I FINALLY FEEL LIKE ME!
After a lifetime of yo-yo dieting, Kate King has lost nearly three stone – for good!
I’ve always struggled with my weight. No matter what diets tried, every effort I made to slim down failed. I was a classic yo-yo dieter, and felt doomed to forever watch the scales swing up and down.
Then I found SlimFast. I’ve since shed, and kept off, nearly 3st.
My weight woes began as a teenager. My parents always made sure I ate healthily as a child, but I later had more control over what I consumed. So although I loved swimming and rode my bike everywhere, my love of crisps meant that by the time I was 18, I was 13st and a size 16-18.
Things only got worse at university. I discovered fish and chips and cheesy lasagne, which I’d indulge in nearly every day. And it didn’t help that I worked in a pub and the regulars bought me drinks.
But, painfully aware I was putting on weight, I started skipping meals. This was the start of my bad habits. Because while I got down to a size 14, it wasn’t sustainable.
In March 2000, Simon King came into the pub. He started trying to impress me, flirting and answering questions on a telly quiz show – and it worked. I agreed to go on a date with him, and we quickly became a couple.
We were so comfortable that my weight started creeping up again, and when we married in Barbados five years later, I could just about squeeze into a size 16 wedding gown.
We had two gorgeous children – Thomas, now 10, and Lucy, eight – but while I loved being a mum, it wreaked havoc on my diet. I had no time to cook healthy meals, and I’d treat myself to chocolate and crisps. Unsurprisingly, I got bigger and bigger.
I knew Simon loved me regardless of my weight, but it did get me down. I couldn’t shop in high-street stores, always wore dark clothes and had to wear leggings under long skirts to stop my thighs rubbing together.
Every now and then, I’d try to count calories or join a slimming group, but after a few weeks, I’d lose motivation and find an excuse not to go back.
The final straw came on a holiday to Wales in August 2016. I was too busy enjoying myself but, at home, I was horrified when we looked back through the pictures. I’d never really looked at myself properly for years, but at a size 22, I was huge. I had to change.
As usual, I reduced my portions down to tiny amounts and got down to 15st 7lb. But I couldn’t keep it up for long. I was too hungry. Then, one day at a supermarket in September, I noticed the SlimFast range. I’d never tried them before, but they looked really tasty. So, I thought, why not?
I thought I’d only last a few days, but it was easier than I thought. I wasn’t hungry and knew I was getting all the nutrients I needed in the shakes and meal-replacement bars. Plus I could still enjoy a healthy meal at night.
Now, at 40 and 5ft 6in, I’m down to 12st 10lb and a size 16. I feel better than I have in years, can run around after the kids and have a new-found confidence.
I haven’t quite finished my weight-loss journey, but I now know the end is in sight.