The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Saturday
I lost two stone in three months – without stepping into a gym
Stefanie Calleja-Gera, 41, is a photographer who lives in Cheltenham with her partner of four years
About four years ago, I met my new partner at a dinner party just four months after ending an eight-year marriage. For the initial couple of years, we literally ate ourselves alive. We really embraced the happy fat syndrome, devouring everything in sight. No strict plans, just a carefree and haphazard approach to food and drink.
If we felt like a spontaneous Thursday night pub dinner, an Indian takeaway or had a craving for wine, we went with the flow. A couple of glasses easily turned into finishing the entire bottle and soon enough we would end up having a few bottles a week. Not only is booze loaded with calories, but it left me feeling tired and lethargic.
I had always been a size 8 or 10 until I was about 39. I would run sporadically and had a decent diet. But in the first couple years of my new relationship this stopped. I put on roughly a stone, going up to a size 12, sometimes a 14. I am 5 foot 3 inches, which is pretty short – so I definitely look bigger quicker. I’ve got a classic hourglass figure – I have boobs and a bum. The extra weight transformed me into someone who was unrecognisable. My face, stomach, everything spilled out. I felt really unhealthy – walking upstairs was getting me out of breath. I had all these clothes which didn’t fit me anymore. It got to the point where neither of us felt comfortable in ourselves.
The catalyst to doing something was when I bumped into a friend at a cricket game and he looked completely different. He had lost a lot of weight and I was desperate to know how, so I sat with him and picked his brains. The crux of it was the Michael Mosley Fast 800 diet, which is aimed at people with high blood pressure or who are pre-diabetic. I hate the word diet but this friend of mine looked
‘Before my diet, everything spilled out. I had all these clothes that didn’t fit me any more’
amazing and I knew I needed to get a handle on my weight so I ordered Michael Mosley’s books that same night.
My other half and I decided to start the Fast 800 together. We packed on the pounds together, so it only made sense to lose them as a team. I made us a “Get Fit or Die Trying” chart tucked away in the kitchen, tracking our weight – hidden from view to keep the motivation without the constant in-your-face burden. We were also in a groupchat with our two friends where we would share tips and jokes when we were struggling and felt hungry. My friend’s brilliant tip to curb snacking: ask yourself, “Do I want an apple?” when the craving strikes, if the answer’s no, it’s not hunger – you’re just feeling “snack-y”. All the diet involves is limiting your food intake for the day to around 800 calories. This sounds like nothing but we were eating really well and I decided not to include coffees or fruit. I love a latte. Cutting absolutely everything out is unrealistic and I didn’t want to be miserable. I discovered some brilliant recipes, like this amazing prawn korma which I would have with cauliflower rice instead of white rice. Learning to cook in a way that is nutritious and still delicious was important to me and my partner. We both try not to drink alcohol on weeknights; we used to have a nightly glass of wine. Now, when I get that craving I’ll have a slimline tonic with ice and freshly squeezed lime.
Aside from eating in a much more balanced and healthy way, I also started swimming religiously. Before tightening up what I ate, I learned how to do breaststroke properly. Now, I swim one mile three times a week, which takes me 45 minutes. It helps to burn calories and is really low impact. It was only once I combined swimming with more controlled eating and managing my portion size that I actually started to lose weight. It is important to do both so you can retrain your muscles as your body gets smaller.
My partner is a paddle-boarding instructor so on the weekend we usually do a nine-mile paddle down the River Wye, or we’ll pootle about for an hour or two on our local river. Finding an enjoyable activity that doubles as calorie-burning exercise has been such a game changer because I have always found it difficult to have fun while exercising. Paddle-boarding is fantastic for your upper body strength but it can also be very leisurely. Simply being out on the water and connecting with nature can be incredibly calming.
I’ve always disliked the gym: my ex-husband was a complete gym bunny but I could never get on with it. There’s definitely an element of self-consciousness. I don’t love people watching me exercise. When I swim everybody has their face down and is in their own zone, but gyms feel so public.
My goal weight was eight and a half stone and at my lightest I went down to eight. I lost half a stone in the first month. Those first weeks were a real challenge – downsizing portions left me hungrier at times. But I powered through, stepping on the scale daily and marking the progress on my “Get Fit or Die Trying” chart each Monday. Losing a solid two to three pounds each week blew my mind and that’s what kept me going.
The target was partly set as a joke, with a family trip to St Lucia on the horizon. I didn’t believe I could shed that much weight, but even if I only lost half a stone, I knew it would make a difference. It was about feeling better and comfortably slipping into my holiday clothes from last year.
When I arrived on the holiday and saw my dad after an eight-month hiatus, he was taken aback by the change. I had lost two stone. He couldn’t stop raving about how great I looked. Lots of other friends and family noticed too, giving my confidence a solid boost. What’s so heartwarming is that my own journey inspired at least 10 people I know to embark on something similar. I’ve even shared the meal plans that worked for me. Having that support network has made such a difference in staying motivated.
When work is really busy or I find myself deviating from my usual routine I do notice that my weight will fluctuate slightly. To combat this, I try to make a recipe plan for every two weeks, keep a fully stocked fruit bowl and am constantly drinking water. However, I went on way too many holidays towards the end of 2023 and felt my weight creeping back up because I wasn’t tracking it so religiously. As you get older, especially if you are a woman, you can’t expect to be constantly losing weight. I’ve never been overly strict – I still meet friends for dinners out and have a roast on a Sunday. I didn’t want to get to the point where monitoring my weight became an addiction. For me, it’s about improving my immune system, overall health and feeling good.
‘It’s heartwarming that my journey inspired at least 10 people I know to embark on something similar’