Family weigh in with support
Julie-Anne Barnes As sisters, Fiona Hamilton and Linda Howie were always ready to help each other tackle life’s challenges.
So when it came to losing weight, they did it together – and they have now lost eight stones between them.
Fiona, 40, saw her weight creep up after returning to study – and picking up her old student eating habits.
Then having two children in three years left her struggling physically and mentally.
Meanwhile, Linda, 34, could see what her future would hold if she didn’t try to curb her weight gain and adopt a healthier lifestyle.
Between studying, fami ly and the inevitable over- eating at get-togethers, the two sisters vowed to change their lives.
Linda said: “We supported each other along the way. I know for a fact I would not have reached my target when I did without the support of my big sister Fiona.”
The sisters credit their cousin’s fiancee Laura for inspiring them to join Scottish Slimmers. They even drafted in their mum, who has lost three stones.
Fiona, from Edinburgh, said: “Laura lost weight with Scottish Slimmers and looked amazing, so we thought we would give it a try.
“I gained weight slowly over a few years in my thirties. I had gone back to university to study for a PhD and I fell back into the student lifestyle again.
“Then, when I was 35, I fell pregnant with my first daughter. I was elated but I suffered from a painful condition throughout my pregnancy called SPD, a condition which can affect your back and hips.”
The lack of exercise meant Fiona gained a lot of weight during the pregnancy. Her movement was limited and she struggled with her diet.
Then, not long after the birth of her first daughter, she fell pregnant again. She said: “I put on even more weight.”
Weighing more than 14st and in constant pain with her back and hips, Fiona worried about the future.
She said: “I imagined a future where I was the mum sitting in the playground watching