I looked as big as a whale! How a day at the beach changed one reader’s life
Clare Pike, 34, had a fun day at the beach – until she saw the pictures…
The snap of me and my son Ben on the beach, building sandcastles, should have been a moment I would treasure for years to come, but looking back I was repulsed. With my bulging stomach spilling over my legs, and my T-shirt straining over my rolls of fat, I resembled a beached whale...
My weight problems started at secondary school. On top of eating Mum’s healthy meals, I’d munch on crisp sandwiches at lunch and chocolate and biscuits throughout the day.
When I left in June 2000, I was a size 18. I referred to myself as the ‘fat friend’ – joking about it so no one else would.
He loved me anyway
Over the years, my appetite got bigger and by the time I met Steve, aged 24, I was a size 20. Only, far from bothering him, he’d tell me he loved me for who I was – and I grew more complacent.
After having our son Ben in August 2010 I was a size 26, which was huge for my 5ft 9in frame. I loathed my bulging belly and tried dieting, but I’d soon slip back into my old ways.
The next year, when Ben was one, we went to Skegness for the day. As we built sandcastles and paddled in the sea, Steve got the camera out and started snapping away. Then, a couple of months later, he uploaded the pictures to our home computer...
I smiled at the shots of Ben looking cute in his shorts and T-shirt. But then I saw the one of him crawling toward me and my face dropped. I was horrified… I looked huge.
Time for action
That was when I realised I couldn’t go on like this. But, before I had time to act, I found out I was pregnant again and put my plans on hold until I had our son Alfie in August 2012.
A month after he was born, and now a size 26, I got out that hideous photo – it was the push I needed and I knew I was ready to commit.
So in October that year, I joined my local Slimming World. The biggest shock came when I stepped on the scales and the dial sprung to 21st – I was mortified.
I vowed I’d never see that number again, and chucking out the junk food, I filled the fridge with fruit, veg and lean meats. The plan meant I could still eat my favourite foods – just healthier versions.
Within the first month I’d shed almost 1st. Seeing fast results without going hungry spurred me on, and as the stones dropped away, I even took up running.
Less than a year later, in August
2013, I had lost 8st. Even when I became pregnant again, I kept going with the plan. Then Charlie was born in December 2014, followed by our daughter, Eloise, in July 2015. And while I’m still trying to lose a bit more weight, I feel happier, more confident and full of energy. Now, 13st 5lb and a size 12-14, I love being able to run around in the garden with Ben, six, Alfie, four, Charlie, two, and Eloise, one. Steve always tells me how great I look, and I actually believe him. And, this summer, when we take the kids to the beach, one thing’s for sure – I won't be shying away from the camera.
‘When the dial sprung to 21st I was mortified’