My 12st Weight Loss Secret
I was in urgent need of some bodywork!
Passing my driving test was my downfall
Pulling into the driving test centre, my stomach was flipping nervously.
Then. . . ‘Congratulations, you passed,’ the examiner beamed. ‘Yes!’ I cheered. It was the moment every teenager dreams of – passing their driving test. Freedom! I was 18, and immediately treated myself to a pink Corsa. I loved that little car and drove it everywhere – even two minutes to the local shop.
Trouble was, I was already a size16. My curves had never bothered me, but now I didn’t have to walk anywhere, I became lazy. Size16 soon became 18, and then size 20.
I didn’t eat well, either. I skipped brekkie, had crisps and biccies for lunch, and junk food for tea.
In my early 20s, I had Lewis, seven, quickly followed by twins Lexi-jo and Lian, five.
I put on weight with each pregnancy.
By the time I got together with family friend Dave Swingewood, in May 2012, I’d no idea how much I weighed. Luckily, Dave, now 34, loved my curves, but we got comfortable, living on takeaways.
My waistline started to creep up, and so did Dave’s.
In September 2014, we had a little boy, Zac. But I was so unfit, hiding rolls of flab under my size 24 clothes.
‘I’ve got to do something,’ I told Dave one day.
In October 2014, I joined my local Slimming World group and drove — obviously! — to my first weigh-in. The scales showed 20st 11. ‘No,’ I gasped. Ashamed, I ditched the junk food and cooked from scratch. I also
began walking — and in the first month, I lost a stone.
‘I’ve hardly touched my car,’ I told Dave. Then, an idea struck me. ‘Let’s sell it!’ I said. Without the temptation parked in the driveway, I would have no choice but to walk everywhere. Afterwards, I felt free! I used an app to count my steps, and most days notched up 12,000.
Dave would join me and with my healthy, home-cooked meals filling him up, he lost weight too.
‘This diet’s not half bad,’ he laughed.
Over the next 18 months, I shed almost half my weight in total.
Suddenly, I was 9st 131b and a slim size 12 — the skinniest I had ever been.
I could fit my whole body into one leg of my size 24 trousers!
And Dave dropped from a wobbly 14st 11lb to 10st 4lb. We’ve lost nearly 15st between us, and even family have trouble recognising us.
What’s more, the kids don’t recognise us in our ‘fat’ photos, which we store in a drawer to keep us on track. Just like I sold my car, I feel like I’ve traded my chunky, clapped out bod in, too, and bought a swanky, speedy supercar in exchange!
One thing’s for sure — I’d definitely pass my MOT!
It was extreme but it totally worked I’M LITERALLY HALF THE WOMAN I USED TO BE