Sophie’s diet
Percy Harris was desperate to stay married to his wife, and would do anything to keep her...
downstairs, I stocked up on a multipack of crisps, and a few sweet treats for the afternoon, just to keep me going.
And for lunch, it was always a takeaway – KFC and Jamaican meat and rice bowls were my favourite.
Back at home, it’d be another takeaway or huge portions of Mum’s hearty dinners, followed by yet more snacks until my head hit the pillow.
I scoffed thousands of calories without registering it – it was a desperately sad cycle.
I felt like my life was flashing before my eyes – I missed out on fun moments, like going on rides at the fair, because the metal bar wouldn’t clip into place over my bulge.
I was starting to despair about my size and lifestyle.
But then the festive season rolled around again, and I didn’t have it in me to diet.
Everything was so centred around delicious food and I just couldn’t resist.
‘Don’t forget Christmas Jumper Day,’ one of my colleagues said one afternoon, handing round mince pies.
I couldn’t think of anything worse than showing off my rolls in a bright, garish jumper.
Heading to Tesco after work, I grabbed the first one I could find in a double XL – a red Coca Cola themed jumper, with Father Christmas on the front.
Trying it on back at home, the fabric puckered as it stretched around my tummy, and I just felt awful.
But trying to get into the spirit, I put it on and plastered on a smile as I headed to work – inside I was miserable though.
One night a family friend came over for dinner and spooning big ladles of chicken soup into bowls, I sighed with pleasure as I tucked in.
‘This is beautiful, but I’m stuffed!’ she said, pushing her half-full bowl across the table.
I couldn’t believe it – I was on my second helping and it had barely touched the sides.
‘If I could eat like that and feel full, I’d be so happy,’ I said.
‘My gastric band operation changed my life,’ she said.
I knew she’d lost weight, but I didn’t realise it was with the help of surgery.
‘I tried so many diets but they never worked,’ she confessed.
I’d never related more – I’d tried every diet under the sun.
I’d never considered medical intervention before, but maybe it was the route I needed.
‘If I carry on this way, I’m not going to be alive at 30,’ I cried to my parents, and they supported me by agreeing to pay the £10,000 price tag.
Steaming ahead, I rang the clinic and booked in for their earliest appointment – in seven months’ time.
Finally, in November 2019, my pre-op appointment with the surgeon came around.
He outlined the risks and complications of the surgery, but it didn’t scare me one bit.
The operation was irreversible – so I’d have to stick to my new life on minimal calories for good.
But it would be worth it. The 600-calorie a day twoweek pre-op diet was tough – especially as everyone was getting ready for the festive party season – but I’d never been more determined.
I shunned all the cheese, wine and mince pies I was offered, and lost 14lbs.
On the 13 December, I went under the knife at Tonic Weight Loss Surgery in Leeds and had 75% of my stomach removed in gastric sleeve surgery, as well as my hunger hormone, too.
When I woke up after the four-hour surgery, I was hit by a wave of emotion, but it was the best Christmas present I could have given myself.
It took a little while to recover, and I had to stick to a rigid eating regime, but just weeks later I was at a New Year’s Eve party.
I didn’t drink and made sure not to dance too hard, but I was enjoying all the festivities with family and friends.
I’ve lost 8st in total and never looked back.
And last year when I
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BEFORE:
Breakfast: Two bagels Lunch: KFC or Jamaican takeaway Dinner: Cooked meal or takeaway Snacks: Multipacks of crisps, chocolate, sweet pastries
AFTER:
Breakfast: Multivitamins and coffee with eggs and avocado
Lunch/dinner: A protein heavy meal, usually with meat or tuna and veggies – either as one larger meal, or smaller portions through the day
Snacks: Protein yoghurt with seeds
yyyslipped my Christmas jumper on, it was falling off of me!
My confidence has skyrocketed since my weight loss, and despite it initially being done for health reasons, the happiness I’ve felt is priceless.
My job now as a social media executive wouldn’t have been possible without my weight loss, and I’m lucky to be able to take my personal life into the working world – hosting my podcast Gastric Gossip.
These days I can’t wait to squeeze into a sparkly festive outfit, and I can enjoy yuletide treats without any guilt.
My gastric sleeve really was the greatest gift I’ve ever had!
There’s nothing more satisfying, and festive, than making your own Christmas decs – and thanks to Hobbycraft, you can get crafting for less than a tenner! • Please visit: hobbycraft.co.uk
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In the small city of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Percy and Shauna Harris were trying to make the best of things. Living in their suburban Oak Grove home, which they shared with their two fiveyear-old twins and Shauna’s 15-year-old son from a previous relationship, the family was looking forward to the upcoming holiday season in 2019.
Despite having some marital problems, resulting in Shauna, 36, asking for a divorce, the pair continued to cohabit for the sake of their young children.
But after Christmas had passed, Shauna wanted Percy to move out.
She wanted to remain in the family home to bring the children up.
Working as a supply sergeant in the army, Percy, now 36, was used to being away from his family.
He was highly respected by the colleagues he served with.
His friends and colleagues felt he was one of the most genuine people they knew.
And while
Percy was serving his country,
Shauna was well known for her kindness in their local community.
Working as a beautician at The Lotus Downtown Day Spa and Salon, she worked 12-hour shifts to help provide for her three children.
She was incredibly close with her family, especially with her youngest sister Lakaja Write, known as Kay Kay.
When Kay Kay was in a horrendous car crash in 2017, it was Shauna who held her hand and helped rehabilitate her, mentally and physically.
She would do anything for the people she cared about.
She had an infectious smile and a face full of laughter, it was really hard for anyone to dislike her.
Percy still deeply loved her and was desperate for her not to divorce him.
But Shauna simply didn’t want to be with him anymore.
In the run-up to Christmas, strange things were happening in the Oak Grove home.
Shauna’s mobile phone disappeared – it had been swiped from the dresser.
Furious, she accused Percy of stealing it.
He denied any wrongdoing, saying he didn’t steal from her.
He had taken her phone before, but had eventually given it back.
Shauna hoped that he would return the mobile, and when he didn’t, she filed a complaint at Lamar police department, accusing him of petit larceny.
The police did not follow up on the complaint, as the couple were married, and technically the phone was joint marital property, and a personal issue.
Then on Sunday 22 December 2019, just three days before Christmas Day, the Lamar County police department received another phone call.
The voice of a young teenager sounded panicked down the phone line.
It was Shauna’s 15-year-old son – begging the operator to send police.
He told the operator that his parents were arguing, and it was worrying him.
He wanted some police officers to come round and stop the fight.
The operator agreed to send some policemen round to check on the couple.
But those officers would not be prepared for what they found at Oak Grove.
Pulling into the driveway, they found the eldest son sitting on the doorstep, waiting for them to arrive.
The boy was distraught, telling officers he had heard three gunshots within the home.
The gunshots had come from the bedroom, where Shauna and Percy Harris had been in an altercation.
Heading to the bedroom, officers would be shocked at what they found.
Shauna shot dead on the bedroom floor, her blood spilling on the carpet, and
She filed a complaint against her husband
Percy standing nearby.
Upon further investigation, officers found the twins huddled together, unharmed.
The children were very shaken up and frightened.
Percy told the deputies that Shauna had shot and killed herself in front of him.
But her autopsy later showed that Shauna had been shot three times in the face and stabbed a further four times in the forehead.
It was clear to the police that Shauna’s alleged suicide was a pack of lies.
Who would shoot and stab themselves in the face?
This could only be a homicide, and Percy was the main suspect.
And while Percy maintained that his wife had committed
suicide, the police simply didn’t believe him.
He was soon charged with the murder of his wife, and even for the petit larceny complaint Shauna had filed just a few weeks before her untimely death.
Percy was held in a county jail up until his trial and sentencing in
October this year.
Throughout his trial, Percy continued to protest his innocence, never straying from his claim that Shauna had committed suicide.
But Percy simply wasn’t fooling anyone.
‘I have never in my years as a prosecutor heard of a case where a person shoots themselves in the face three times and stabs themselves four times in the face,’ said 15th Circuit District Attorney, Hal Kittrell. ‘On the night of Shauna’s death, she and the defendant were the only two people in their bedroom. The defendant maintained he had nothing to do with the gunshots or stab wounds.’
On 20 October, Percy Leron Harris was found guilty of first-degree murder by a jury.
He was then handed his sentence by Circuit Judge Claiborne ‘Buddy’ Mcdaniel at Lamar County Courthouse.
Percy was sentenced to life in prison – he will now spend the rest of his life behind bars.
‘Mr Harris would not accept responsibility for her death, but, fortunately, this Lamar County jury reached a logical conclusion that he did cause her death,’ Judge Mcdaniel said. ‘We pray for the family’s peace and comfort with this verdict.’ Shauna’s sister Kay Kay received full custody of the Harris children.
She has spoken out about her struggles to comfort the children after the tragic loss of their mother, whilst grieving herself, especially when one of the twins asked her if their
Daddy had killed Mummy.
‘I had to answer that,’ she said. ‘I went next door and broke down. I had to go next door and think for a minute. I asked the Lord to guide me, I had no idea what to say.’
Percy’s heinous crime rocked the community, with many of his friends and family in disbelief about what he had done.
Tell me this ain’t true, his colleague Christian Cowler wrote on Facebook. He is one of the most genuine people I’ve served with. No way he would do something like this.
Kay Kay was shocked, too. ‘He never hit her,’ she said. ‘He wasn’t abusive until he killed her.’
But the facts still remain the same.
Percy Harris killed his wife, the mother of his children, in cold blood.
Shauna wanting out of a failing marriage was enough to make him snap and become a totally unrecognisable monster, capable of an evil and heinous crime.
And while he spends the rest of his life rotting in a cell, his young children will grow up, constantly wondering why
Daddy made Mummy an angel, while they waited for Santa to come.
The kids asked if their dad killed her
Sat amongst the presents at my brother’s Vancouver Island home, it was bittersweet. This would be my last Christmas on Vancouver Island , or Vancouver city for that matter.
My now husband James, 28, had been transferred to Beaver Creek for work, a remote part of Yukon, Canada, close to the Alaskan border.
And soon I would join him. I had never lived far from my family – especially during the holiday season, so I wanted to make the most of the time I had with them.
‘Are you ready for your present?’ my mum Meg, 59, asked, passing me a flat, rectangular package.
Tearing the paper off, I stared up at my parents dumbstruck, when I saw what was inside.
It was a beautiful homemade cookbook.
‘So, you don’t starve in Yukon,’ she grinned.
I knew enough about cooking to get by, but I had nothing on Mum’s skills.
Her cooking is outstanding, and I was really going to miss it.
Earlier that day we had tucked into an amazing Christmas dinner, courtesy of her culinary skills.
Flicking through the pages, I felt myself welling up.
She had included all our family recipes, and the secrets that made her food so special.
Each page included a family photo – each recipe was now a bespoke memory I could take with me on my new adventure.
Enveloping Mum and my dad, Robert, 60, in a hug, I didn’t want to let them go.
‘I’m going to miss you both so much,’ I said, finally pulling myself away.
‘Remember how much you used to love visiting your grandma,’ they said. ‘She lived out in the middle of nowhere.’
My grandma used to have a farm out in British Columbia, and as a little girl I adored going to visit her.
Actually, I thought. There’s quite a lot I don’t like about living in society.
For example, Christmas was so stressful, and there was always so much pressure to spend money.
Yet, my family cookbook was the best present, homemade with love.
Smiling, I felt a little more confident about flying out to meet James, all the way in the far north!
He had gone out in November 2018, and I would be joining him on 1 January, 2019.
Calling him that evening, I was intrigued about how his first ever Christmas went in Beaver Creek.
‘Everyone has been so welcoming,’ he said – Beaver Creek had a population of 90. ‘I’ve been invited to a big Christmas dinner by some of our neighbours, and the community has had loads of get-togethers, so I haven’t felt alone at all.’
Then, on New Year’s Day, it was finally time for me to join him.
Giving my parents a final hug goodbye, I headed off to the airport to start my new life.
With my new family cookbook packed safely, as well as a huge bin of spices and dry foods, my folks really had given me the best presents to get started.
Touching down in
Whitehorse, Yukon’s only city, I felt anticipation building in my stomach.
There was snow everywhere when I landed, and I was glad I had my puffer coat, and a Canada goose coat on top to keep me snug.
I was shocked at how tiny the airport was, and even more shocked by the elk in the parking lot.
It hit me a little more about how life was about to change. But I felt ready. It was a five-hour drive from Whitehorse to our house in Beaver Creek, and James and I used that time to properly catch up.
‘It’s beautiful,’ he told me, as we headed up the highway. ‘I think you’re going to love it.’ And he was right.
As I stepped out of the truck and stared up at my new home, I was in awe of all the natural beauty that surrounded us. ‘It’s perfect,’ I said.
I really tried to jump in with both legs into my new life.
It felt important that I embrace it.
On the first day I went on a walk but didn’t have right gear, so the next day I made sure I was dressed appropriately and walked about five kilometres in the freezing -46oc weather!
I also made an effort to connect with the community.
Beaver Creek has always been indigenous land.
The White River First Nation has lived in Yukon for
I was in awe of all the natural beauty
centuries, and were the first settlers on the land.
While at first the quirks of my new home had felt like a bit of novelty – for example travelling five hours to Whitehorse to do a grocery shop, this was our neighbours way of life, and I could learn a lot from them.
I also found myself cooking more, pouring over my mum’s special recipes.
The first months I spent a lot of my time making fresh bread
– I had found a far more peaceful way of living.
But the best part of moving came a month after arriving, when we headed over to Alaska to pick up our new four-legged friend, Chilli.
Chilli, full-name Chilkoot, is a black Labrador crossed with a blue heeler.
I had always wanted a dog, but living in an apartment before, I didn’t think it was fair to keep one cooped up inside without garden space. Chilli has been a blessing, and has helped us embrace life in the north. Whatever the weather he needs a walk twice a day, forcing me to get outside in the snow and really see the natural beauty around me – even if it is -47oc outside!
The first year in Yukon rolled around so quickly. I began work as a teaching assistant in the tiny school in Beaver Creek, and James and I got married.
We had always talked about eloping, so a small intimate ceremony in a beautiful cabin was perfect. We had the officiant and her husband, Chilli and the photographer, and while my family weren’t there, we still had the best time. Living so remotely taught us how to be more reliant on each other, and truly function as a couple. It has been great for our relationship.
Now, I have fully adjusted to my new life in the north.
And it is a far more peaceful way of living.
We have developed our own traditions and way of living without the pressures that come from a big city.
And Christmas is no different – in fact, it’s even more magical.
Back in the city, we visited theatre shows, went to bars, shopped, and did plenty of eating out, but here, it’s completely different.
Two weeks before the big day, James and I head down to Whitehorse for some Christmas shopping.
In December, we only get four hours of daylight, so we have to plan our trip, accordingly, often staying for a night in a hotel in Whitehorse.
Stocking up on baking and cooking supplies, I also use the trip as an opportunity to pop into my favourite stores and pick up any last-minute gifts.
Instead of buying extravagant presents, I make preserves from the berries that grow here in the summer, and handmade soap.
Living in Yukon has made me give more thoughtful gifts.
Then James and I choose a Christmas tree, which we cut down ourselves and decorate.
Using my mum’s cookbook, I bake her infamous Stollen Loaf, and lots of other goodies.
And in the evenings, we play board games, and snuggle up on the couch watching Christmas movies and drinking hot chocolate.
While it is just us here, we don’t feel lonely.
On Christmas Eve, our friends and neighbours come over and we have a little party to celebrate.
Then Christmas Day is jampacked with cross-country skiing and a huge dinner of turkey and ham.
It’s amazing to be guaranteed a white Christmas every year!
It’s so peaceful to be surrounded by snow, the silence is magical.
We no longer give presents sat by the tree in my family home – we use Zoom instead.
‘We love it,’ my parents say, holding their gifts up to the little camera.
And while Zoom doesn’t quite match the joy of having the family all around, it has become one of many traditions.
We have built our lives in Yukon, based on quirky traditions – and I wouldn’t trade that for the world.