‘I used to be an overweight alcoholic after changing into a mum – I understand how far my physique has come’

At 33, Kassidy Riekens has finally learned to accept her body in all its forms.

After battling borderline anorexia in her teens and obesity and alcoholism in her 20s, she has found a healthy balance, respecting a body that has endured, transformed and grown stronger with every challenge.

“My relationship with food and my body has been a real rollercoaster,” Kassidy, who has four healthy girls and tragically suffered the stillbirth of her son, admitted.

“In high school, at 5’6” (167.6 cm) and just 7.6st (48.5 kg), I was borderline anorexic. Staying thin was all that mattered, so I ate as little as possible and pushed myself to work out constantly.”

After high school, Kassidy adopted a lifestyle centred on binge drinking, fast food, and cigarettes as a way to cope with creeping depression.

By 21, she had gained nearly 100 lbs (45 kg), and by the time her first daughter Harley was born in 2015, she weighed 18.5st (117 kg).

“I remember the day I delivered Harley – I felt physically so large, I could barely move,” she recalled.

“The experience was a wake-up call for me. Two weeks later, I committed to being healthy. I wanted to be the best version of myself, for my daughter, my husband Dylan, and me.”

With the support of Dylan, who works as an Air Force aviator, Kassidy dove headfirst into her weight loss journey, but it wasn’t as simple as following a diet or hitting the gym.

“I was an alcoholic, and my drinking was out of control. I was masking depression, feelings, physical pain, and the world. I was never clear-headed and constantly asked for forgiveness when I messed up. I didn’t ever want my kids to see me act like that or my husband having to take care of me while I was drinking. It was embarrassing and not who I wanted to be. I knew I had to go cold turkey and stop drinking – there was no other way.”

Kassidy, from Wyoming, began meal prepping, even though she admitted she didn’t fully know what she was doing. Six weeks later, she took a deep breath and walked into the gym. She had no workout programme and minimal guidance, so she started by asking for help, researching routines, and learning as she went.

“Just as I was getting used to a fitness routine, I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. My joints hurt so badly that there were days I couldn’t even lift my baby, let alone think about working out,” she explained.

“I didn’t give up. I found exercises that my body could handle and I pushed through the pain.”

The weight loss was remarkable – within a year and a half, Kassidy shed 130 lbs (59 kg). But three years later, during her pregnancy with her second daughter, Blake, she gained 70 lbs (32 kg), bringing her weight back up to 16.4st (100 kg). Once again, she faced the demanding task of losing weight, this time while balancing motherhood and managing rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Kassidy and her husband, Dylan, went on to welcome two more daughters, Billie and Hayden, filling their home with even more love and laughter.

But last December, tragedy struck when their son, Tripp, was stillborn, a heartbreak they carry with them every day.

“Grief is such a strange thing. I can go long periods without speaking about it, but it’s on my mind every day,” Kassidy shared.

“It feels like everyone else’s lives just continue, but I’m still reliving that night, stuck in that moment. It’s not just the trauma of his birth; it’s the emptiness when I randomly wonder what my son would be doing right now, at this very moment. Stillbirth is so devastating, and yet it feels like a taboo topic that no one talks about.”

Amid her grief, Kassidy is deeply committed to honouring her son’s memory by leading a fulfilling and joyful life.

She’s not only a certified personal trainer and nutrition coach and hands-on mum to her kids age nine, six, three and two, but also recently celebrated five years of sobriety.

Her story of transformation reaches more than 66.3K followers on Instagram and 52.1K on TikTok, where she openly shares her fitness journey and weight loss tips.

She continued: “I realised that motivating people, sharing my lifestyle, and doing my best to inspire someone in some way was something I wanted to do, so I started sharing my story. I want others to realise that despite the struggles, you can achieve anything if you put your mind to it. People think they’re limited when they’re not. The sky’s the limit,” she concluded.

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