Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
We ditched the fizz... and our fat
I’ve worn extralarge, adult-size clothes since I was 13 and honestly can’t ever remember not being huge.
I left school at 16 and started working in a livery yard. I decided I’d try to lose weight by drinking only liquid until I finished work.
The problem was it was Coke – I’d average six litres of the stuff a day. I’d leave work starving, grab a massive Mcdonald’s meal on the way home, then eat a huge dinner my mum had made, followed by countless bags of crisps and chocolate in front of the telly.
I met my boyfriend Neil when I was 18. My confidence was at rock bottom, but he inspired me to lose weight and I dropped three stone with Scottish Slimmers. My first meeting was in November 2014. I weighed in at 22st 11½lbs and was a size 28. It involved a change of lifestyle – cooking from fresh ingredients, reducing my fat and sugar intake, and gradually increasing my activity levels. I found it remarkably easy to swap my Coke for water – my skin looked better, I had more energy and slept like a baby. A few months later, in February 2015, Neil proposed and I knew I could never be a fat bride. The weight kept coming off, my energy levels rocketed and within two years I’d lost more than 10 stone!
Neil and I have set a date next August for our wedding. I’ve even picked out a dress I’d never in a million years have thought I could fit into. I’ve even started a new career, running Scottish
Slimmer classes. I hope I’m an inspiration.
Crisps and
cold meat, or a bowl of homemade soup
Sugar-free jelly Low-fat chicken curry with rice
After walking the dogs, a Cadbury’s Highlight and a digestive biscuit
incessant late nights meant I felt I needed a caffeine and sugar hit more than ever. By the age of 18, I was drinking four litres of Dr Pepper a day.
By the time Clay was born, I weighed over 18st. My midwife had warned me about my fizzy drink consumption and tested me for gestational diabetes, but incredibly I was fine.
By the start of 2015, I was morbidly obese and suffering from crushing anxiety. I seriously thought I was going to die and secretly wrote letters to Clay and James for after I was dead, apologising 22st 11½lb 12st 11lb
10st ½lb for what I’d done to myself. I went to my GP suffering from psychosomatic pains running down my arms and legs.
He told me bluntly I had to lose weight, prescribed antidepressants and a free 12-week gym membership – but there was no way I’d go to a gym looking how I did.
That June I went to Skegness with James, Clay and another family. Everyone else was playing games and swimming in the sea, but I couldn’t move and felt such a terrible mum. I have a photo of me sitting like a beached whale on the sand. At home I sat on my bed and stared at the photograph, crying my eyes out.
I then saw a Facebook post of a woman getting her ‘1 Stone Award’ at a Slimming World meeting and thought how happy she looked. I found out about my nearest group, and the next evening walked in.
I pledged I’d get down to 10st and by January 2016 I’d lost 4st. I took Clay swimming for the first time 18st 10st 8st in his life. T threw awa knowing m wasn’t goi In July, j
of