Slimming World: ‘How I lost 9 stone’
Julie Perrina lost an incredible 9st after a chance remark about her weight…
The old rhyme goes ‘sticks and stones may break your bones but words can never harm you’. Well, that isn’t exactly true. Some words can cut very deep, leave lasting impressions and force you to face uncomfortable truths.
That was what happened when one of my children’s friends called me fat, 18 months ago. The simple word struck home. Because, at 5ft 1in, 18st and a size 20, that’s exactly what I was. Fat.
I was devastated, but that remark forced me to take control. Now I’ve lost more than 9st, I know that hearing the cold, hard truth was the best thing for me.
Food was never an issue for me growing up – I ate healthy, home-cooked meals. My parents, Sandra and Steve, never ordered takeaways, and we rarely ate out.
In my teens, I was a healthy size 10. Then, when I was 17, my nan set me up on a date by asking me to take my little brother to a local salon for a haircut.
Mario Perrina, then 19, worked at the salon, and I was immediately smitten. ‘ Your nan showed me your picture and I wanted to meet you,’ he said. We hit it off and soon we were a couple.
A few years later, we were thrilled to find out I was expecting. My pregnancy progressed well, and I indulged in my odd craving for pickled onions. My due date came and went, so I was induced – but our little one didn’t budge, so I had a Caesarean.
Holding baby Mitchell for the first time was the best feeling ever. Getting used to motherhood, I’d grab food when and where I could, staying in my size-14 maternity clothes longer than I should have.
Mitchell was a brilliant baby, and Mario and I couldn’t have been happier. Well, until we got married in Jamaica in 2005…
Even wearing a size-16 wedding dress couldn’t dull my happy glow and, when we got home, we had a picture of our special day blown up to hang in our living room.
Every time I saw it, though, I hated how fat I looked, yet I still didn’t do anything about it. And my weight became the last thing on my mind when I fell pregnant again in 2009.
Instead, I focused on eating healthily, switching to low-sugar cherryade and snacking on fruit and vegetables, and I didn’t put on much weight. When Mylie arrived, we were besotted.
If I’d thought I was busy with just one child, it was nothing compared to having two. I had to fit in looking after a newborn with ferrying Mitchell around.
While he was at school, I’d meet friends, with Mylie in tow, for coffee and a slice of cake. By the evening, I was exhausted, so I’d order in kebabs or pizzas once the kids were in bed.
I didn’t really notice the weight piling on but, as the kids got older, I started to feel uncomfortable about going to the park or taking them swimming. I even became wary of amusement park rides.
Then, in 2014, I noticed a mole getting bigger. It started to bleed, and tests revealed it was malignant melanoma – skin cancer. Doctors had to remove more skin from the area, as the cancer had spread.
Thankfully, I was given the allclear – but I wondered if I’d have noticed earlier if I’d been slimmer.
Suddenly, my weight was all I could think about. The following year, when we jetted off on holiday, I was painfully aware that the plane seatbelt only just fitted.
The final straw came when Mylie, then five, came home from school, upset. ‘Mummy, a girl said you’re fat,’ she said.
My little girl was being teased because of weight…
‘It’s not very nice to say things like that,’ I soothed. ‘Don’t take any notice of her.’ But I was shaken. I had to do something.
So, in January 2016, when a friend asked if I wanted to go with her to Slimming World, I knew this was my chance.
I was terrified I’d be judged but, when I weighed in at 18st 3lb, there was nothing but encouragement from the consultant and members.
That night, Mario and Mum were so proud. Mario loved me whatever my size, but I knew he worried about me.
I started planning my meals, cooking from scratch and making healthier choices that benefited the whole family. It was so much more manageable than I’d thought.
Soon, I was shedding weight and felt much happier. I’d share pictures of my daily food with other Slimming World members online, to keep me motivated.
By November 2016, I was down to 11st. When Mitchell’s friends came round, they were so sweet. ‘My goodness, look at you, Mrs P!’ they said.
I started jogging and got a running-machine at home, which also helped me tone up. Now, at 36, I’m 9st 1lb, a size 8-10, and part of the Slimming World social team.
The whole family’s proud of me, and Mylie is especially happy about my weight loss.
‘I can get my arms around you, Mummy,’ she says when she hugs me.
Changing my lifestyle means I’ll be around to watch my kids grow up, and I can’t ask for more than that.
‘Hearing the cold, hard truth was the best thing’