'I felt terrible about myself': 260-lb mother-of-two reveals she lost nearly HALF her body weight after giving up partying, smoking, and drinking

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A woman set in her partying ways has lost nearly half her body weight after being motivated by an incredibly uncomfortable pregnancy.

Stay-at-home mom Kassidy Caitlin Riekens, 28, from Cheyenne, Wyoming, lead a life of bad habits such as drinking, smoking and partying up to four times a week, which spiraled out of control until she weighed 260lbs. and squeezed into a dress size 20.

'I was leading a very unhealthy life before I lost weight. I was partying and drinking two to four times a week, never exercising and I was smoking a pack of cigarettes every couple of days while eating terribly,' Kassidy said. 

Before and after: Kassidy Caitlin Riekins, 28, from Cheyenne, Wyoming, lost half her body weight after giving up bad habits like drinking, smoking, and partying

Transformation: Working out and eating right also helped Kassidy go from a size 20 to a size 10. This all happened starting in 2015 after a particularly difficult pregnancy 

Her inspiration: She weighed 260lbs. and felt unable to perform normal activities like walking, but all changed after having her first daughter (pictured with both children) 

incredible: She altered her eating and exercise habits, and she now weights 160lbs. Pictured is Kassidy after giving birth to Hunter and now (right and left)

'The type of foods I over indulged in were things like pasta, bread and fried foods every day,' she continued. 

Stunning: 'I am continuously trying to better myself and become the best version of me possible,' she said about her weight loss journey

'I remember going to a concert one evening and in order to get in you had to climb a ton of stairs. I had to stop ten times because I was so out of shape. It was so humiliating. I couldn't run, exercise, or do anything physical without being extremely winded.'

Being overweight and unhealthy had a huge impact on her happiness, and she hated who she was both inside and out. She felt ashamed and embarrassed, insecure and lost. 

Kassidy also couldn't walk far without being out of breath, and she believed her unhealthy lifestyle ultimately lead to her suffering with rheumatoid arthritis.

As she continued to party the nights away to forget about her problems, she received stark reminders by the negative comments from the public. 

'I remember one time I was at a bar and it was really crowded,' she detailed. 'I was pushing my way through the crowd as politely as I could, and this guy yelled at me, "Move you fat b****!" I was absolutely devastated. Another time someone asked my husband Dylan, "Why are you dating her, she's fat!"' 

She continued: 'I felt really terrible about myself. Not just because I wasn't happy with my appearance, but because I wasn't happy with myself either. 

'When you are insecure it shows, and it can bring out the worst in you. I was ashamed, embarrassed and lost. I couldn't believe I'd let myself get to that point and I felt like there was no hope for me.' 

Baring it all: Kassidy proudly flaunts her stomach after having two children 

Driven: Kassidy (pictured with her family) said she wanted to be a positive role model by riding her life of her bad habits like drinking and smoking 

Saying goodbye: Kassidy, pictured before her weight loss, used to smoke cigarettes, drink and eat unhealthily. She has since prioritized a more healthy lifestyle 

In 2015, Kassidy fell pregnant and it was an incredibly uncomfortable pregnancy. 

During her daughter's delivery, she vouched that enough was enough. Shortly after Harley was born, she started her weight loss journey.

'I was so big and uncomfortable when I went to deliver that I told myself "no more". I didn't ever want to feel that terrible or miserable ever again,' she said. 'Two weeks after Harley was born, I made the changes I needed to turn my life around and I've never looked back.'  

­Kassidy started preparing her meals, taking special care to ensure they were healthy. She also joined a gym. 

'I now eat so much better, I'll have a protein shake, stir fry vegetables with chicken and fajitas on low carb tortillas,' she said. 'If I need snacks I'll have another protein shake or reduced fat wheat thins with hummus or a rice cake.'  

Simply through meal preparation, exercise and a bit of determination, Kassidy now maintains a weight of 160lbs. and wears a dress size 10.     

One of the hardest parts of losing weight for Kassidy has been her rheumatoid arthritis, which makes exercise very difficult as she never knows when it will flare up and how long those flares will last. 

For these reasons, she often has to push through the pain to maintain her weight loss.

'Exercise has become as second nature as brushing my teeth, and I prioritize it just like I do my biggest daily obligations,' she said

Happy: 'There is growth in every single day but compared to how I used to be, I feel amazing,' she said

Battling on: The woman confessed she has setbacks on certain days, but she's learned to keep pushing towards her goals 

'Normally you make the choice to be better but, unfortunately for me, I don't get to choose if my body is going to be inflamed or not and this can cause serious setbacks,' she said. 

'I'm usually always in some sort of pain which makes exercising very difficult, but if I wait to feel better, I may be waiting my entire life. I make the best of the situation and I do what I can.'

Her routine: 'I usually say to take it day by day,' she said. 'Find one healthy recipe and meal prep it. Got to the gym and walk for 30 minutes' 

On top of Kassidy's successful weight loss, she has also made other positive changes to her health and no longer smokes or drinks either.

Kassidy has gone from being someone who she was ashamed of to being a positive role model to someone other people can confide in and ask for tips and advice.  

'I still have ups and downs and I struggle sometimes with my own insecurities like everyone else, but I feel great now generally. I accept myself for who I am and that is a very difficult thing to do,' she said. 

'I am continuously trying to better myself and become the best version of me possible. There is growth in every single day but compared to how I used to be, I feel amazing.'

She continued: 'Exercise has become as second nature as brushing my teeth, and I prioritize it just like I do my biggest daily obligations.

'People are always very inspired by the amount of weight I have lost. They say they are proud of me and ask for tips on how to lose weight.

'I usually say to take it day by day. Find one healthy recipe and meal prep it. Got to the gym and walk for 30 minutes. It will be intimidating at first, but as you do it consistently you will thrive. It is possible for anybody, you just have to declare that you can do it.'