Controversial Instagram star and blogger Loni Jane Anthony, who was widely criticised for maintaining her fruit-based diet during pregnancy, has hit out at women who pile on the pounds during pregnancy.
"I’m living proof that you don’t have to become a whale when you’re pregnant," she told News.com.au.
"You don’t have to put on heaps of weight and never bounce back — you can stay really healthy."
Loni Jane 12 weeks after giving birth
The 25-year-old, who gave birth to a healthy baby boy Rowdy Nash on 2 March 2014, follows the 80:10:10 diet, which is based on 80% carbohydrates, 10% protein and 10% fat. It is very low fat and largely plant-based, and Anthony claims it revolutionised her life after her fast food and fast living lifestyle made her feel ill.
Despite her claims, the star's eating habits - which includes consuming 10 bananas per day - came under fire last year from critics concerned about the health of her then unborn child.
But Loni Jane says that her and Rowdy's health (who weighed 8.7 pounds and measured 55cm in length at birth) are testament to the benefits of the controversial diet.
“Because I’ve documented my whole pregnancy, the evidence is there — it’s in my skin, in the way I carry myself, and it’s in my baby,” she says.
"I put on 17 kilos when I was pregnant, but that was pretty much all baby and fluid. In the first two days after giving birth, 10 kilos dropped off me. I’m back into a bit of yoga and cycling now, too."
She adds: “Rowdy is five weeks old now and he’s sleeping eight hours a night already. At night he feeds, Pete (my partner) and I take him in the shower with us, I wrap him, he feeds again and then he goes to sleep for the night.
“My midwife says that if he’s feeding well and putting on weight then I can leave him in this routine. It makes life a million times easier — I’m not sleep deprived! In the morning he feeds for about two hours because he’s had such a big sleep. But then he will go to sleep for a couple of hours again."
More pictures from Loni Jane's Instagram account