How two mums went from ‘miserable and exhausted’ to ‘happier and healthier’
NATALIE AND SARAH LOSE COMBINED 11 STONE BETWEEN THEM
TWO Derbyshire mums have lost a combined 11 stone between them – and say they feel “happier” and “healthier” for it.
Sarah Beighton would feel “exhausted all the time” before her inspiring weight loss journey that saw her lose four stone in just eight months.
The Ripley mum-of-five began her weight loss journey last summer after realising she was at the mercy of an unhealthy lifestyle.
Natalie Brannigan, meanwhile, transformed herself from a self-conscious, unfit mum into a happy and proud fun-lover.
Natalie, from Boythorpe, Chesterfield, said she didn’t recognise herself anymore when she looked in the mirror and made a pledge to turn her life around.
Both mums used Slimming World groups to help achieve their goals and shared their journeys with the Derby Telegraph.
From being ‘completely miserable’ to completing a 60-mile sponsored walk for Natalie
At her heaviest, Natalie weighed nearly 16st and wore size 20 dresses. She described how, after giving birth to her third child, she gained a lot of weight, mostly through a lack of sleep and eating whatever was convenient – but says she was “oblivious” to it at first.
She said that, as the weight continued to pile on, stretchy leggings and baggy tops were her “best friend” and made the issue easier to ignore.
Speaking on the first signs that she needed to change, the 35-year-old said: “I attended a weekly mum and baby group with my daughter and, in the final session, all the mums stood together with their babies and had a group photo taken.
“The next day, I was sent a message with a copy of the photo and, after looking at it for a while, I wondered why I wasn’t in the photo – and wondered who the lady was standing at the end. That lady was me!
“I was absolutely mortified by how much weight I had gained, frustrated at how I had let myself get to that size and equally upset that I no longer recognised myself. I decided that day that I needed to make some changes.”
Natalie said she had a major lack of motivation and would often binge on sweet treats and takeaways.
She said: “I would binge on chocolate, crisps and takeaways, mostly at night in front of the TV after the children were in bed. I never did any exercise at all and I was embarrassed by my size.
“It felt like people were judging me. I had no confidence and avoided social situations at all costs.
“Clothes shopping and finding clothes that fit properly was a nightmare and often ended in tears, which was problematic as I am an emotional eater.
“I would eat junk food, thinking it would make me feel better when actually it just made me feel worse. I was trapped in an emotional eating circle that was spiralling out of control.
“At my heaviest, I had zero energy, zero motivation and zero confidence. I couldn’t walk upstairs without being out of breath, I couldn’t play with my children, I didn’t have a social life at all – I was completely miserable and the only person standing in my way, was me.”
Natalie says that she knew changes needed to be made quickly and joined her local Slimming World group.
She made small changes to her diet by eating less and cramming as many vegetables into her meals as possible. She also drank sugar-free drinks and used sweeteners in tea and coffee and joined a weighted hula hoop class.
Natalie, who now weighs around 8st, said: “It was a good choice for me as I could do it at home whenever I had spare time.
“The weight dropped off so quickly. In one month I lost nearly a stone and I’ve since completed a 60-mile sponsored walk for charity, raising more than £400 – I was so proud and I would never have been able to complete it without losing the weight.”
‘Breathless’ mum Sarah – who couldn’t walk to the shops – is now full of confidence
Sarah’s starting weight was 18st 7lb and she was a dress size 24. Now, she looks forward to the summer with a fresh look and a new positive outlook after dropping to a size 16.
The 40-year-old, who has been married for 20 years, said: “I have been wanting to lose weight for a long time but I would always come up with excuses. Whenever I’d try and walk to the shops I would be in so much pain and I’d become breathless whenever I walked up the stairs. When I realised how unfit I was, I knew I had to stop it and lose weight.
Sarah said: “My biggest weaknesses were full-sugar pop, sweets – and anything I wanted really. I hardly ever did any exercise to burn the calories I was putting in. I just couldn’t do it.
“When I was at my heaviest, my weight would stop me from doing the things I wanted to do and I felt cut out from certain activities. It was awful, I couldn’t spend as much time with my children and grandchildren due to being constantly exhausted.”
Sarah says she is now able to walk as far as she wants and lives a healthy life, fuelled by a healthy diet.
Her new 14st weight has filled her with confidence and has made her life more comfortable all round.
She said: “I love the food I eat now and it’s so much healthier. I can still eat the same sorts of food but I don’t eat as much as I would’ve previously. I really don’t know where I’d be now if I didn’t make these changes, I wake up so much happier every day.”
Sarah joined her local Slimming World group at St Joseph’s Church in Butterley Hill, Ripley in August last year.
She said: “I couldn’t have made it through my weight loss journey without the support from my Thursday night group. My family have also been an incredible source of strength in these last few months and I’m just so grateful for the chance to turn my life around.”