ON THE COVER I’m A Brand New Woman! Denise Welch
TV actress and presenter Denise Welch tells us how she rid herself of negative thinking and learned how to love herself!
“I discovered tools I’ll have for life that help me make healthier decisions”
Body confidence is about how you look in your eyes! When people say to me, ‘Denise, you look better than ever,’ they’re not commenting on my size; they’re commenting on my face and the happiness and light in my eyes.”
LooseWomen legend, Denise Welch, has always had more than a lung-full of life, laughter and fighting spirit, but now armed with “more confidence than ever” the television actress is focused on using her voice to champion body positivity, mental health and wellbeing.
“I might’ve been a size 10 but I had a deadness behind my eyes. I wasn’t confident about anything, and going through some dark times.”
After opening up about her 30-year battle with depression and her alcohol addiction, Denise Welch tells of how she immediately found herself replacing alcohol with food, gaining two stone. With the help of LighterLife, she says she lost the weight in just two months. “I lost the weight five years ago, and the fact that I’ve maintained it this long is the joy for me.
“I acquired what I selfdiagnosed as an eating addiction when I gave up alcohol six and a half years ago. I started to eat the way I was drinking – I was coping with food as opposed to alcohol – and realised I was on a very destructive path.
“Everybody knows how to diet. We’ve all done it and we all put the weight back on. I had to change my whole relationship with food. I was secret eating, bingeing. There were things I hadn’t dealt with.
“LighterLife’s Cognitive Behavioural Therapy changed the way I was thinking about food. I gave up smoking with the same CBT. I’ve changed my mind-set so that instead of thinking, ‘oh my god, I’m 60’ or ‘in ten years I’ll be 70’ I now think ‘I’m only 60!’
“These are tools I’ll have for life and they help me make healthier decisions.”
Denise says her newfound confidence truly transcends her body and makes an even bigger positive impact on those around her.
“Yes, I’m more confident but that’s because it’s not just about weight! I’ve taken steps to change everything that made me unhappy, like alcohol. Not only has this affected mine and my husband’s life – because we made that change together – it’s had a ripple effect on our families.
“Between us we have three boys and they’re happier because mum and dad are happy. They can go off and live their lives and not worry about us.”
According to a LighterLife survey, 70% of women are dissatisfied with their bodies, 73% have felt embarrassed being naked in front of their partner and one in four have even gone to great lengths to hide their body.
Well, Denise has some advice. “Lincoln and I take our sense of humour into every area of our life, including the boudoir and I think that’s what makes for a very healthy sex life. Develop that side of yourself first – develop your sense of humour. Have a laugh at yourself as well as concentrate on how fabulous you already are!”