I lost 9 stone so my kids wouldn’t be orphans
Tipping the scales at almost 20st and a size 26, Hayley Hardy knew she was eating herself into an early grave. So when her husband James was diagnosed with testicular cancer, she was terrified their two children Thomas and Alana would be left orphans – and it was the wake-up call she needed to slim down. By ditching greasy takeaways for healthy homecooked meals Hayley has lost 9st and loves her new size-10 figure. Hayley, 37, says: “I’m slimmer and healthier than I’ve ever been and I feel fantastic. I was morbidly obese and I knew that if I didn’t do something about my weight, I’d be putting my life at risk. “When we found out James had cancer I instantly thought the worst. Our children were just three and six years old at the time and my biggest fear was that we’d both die and leave them without parents. It was the kick I needed to lose the pounds once and for all.” Hayley’s struggle with her weight began as a child. By 13, she weighed just under 13st. “I put on a stone every year throughout my teens,” she explains. “Even when I was really young I was a tubby toddler. During my school years, I spent my lunch money on sweets and lived on pizza, burgers and lasagne.” Hayley met James, a sales rep, when she was 17 and the couple fell into bad eating habits ordering stodgy takeaways like pizza or Chinese at least three times a week. At 20, 5ft 8ins Hayley got pregnant with Thomas and gained 4st, and put on even more when she had Alana 13 years ago. “I was a terrible cook,” she says, “and would buy ready meals such as pies, pizzas and creamy pasta dishes. I’d eat massive portions and not stop until I felt sick.” Then, in June 2009, James was diagnosed with testicular cancer – which had spread to his stomach. “It was a really hard time and he had one testicle removed then three months of chemotherapy,” says Hayley. “The doctors were really positive but we were terrified because it had spread. The chemotherapy meant James sometimes spent days in bed so I had to be far more hands on around the house. “I was hot and breathless loading the washing machine and had to use my inhaler getting upstairs. I knew then something had to change.” After James’s diagnosis, Hayley, from Corfe Mullen, Dorset, plucked up the courage to join Weight Watchers taking her friend Karen along for moral support. “I was desperate to lose the weight once and for all. I was 19st 13lb when I stepped on the scales and was adamant I would stick to the plan.” Hayley shed a stone in the first month and within six months was down to 16st. Two years on, she reached her goal weight of 10st 10lb. “I developed a real passion for cooking,” Hayley explains. “Now, if I prepare a curry, I use lean cuts of meat with reduced-fat coconut milk. I love baking, but a small slice of cake now and again doesn’t hurt. “My asthma has gone completely and three stones into my weight loss I got rid of my inhaler. I’m full of energy.” Luckily, James was given the all clear and although the couple have since separated, they’ve remained friends. She now visits the gym five or six times a week with Alana. “I’ve completely turned my life around,” Hayley says, “and I’ve even taken up airborne acrobatics, trapeze and abseiling. I’m now the mum I always wanted to be. “I’m more of a positive role model, I’ve passed my driving test and I’m fit and healthy for my children.”