FAT BURNER’S DIARY

Leila Yadalee-bromfield, 33, an account manager from London, discovered a passion for yoga after a family intervention

How one reader cured her anxiety with exercise

THEN

Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, I was preparing for my first term at uni when a family member mentioned that they were concerned about my weight. I was shocked, but not really surprised. Bullied at school, I ate for comfort. I thought it was normal to eat two bagels, a few packets of crisps and a chocolate bar for lunch. As a vegetarian, my meals were 80% carbs: think chips, pasta and jacket potatoes. My dad is from Mauritius, where being bigger is a mark of happiness, but at 14st 3lbs and 5ft 4in, my health and relationships were starting to suffer.

HOW

I joined the gym in freshers’ week and began doing three cardio sessions a week. I walked every day, and vegetables and pulses became my staple foods. In three months, I lost nearly 3st. My weight loss slowed over the next few years but I persisted, and by the age of 25 I’d reached 9st 5lbs. Then one day in 2013, I accidentally walked into a yoga class instead of the body combat session I’d signed up for. Too awkward to leave, I did the class, and loved it. So I upped my workouts and started doing yoga five times a week. Six months later, I noticed how toned I looked and how calm I felt. I’d always suffered with anxiety and yoga proved a great cure – it even helped me lose another stone.

NOW

Wanting to share my passion, I trained as a yoga teacher in 2015. But in May 2017, I injured my neck while on holiday and now I can’t lift more than 1kg. Being off work and unable to move was so frustrating, but I try to see the positives. I’ve discovered ballet barre and Pilates, which help to protect my joints. Doing a combination of these and yoga, I can still work out five times a week and maintain my weight and muscle tone. Before exercise, I hadn’t found anything I really loved. Now it’s a key part of my life – and I’ve never felt better.