From Losing Myself to Finding My Strength: How Motherhood Inspired My 70-Pound Weight Loss & A New Way to Help Moms, by Candice Kelly

Motherhood changes everything—including how we see ourselves. If you’ve struggled with weight loss after pregnancy and felt lost in your own body, you’re not alone. Today, I’m thrilled to welcome Candice Kelly to the blog as she shares her powerful journey of losing 70 pounds, regaining her confidence, and creating a sustainable approach to health for busy moms. Her story isn’t just about weight loss—it’s about breaking cycles, finding strength, and making healthy choices easier in the chaos of motherhood.

Before my daughter was even born, I had already lost myself.

In my first months of pregnancy, the weight started piling on fast. I was gaining 10+ pounds every month—and before I knew it, I had put on 60 pounds.

But it wasn’t just the weight. It was how I felt.

I was exhausted. Too tired to move, let alone exercise. Even just taking a shower required me to take a break afterwards.
I was sick all the time. I could barely keep food down, yet the weight kept going up. (yay for morning sickness the entire pregnancy)
I was in a lot of pain. I had braces on multiple body parts just to get through the day.
And the worst part? I didn’t even recognize myself anymore.

I remember looking in the mirror and thinking, Is this just who I am now? Is this my new normal?

It was a horrible feeling. I wasn’t just struggling physically—I was losing my sense of identity and falling into a pretty crippling depression. I spent a lot of days crying and just feeling so lost, hopeless, & not like myself. 

Then My Daughter Was Born—And Everything Changed.

I remember holding my daughter in my arms, looking at her tiny face, and feeling this overwhelming mix of love, fear, and responsibility.

She was perfect. Untouched by the world’s expectations. Unaware of the pressures that, as women, we inevitably face.

And in that moment, it hit me.

If I didn’t change, I was going to pass down the same struggles I had spent my whole life fighting. The same struggles I see my clients facing their entire lives.

I didn’t want to be too exhausted to play with her, to chase her around the park, to get down on the floor and be present in those everyday moments.
I didn’t want her growing up watching me struggle with my body and confidence—because I know how much little girls absorb, even when we think they aren’t paying attention.
I didn’t want her to grow up hearing me complain about my reflection, sigh when I tried on clothes, or talk about food like it was something to be feared.

Because I’ve seen it happen.

So many of us carry wounds around weight, body image, and self-worth that started in childhood. Maybe it was a comment from a well-meaning family member. Maybe it was watching our moms struggle with their own bodies—constantly dieting, never feeling good enough. Maybe it was both.

And I refused to let that cycle continue with her.

I Knew I Had to Lose the Weight—But I Also Knew I Couldn’t Do It The Way I Had Before.

This time, restrictive dieting wasn’t an option.

I was breastfeeding, which meant my body needed fuel to keep my supply up.
I was exhausted and eventually went back to work full time which meant I didn’t have time for extreme meal prep or hours at the gym.
I needed a system that would actually work—not just for a few months, but for a lifetime.

So instead of restricting, I focused on:

• Nourishing meals that kept me full and fueled my milk supply.
• Finding balance between eating for weight loss and keeping my energy high for my baby.
• Making small, repeatable changes—because I knew they would compound over time.

And I made it work in less-than-perfect conditions.

I wasn’t in a gym. I was in my one-bedroom apartment, pushing the coffee table to the side so I could fit in a quick workout and in fact gyms were closed because it was the height of covid.
Some days, I’d get interrupted because my daughter was hungry—and instead of getting frustrated, I reminded myself: this is part of the process.
I didn’t have an hour for workouts, so I did what I could—15 minutes, 20 minutes, sometimes broken up throughout the day.

And it worked.

That’s how I lost 70 pounds—and, for the first time in my life, I didn’t just lose the weight.

I kept it off for over four years because I built a process that fit my life instead of forcing myself into another rigid diet.

Through My Own Journey—And Coaching Hundreds of Other Busy Moms—I Realized One Truth:

Long-term success isn’t about more motivation or discipline.
It’s about having the right systems in place to make healthy choices easier.

Because moms don’t have an endless supply of energy.
We can’t spend all day meal prepping or making separate meals for ourselves and our families.

And for most moms, meal planning is the biggest struggle.
It’s the easiest thing to control first.
And it’s make-or-break for progress.

Every week with my clients, I saw the same frustrations:

• Saving Pinterest, Instagram, or Tik Tok recipes but never actually using them.
• Trying to follow a generic meal plan but ending up making 3 separate meals for their families and feeling like a short order cook. 
• Hitting Wednesday exhausted and overwhelmed—grabbing takeout or ordering doordash even though they swore this week would be different.

So I Started Looking for a Better Way.

That’s Why I Created Macro May.

I needed a tool that took the thinking out of meal planning—something that could build a plan tailored to real life, real preferences, and real goals.

That’s exactly what Macro May does.

She’s not just a meal-planning tool—she’s a game-changer for busy moms who want to lose weight without the stress.

• She personalizes your meal plan. No more random Pinterest recipes that don’t fit your goals or taste buds. Macro May creates meals based on your goals, your preferences, and your family’s needs. (She currently tailors all my dinners to make sure my daughter Tatiana has modifications for her, based on what she likes, without me needing to make a completely separate meal)
• She builds your grocery list in seconds. No more wandering the store or forgetting key ingredients.
• She adjusts when life happens. Last-minute dinner plans? Out for lunch unexpectedly? Macro May helps you pivot and stay on track.
• She saves you hours of mental energy. No more decision fatigue or dinner-time stress. Just a clear, simple system that makes healthy eating easy.

Because This Isn’t Just About Losing Weight—It’s About Feeling Like YOU Again.

When I look back at my journey, the biggest transformation wasn’t just on the scale.

It was waking up and not feeling exhausted before the day even started.
It was walking past a mirror without cringing or avoiding my reflection.
It was getting dressed without digging through my closet in frustration.
It was feeling strong, capable, and confident—not just for me, but for my daughter.

Losing 70 pounds changed my life—but what it really gave me was more life to enjoy.

I have the energy to chase Tatiana around the playground without needing to sit down after five minutes.
I feel good in photos instead of angling my body just right and dreading looking at them later.
I get to be present—really present.

And I want that for every mom.

Because you deserve to fully enjoy motherhood. To feel strong, confident, and capable.

To have more moments of laughing with your kids and fewer moments of stressing over your body.

And sometimes, the thing that’s holding you back isn’t as far off as it feels.

That’s why I’m obsessed with finding shortcuts, hacks, and strategies to make things easier for moms—because we shouldn’t have to spend so much mental energy just trying to take care of ourselves.

Motherhood is hard enough. Feeling good in your body shouldn’t be another impossible challenge to figure out alone.

Weight Loss After Pregnancy