made her realize that she needed a change.
"I quite literally had a pep talk to myself in front of a mirror and promised myself a healing and holistic transformation," April added. "Tapering off my anti-depressants was my starting point. When I say, that was the hardest part of this journey, I am not lying. The withdrawals and side-effects would keep me awake vomiting, shaking, and panicking.
"Once my body and brain had adjusted to the change, I anxiously joined up to a gym. I became hooked very quickly. The dopamine would fuel my motivation. Within a year, I lost 25 kilograms [55 pounds] and went from a size 18 to a size 8. I started practicing self care, and allocated 30 minutes out of every day to simply moisturize, oil my hair, or go for a walk."
April's goal now is to use her platform to show my love and support for others going through a similar phase.
"I spread awareness about mental health and never want anyone to feel alone like I once did. I am now the most powerful version of myself. I am not perfect. But I am a completely new woman. A woman I am proud of," April said.
@djaprilia The hair breakage 😅 #weightlosstransformation
♬ original sound - tomlinsonchrry ☀️
While postpartum anxiety is not as talked about as postpartum depression, it is real and it is estimated that it affects at least one in five women.
An article posted by Harvard Medical School reads: "Similar to postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety may spike due to hormonal changes in the postpartum period.
"It may also increase as a response to real stressors, whether it's the health of the baby, finances, or in response to navigating new roles in your relationships."
The video quickly went viral on social media, getting viewers from across TikTok. It has so far received over 1.4 million views and more than 154,000 likes on the platform.
One user, Kendra, commented: "Yes yes yes!! Getting off antidepressants and good food is life changing. It is HARD work but you look just stunning."
User229824591 wrote: "I swear the weight gain from antidepressants makes ur depression worse." And Julia added: "People really underestimate a healthy lifestyle when it comes to mental health!"
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some extra details, and they could appear on our website.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Maria Azzurra Volpe is a Newsweek Lifestyle Reporter based in London. Her focus is reporting on lifestyle and trends-related stories, ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
