How it all started

The first time I was ever called fat was back in junior school where the teacher asked for all the class to step on the scales and get weighed. I remember this day like it was yesterday where the teacher announced to the full class that I was 7 and a half stone and everyone laughed and call me fat – even the teacher at the time chuckled and looked at me in the same way as all the class. From this moment I had an issue with my weight was and all started over 25 years ago.

Throughout my child hood I remember looking at my friends and my cousin particularly who I spent nearly every weekend with wishing I looked like them and wondered why I looked the way I did. Looking back this is quite sad and I would hate to think my children ever felt this way and this was before social media era.

I always remember my relationship with food and when I would feel sad about the way I looked I would eat. My Mam and Dad would always make sure that I had healthy balanced meals but it was what I consumed when they weren’t around that made the difference. My Nan and Grandad were of the generation of ‘you aren’t getting pudding unless you eat it all up’ and my Nan would spread half a block of butter on a slice of malt loaf as a snack when I got in from school.

I didn’t really ever start trying to lose weight until the last year of school when a date was set for my prom. I was adamant I didn’t want to be the fat lass on all the photos and do you know what I managed to get into a dress and for one of the first times in my teens felt good about myself and its one of few photos I look back on which I don’t hate.

Me at my prom, I am the one in the blue dress

How I got there I really don’t know however I am positive it wasn’t a healthy balanced diet and exercise and probably consisted of me starving myself or eating very little. Looking back at my last few years at school there were many of my friends that also struggled with their weight and body image however we never ever spoke about it. I always remember hearing one of my friends making themselves sick and became quite a regular thing. On reflection she was probably suffering in similar ways to me however her actions were different to mine.

THE STRUGGLE

The photo’s below show me between the ages of 14-18 and I hate them with a passion. In actual fact I found it really hard sharing them with you and when looking through the old photos at my Mams there was hardly any around of me and I think that this is due to the fact when a camera came out I ran away (well maybe not run maybe waddle)

Since my late teens, I’ve tried countless diets and exercise routines, but nothing seemed to work. It wasn’t until 4 years ago (2019) that that I started to make changes to my lifestyle and lose weight for good. It wasn’t easy, but it was worth it until covid struck and all the hard work I previously done went down the pan and I put 3 of the 4 stone I had lost back on.

Despite my best efforts, there were times when I felt like giving up. There were days when I would slip up and indulge in unhealthy foods or skip a workout, and then feel guilty and ashamed afterwards. It was a constant battle between my desire to lose weight and my cravings for comfort food.

But the biggest struggle for me was the emotional toll that being overweight took on my self-esteem. I often felt like. I wasn’t good enough or that people were judging me because of my size. This negative self-talk made it even harder to stay motivated and stick to my goals.

TURNING POINT

One day, something clicked for me. I realised that I was tired of feeling unhappy with my body and that I deserved to be healthy and confident again. My Mam prior to Covid used to attend a WW class and had found herself in a similar situation to me where she gained weight she had previously lost. I said I would join her and started WW at Coxhoe with the lovely Karen Wildberg back in January 2023 this is where I started focusing on the positive changes I was making instead of dwelling on my mistakes. I also found support from Karen, the class and my friends and family who encouraged me along the way.

The turning point for me was when I started seeing results. As I lost weight and gained strength, I felt more energized and confident. This positive feedback loop kept me motivated and helped me stay on track.

My Mam has been a huge support to me and has equally lost as much weight as I have and has reached her gold member status and lost 40lbs in total. I appreciate not everyone believes in classes such as WW however all I can say is so far its worked for me but the support provided has been the biggest catalyst to my success so far.

TRANSFORMATION

As I continue on my weight loss journey, I have made a lot of changes to my lifestyle. I love to cook and I now make more meals at home than I have ever done before and try involve my children as much as possible. I focus on using whole, unprocessed foods and part of the reason I started my blog is to share some of the recipes that have been part of my success.

As well as WW I have also discovered recipes from influencers on both Instagram and Facebook and also several recipe books which I will be sharing with you all. I now think about the calories I am consuming and how making healthy swaps in your life can make such a difference to your journey but recognising that food can still taste really good even when eating well.

I also started incorporating more physical activity into my daily routine, such as taking walks or doing pilates and invested in a smart watch which has personally helped me along the way.

One of the biggest changes for me was learning to listen to my body and trust my instincts. Instead of following strict rules or guidelines, I learned to pay attention to how different foods and exercises made me feel and adjust accordingly. This approach helped me find a sustainable way of living that I could maintain long-term.