Obese mother whose weight caused her to suffocate 65 times an HOUR as she slept reveals how she lost 140lbs to cure the condition - and now shows off her toned physique in competitions

  • Julie Marchak, from Victoria, Canada, was diagnosed with sleep apnea in 2015
  • Husband Murray described her as looking like a caterpillar because of her rolls 
  • Mother-of-three overhauled her diet of leftovers and dropped ten dress sizes  
  • Now Julie, has dropped from 288lbs (20st 8lbs) to 143lbs (10st 3lbs)

By Dianne Apen-sadler For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

An obese mother whose weight caused her to suffocate as she slept revealed how she cured herself of the condition by losing 140lbs.

Julie Marchak, from Victoria, Canada, was diagnosed with sleep apnea three years ago - a disorder that meant she stopped breathing up to 65 times an hour overnight. 

Fearing the serious health problems that could arise, the mother-of-three, who tipped the scales at 288lbs (20st 8lbs), knew she had to change her lifestyle.

Swapping takeaways, hamburgers, pizza and ice cream for two protein shakes, a healthy meal, and small snacks a day, Julie lost 20lbs (1st 4lbs) in just one month.

She has since shed more than half her body weight and ten dress sizes - and now proudly shows off her figure, once compared to a 'caterpillar' by her husband Murray, in competitions. 

Before: Julie Marchak, from Victoria, Canada, tipped the scales at 288lbs (20st 8lbs) when she was diagnosed with sleep apnea - a condition that caused her to 'suffocate' in her sleep

Before: Julie Marchak, from Victoria, Canada, tipped the scales at 288lbs (20st 8lbs) when she was diagnosed with sleep apnea - a condition that caused her to 'suffocate' in her sleep

After: Ditching takeout, hamburgers, pizza and ice cream for two protein shakes, a healthy meal, and small snacks a day, Julie lost 20lbs in just one month
She now weighs 143lbs

After: Ditching takeout, hamburgers, pizza and ice cream for two protein shakes, a healthy meal, and small snacks a day, Julie lost 20lbs in just one month. She now weighs 143lbs

Proud: She has since shed more than half her body weight and ten dress sizes - and now proudly shows off her figure in competitions, pictured

Proud: She has since shed more than half her body weight and ten dress sizes - and now proudly shows off her figure in competitions, pictured

Storage unit manager Julie, who now weighs 143lbs (10st 3lbs), said: 'Before I had one foot in the grave, if that wasn't a wake-up call I don't know what else was.

'I was waking up 65 times an hour throughout the night and was told I would need a machine to help with my sleep apnea for the rest of my life.

'I was horrified to have my husband sleep beside me, I didn't feel attractive with the machine and couldn't let my teenage daughters see me with the mask on my face.

'I don't think I was comfortable with any of my body parts before but now I love showing off my arms, legs and stomach.'

Warning signs: Julie, pictured at her heaviest, was suffering from sleep apnea which can increase the risk of heart attacks and diabetes

Warning signs: Julie, pictured at her heaviest, was suffering from sleep apnea which can increase the risk of heart attacks and diabetes

Getting active: Julie, left, now competes in races and is happy working out with friends 

Getting active: Julie, left, now competes in races and is happy working out with friends 

Transformation: Julie revealed her husband Murray, pictured together, now calls her 'hot Julie' 

Transformation: Julie revealed her husband Murray, pictured together, now calls her 'hot Julie' 

Her husband, Murray, said her previous body shape was like looking at a caterpillar because of her rolls, and added that she lacked a waist indent because of how far her stomach stood out.

Julie added: 'I had no bottom, I was kind of rectangular, now I'm a shapely beautiful butterfly.

'My husband calls me "hot Julie", he is just really amazed, he loved me big and loves me small, but thinks I'm really hot now.

'He feels like he married two different women. I always felt beautiful inside but now the outside reflects that too.'

Julie had been overweight since childhood and was teased by other kids at school
She would lose all the extra weight before putting it back on, often weighing more than before, in regular cycles

Toned: Julie, who was overweight since childhood, now proudly shows off her physique 

Inspiration: Julie, pictured today, even inspired her husband Murray to lose 70lbs (5st)

Inspiration: Julie, pictured today, even inspired her husband Murray to lose 70lbs (5st)

Julie had been overweight since childhood and was mocked by other kids for her larger clothing, and taking salads to school.

She would lose all the extra weight before putting it back on, often weighing more than before, in regular cycles.

Julie's diet before and after her weight loss 

BEFORE 

Breakfast - XL flavoured creamed coffee and fast food breakfast sandwich or nothing

Morning snacks - nuts and candy, coffee, muffin

Lunch - leftovers such as their weekly Thai takeout of chicken curry with rice and spring rolls

Snacks - granola bar, cookies, cheese and crackers, coffee cream and sugar

Dinner - hamburgers, noodle casseroles, pizza, beef Burritos

Dessert - ice cream, diet pop

AFTER

Breakfast - Isalean Protein Shake

Snacks - fruit such as apples, pears or berries with nuts, or Greek yogurt and a coffee with almond milk

Lunch- Isalean Protein Shake

Snacks - vegetables, tuna or egg, rice crackers

Dinner - a lean protein such as chicken breast paired with healthy carbs from sweet potatoes or wild-grain rice paired with a vegetable salad  

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Her weight problem really hit home in 2015 when she struggled to go on a hike with her friend and forced them both to head back home less than half way in.

Julie said: 'I had a friend who liked big walks, I had previously been able to do them with her, but when I went on a hike I couldn't make it half way before having to turn around and go back down.

'I couldn't make it through and was so disappointment with myself, I was holding her back and I was already struggling on the easy parts 45 minutes in.'

Her cousin told her about Isagenix and encouraged her to try to 30-day trial.

Julie said: 'She was looking a lot leaner and more muscle without exercising other than walking.

'It felt like the weight was falling off me, every day I woke up the scale was going down.'

Julie was announced a finalist of the Isagenix IsaBody Challenge earlier this year, celebrating her remarkable transformation.

Her newfound life has led her to run her first 10k and even inspired husband Murray, 47, to lose 70lbs (5st).

Julie said: 'To be selected as a finalist was incredible, it was a huge challenge with over 46,000 submissions so being chosen was amazing and still to this day feels surreal.

'Previously for photographs I would hide by putting my children in front of me so you could see nothing more than my shoulders and face.

'Now I love my reflection when I look in the mirror, I love the confidence I see and I've found I'm looking people in the eye a lot more and smiling.'

She added: 'I don't think I was comfortable with any of my body parts before but now I love showing off my arms, legs and stomach'

She added: 'I don't think I was comfortable with any of my body parts before but now I love showing off my arms, legs and stomach'

Canada

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