Telling it like it is
Laura Eastel was the subject of cruel taunts for decades, but now she looks – and feels – better than ever...
I lost 9st… and beat the bullies!
For as long as I can remember I’ve always been singled out. at school, my classmates called me ‘fatty’ and even as I got older people would stare at me in the street. Their eyes would scrutinise every inch of my round stomach before they’d turn to their friends and whisper. I thought I might never be free of the cruel taunts and vicious looks. only now, after losing 9st, these days when people stare, it’s for all the right reasons...
I was five when I first realised I was bigger than other children my age. It wasn’t long before I was picked on – ‘Look at your fat legs,’ they’d say, hurling abuse from across the playground.
Mum told me to ignore their hurtful jibes, but how could I? As the years passed I turned to food for comfort – I’d ask for second helpings at dinner and would then sneak chocolate bars and crisps.
By the time I started secondary school I was huge and, although I made some friends, wearing a uniform meant for a child six years older than me, I felt like such an outsider. Not wanting anyone to see my body, I’d forge notes to get out of PE, but that didn’t stop the bullies. ‘Go and eat another cream cake,’ they’d jeer.
My friends would try to comfort me, but almost every night I’d burst into tears at home – before reaching for another bar of chocolate. The sugar high made me feel better, but it didn’t last long and I’d find myself eating more and more.
By 15 I was 19st. I longed to wear cropped T-shirts and miniskirts like other girls my age, but leggings and baggy tops were all that fit.
I resigned myself to the fact I’d be alone forever, but then a year later, I met Chris online. He seemed to like me for me – and my size didn’t faze him.
After we moved in together, in December 2005, I fell pregnant. We were thrilled, but I used it as an excuse to eat even more. By the time I gave birth to our son Ashley in September 2006, I’d ballooned to 20st 9lb and a size 24 – huge for my 5ft 8in frame.
And, with a newborn to take care of, I’d grab what food I could and absent-mindedly graze on whatever was in the kitchen – chocolate biscuits for breakfast, crisps as a snack. Then in the evenings, Chris and I would get a takeaway – Chinese, fried chicken, or pizza. But while Chris never seemed to put on any weight, it did nothing to help my waistline.
I hated my wobbly bum and stomach and my arms, and no matter how many times Chris told
‘i Felt like such an outsider’
me he loved me, I just couldn’t believe him.
My confidence was at its lowest ebb. When Chris and I went out for dinner, I’d hear people making snide comments – they’d joke about the restaurant running out of food because I was there. It was mortifying.
Soon, I was getting out of breath just walking up the stairs and, working in a local play centre, I couldn’t get down on the floor to play with the children.
Over the next few years I became a mum again – to our daughter Tori, who was born in May 2010 – and although I didn’t put on much weight, I didn’t lose any either. That’s why, when Chris proposed the following year, instead of being excited I was horrified. Of course, I wanted to marry him – but the thought of walking down the aisle with all eyes on me filled me with dread. Still, it wasn’t until December 2013 that I finally got the push I needed to change...
I was at my parents’ house when they decided to bring out our old family albums. Flicking through the photos we stopped on one of me bulging out of my school uniform – I was horrified.
For the first time, I saw myself through my bullies’ eyes. I was huge, it was no wonder I got picked on. And in that instant, all the cruel things the bullies had said to me, throughout my life, flooded my mind. While I hated what they’d put me through, I knew I needed to change – I couldn’t go on like this. I was fed up with being laughed at.
So when New Year’s Day rolled round, I started a new diet plan. It wasn’t easy but I soon noticed the pounds dropping off. By July 2015 I was 3st lighter.
Only then I started to plateau to my old ways, but now things were different. I had a talk with my colleagues, who suggested I join my local Slimming World group in Yelverton, Devon.
Walking through the doors the following week took every ounce of courage I had, but everyone was so welcoming. The consultant explained how the plan worked and it seemed I could still eat all the foods I loved – just healthier versions.
Feeling more positive, I started cooking from scratch and making small changes like opting for lean meat and low-fat yogurt, and in my first week I lost 3lb. Chris and the children loved the meals too.
I continued losing a pound a week and it wasn’t long before I started noticing my clothes getting looser. And, I wasn’t the only one who noticed, my friends told me I looked incredible and Chris couldn’t keep his hands off me!
Within a year I was down to 12st 8lb and a size 14 and I felt amazing. I went shopping and bought my first pair of skinny jeans to celebrate. In the mirror I looked like a completely different person and, feeling inspired, I trained to become a Slimming World consultant.
Now I’m down to 11st 2lb and a size 10 and I’m unrecognisable from the girl I was at school.
Chris is so proud of how well I’ve done and Tori, now six, tells me I look like a beautiful princess. But the best thing of all is bumping into my old classmates in my local supermarket and seeing the look on their faces. I didn’t lose weight for them, but after being picked on for so long, I’m so happy it’s me who’s had the last laugh. ✱ slimmingworld.co.uk
‘Flicking through the photos we stopped on one of me bulging out of my school uniform’