Losing weight and maintaining a healthy one is easier said than done. And for some people, they have a fitness goal in order to achieve the physique and look that they are after. And for Kayla Lavende of Sydney, Australia, her one big goal her entire life was to perfectly look like the famous doll, Barbie.

In her desire to mirror the well-known plastic doll, the 36-year-old was committed to shedding more than 200 pounds in order to accomplish her goal. And yes, with determination, she has already accomplished it!

Kayla recalls that in order to help drive her towards achieving her goal, her parents would buy her a new doll after each time she achieved a weight loss goal. And this helped her a lot.

At her heaviest, Kayla weighed 154kg. This did not bother her at first until she boarded a flight a couple of years ago. This had made her reach her “breaking point.”

Talking to The Morning Show, Kayla shared, “I needed two seats, I needed a seatbelt extender, It was horrible and definitely the wake-up call that I needed. That was my motivation to be like ‘OK, you need to change.’”

Before deciding to have gastric sleeve surgery back in 2018, she tried a variety of diets, consulted with a number of medical professionals, including dietitians, nutritionists, and doctors, and also tried her best to figure out where she was going wrong. But when all her efforts did not become very successful, she decided that it was time to do the surgery. It required removing around 80% of her stomach. It was a success.

She went on to shed more than 90 kilograms. She is now happier than she has ever been when she found a meal plan that worked for her and matched it with a demanding fitness routine. This has also greatly helped with her weight loss efforts.

She said, “This wasn’t a diet for me, it was a lifestyle change. I cut out all junk and fast foods, I don’t do carbs, I don’t eat sugar and I work out every day. This is a new lease on life.”

Aside from losing weight, what perplexed people was her fixation on looking like Barbie.

Talking to Daily Star, Kayla shared that her obsession with weight and Barbie started when she was just a child. She shared, “My obsession with Barbie began as a child and has continued into my adult life. I used to have over 200 dolls as my parents used them as an incentive to go on a diet and lose weight.”

Kayla has since started an Instagram page which she said has helped hold her accountable. On an Instagram post, Kayla wrote: “This page is all about happy, positive vibes. Obviously I love Barbie, I love pink, I have been on massive weight loss journey (which) I am still doing every day… But this page is to hold myself accountable.”

She regularly posts ‘before and after’ shots which also inspire others. She said, “I am finally enjoying my life without any physical limits. On vacation I always felt like the one that held the group back from things cause I couldn’t walk that far or I would just sit out some activities. Not this time. I’m loving my life.”

The 36-year-old costume designer now lives in Las Vegas and has been on a massive transformation journey.