Young mom credits drinking water with helping her drop 126 lbs

“I felt ashamed. I did not like looking in mirrors. It made me feel gross,” 23-year-old Natalie Burtina tells the Daily Mail.

The young mom recently spoke out after dropping more than 125 lbs. Going from a U.K. size 10 to 24, she discusses how she piled on the weight after falling pregnant with her son, Layton.

“I had packed on the weight once I got pregnant. I just did not care but I was so uncomfortable with myself.”

But when Layton was born with autism, Burtina realized she had to make a change.

“I knew I needed to do something,” she says.

Burtina started by walking and trying to eat healthier. She admits it was tough at first but eventually she got better and even ended up joining a gym. But it wasn’t until someone asked her about how much water she drank that she realized she was missing a vital step in her weight loss journey.

“I just did not care what I ate and drank before,” she says. “I did not drink that much water before – that’s all I drink now.”

Prior to losing the weight, Burtina would drink tons of soft drinks and not really think anything of it. But now that she’s made the switch to water, she’s an advocate of small changes making a big difference.

“Just start with anything. It makes you feel so much better. If I’m having a really stressful day, I find the gym helps now. It’s like therapy.”

Think your eating and drinking habits could be behind your inability to lose weight? Let us know by tweeting to @YahooStyleCA.