MAJELLA’S MAGICAL TRANSFORMATION!
MUM MAJELLA LOST TEN AND A HALF STONE IN JUST EIGHTEEN MONTHS
WHILE the vast majority of us will have been unhappy with our weight at some point or another, one Bunclody woman is inspiring people all over the country to take the first step on their weight loss journey after losing a whopping ten and a half stone in just 18 months with Unislim.
Majella Dunbar managed to cut her weight in half with plenty of hard work and determination over the last year and a half and now her weight loss story is set to inspire countless others as she is nominated for the 2018 Unislimmer of the year award.
For Majella, a big issue had been emotional eating and turning to the wrong kinds of foods while going through difficult periods.
‘I suppose I was always kind of heavy from the time I was around 18 or so,’ she said. ‘It kind of crept up on me. I got married to my husband PJ in 2007 and I was heavy at the wedding, not my heaviest, but still heavy. In 2008, my daughter Leah was born and that was a tough pregnancy so I put up some weight there. Then unfortunately after that I had a miscarriage after that and that took a big toll both physically and mentally. I was emotionally eating and I turned to all the wrong things like biscuits and cakes.’
There was a further roller-coaster of emotions for Majella just four years ago.
‘In 2014, my son Tommy was born,’ she explained. ‘He was a twin pregnancy, but unfortunately early on in the pregnancy I was told that only one twin would survive. I really piled up the weight at this stage. I was just so worried about whether everything would turn out alright.’
Majella’s kids played a huge part in her decision to get healthy and matters came to a head just over 18 months ago.
‘With Tommy, I found it harder to mind him,’ she said. ‘I wasn’t able to do all the things that a mother should do. When I was down on the floor with him, I found it hard to get back up. I was puffing and panting all the time. Even walking up stairs had become difficult.’
It was at this stage that Majella drew inspiration from her aunt who had been on Operation Transformation and from there she started attending Unislim meetings in Carnew.
‘I think when I first joined, my husband kind of laughed at me,’ she recalled. ‘I had started diets and that kind of thing before, but I never stuck with them. But then he told me that if it was something I wanted to do, he’d help in any way he could. I don’t drive, so PJ started bringing me back and forth to all the meetings and I couldn’t have done it without him.’
Nowadays, Majella has a different companion going to meetings in the form of her brother Patrick, who himself has lost six stone.
The difference the weight loss has made to Majella’s life is incalculable and she urges people to be persistent.
‘I lost a lot in 18 months, but I would’ve had weeks where I had small losses too,’ she said. ‘Even if you lose half a pound; that’s still half a pound. It all adds up. It’s made a massive difference to me. I’ve been with PJ 17 years and he says it’s like he has a new wife! You just feel happier in yourself and that makes a big difference to the whole family.’
Majella is nominated for Unislimmer of the year and is hoping to take the top prize at the special ceremony on October 3.