Real Life I’ve got my sparkle back
When Samantha Bennett’s showbiz dreams faded, she found herself turning to food for comfort
There was a time when I couldn’t imagine fitting into a dress from my favourite clothes shop. But here I was, wearing a pretty, flowery one in a size 10, and about to stand up in front of a room full of people. It was my very first day as a Slimming World Consultant and, thanks to my own weight loss, I knew I had the confidence to inspire my members and help them achieve their goals. Over the next few weeks, I told them more about my slimming journey, which had started 13 years ago when I’d been in a band called Bad Lashes.
We’d entered The X Factor in 2008 and ended up getting through to the live shows. It was an amazing experience, but at 21 my slightly wobbly self-esteem was knocked by the pressure of being in the spotlight. Conscious of being on live TV, I felt big in comparison to my band mates and the female celebrities who we met backstage.
As every show night approached, I’d just live on diet drinks for a few days. It was extreme – and it didn’t even work! When we were voted off the show, it was almost a relief.
Life in a band made it difficult to eat healthily.
We worked so hard rehearsing every day, and afterwards, we’d unwind with a takeaway and wine.
After The X Factor, no record companies were interested in signing us. As we faced rejection after rejection, I lost belief in myself and saw no point in trying to eat healthily. Then some things happened that overshadowed my earlier worries. My brother, Lee, then my mum, Theresa, were diagnosed with different types of cancer, and my Aunty Diane slipped into a coma after a routine operation went
wrong. Suddenly, my dreams of becoming a star didn’t feel that important. I left the band for good and returned home to Durham.
Seeing my loved ones go through serious illnesses made me want to enjoy my life to the full – and one of the ways I did that was through food. It was such a relief to see my mum overcome breast cancer and my aunt recover – while my brother’s blood cancer proved controllable and, against the odds, he had a daughter, Florence.
Yet, instead of making me want to protect my future health, their experiences left me with a ‘you only live once’ mentality.
Secret eating
In my job helping medical students find placements abroad, I was travelling to places such as Croatia, Thailand and Poland, and enjoying the most indulgent local food – including lots of delicious bread and dumplings! When I eventually found a job closer to home, I took to secret eating in my car at lunchtime. I’d have a pasty and a chocolate bar before going back into the office with a salad box, so colleagues didn’t think I was unhealthy. Then, one day, my Aunty Marie came over. As we were chatting, she said, ‘I’ve just lost half a stone in two weeks with Slimming World. You should try it.’
I didn’t actually know what I weighed – ages ago, I knew I’d been 10st. When, at my first Slimming World group, the numbers on the scales flashed up at 12st 2lb, I had to blink back tears – I’d no idea that I’d gained stones, not pounds. Back home, I studied the newmember pack and planned my week’s meals. As a vegan, what impressed me was how well the plan could be adapted to plant-based cooking – the things that could be done with beans, lentils, and plain or smoked tofu were amazing! ‘We’re having a curry tonight,’ I told my boyfriend, Steven. Next week at the group, I’d lost 4lb. Another thing that helped me was realising I could still have the foods I loved, such as pizzas and chips. And with some simple swaps, I could make them slimming friendly if I wanted to enjoy them regularly.
Getting more active straight away, alongside eating healthily, really helped my motivation to eat food that was good for me. I decided to join a gym, though the idea of going in on my own was a bit scary!
When I told my friend Hannah, she offered to come with me for moral support, and for some reason we threw ourselves right in at the deep end with an energetic spin class. I’ll be honest, it was exhausting – but energising. Hannah and I signed up for four gym classes a week, including weight-based classes and boxing – and within a few weeks, I felt confident enough to go there on my own.
I also bought weights to use at home and, after Steven noticed how much stronger I was getting, we started doing the same workouts. We loved weekends away in the Lake District and now did the long walks together, rather than me waiting in a pub for Steven to get back.
Then I set my sights on my next challenge. I’d never imagined losing more than 2st could change my outlook so much and make me feel so good about myself. But it did, and I wanted other people to experience the same amazing feeling. I started thinking about becoming a Slimming World Consultant, and I launched my first group last October, running it virtually when I’ve had to. I used all my training and encouraged my groups to come up with new ways to keep on track during lockdown – from handy snacks to include in their shopping to fun ways to keep active, such as having a kitchen disco. I soon took on another three groups, getting a steady stream of new members each week.
Winning in life
I’m now well on the way to my 9st 7lb target weight. I’m often reminded of something I found quite early on at the group, that it’s vital to be kind to yourself. That new mindset gave me the motivation to really look after myself – body and mind.
Slimming down was something I needed to do for me, but I’m not the only one who’s benefited. Steven’s enjoying working out with me, my mum has joined a Slimming World group and lost 1st so far – and my little niece Florence has a more fun aunty! It might sound funny, but my life now gives me more satisfaction than being in a band ever did. In fact, since losing weight, I feel like I’ve won my very own talent show 10 times over.
✱ This story was originally told in Slimming World Magazine.