The 1:1 Diet Woman of the Year Award Winner 2019
“In October 2018, I felt so low it really was a crisis point. Seriously disliking myself and feeling trapped in my own body, I had to do something. I had lost a dear friend and decided I needed to start living as I still had life.
“After some research I decided The 1:1 Diet by Cambridge Weight Plan sounded like the way out of my misery. I started on Plan after a trip to Milan, where I had to ask for an extension to my seatbelt on the plane.
“After many years of feeling not worthy due to my weight (I often felt that I took up too much space) this was the last straw. I was so embarrassed and self-conscious I realised it was make-or-break time.
“My husband had left my two-year-old son and me more than 20 years ago and that was the beginning of my downward spiral into low self-esteem and negative self-image. Being a working mum, there was little time to think about myself. I simply did what had to be done, all the while loathing how I felt and looked.
“Around 10 years ago, I was offered the chance to have a career in fitness. I imagined I would lose weight which I did - a little - but erratic eating times and a busy life meant I gained it back, and more. And so, my life of feeling unworthy, yo-yo dieting, hiding behind baggy dark clothes in the mistaken belief that I’d look thinner, continued.
“My first consultation was extremely emotional. At this meeting my amazing Consultant helped me realise I wasn’t alone, giving me hope I could do this. That was the reassurance I needed to succeed.
“Embarking on the diet, I very quickly began to feel like I was starting to live again. The losses were significant and that was great motivation to keep at it. As I dropped dress sizes, I realised how much my excess weight was holding me back and was a real disability.
“Shedding weight has opened up a whole new world for me. I feel I am a valued human being worthy of being taken seriously.
“I run fitness classes like Zumba and Yoga, as well as being a beauty therapist/trainer. It's taken a long time to feel like this and I don't want it to end.
“I recently went on holiday to Australia where I had to actually pull the seatbelt in, and enjoyed water-skiing, paddle boarding, hiking, running and even a skinny dip. A year ago, I wouldn’t have gone - too embarrassed, too big and too much to cope with.
“My 1:1 Diet Consultant, Marilyn Roden, has been there for me throughout my journey buffering my self-doubt, spurring me on like my own personal cheerleader. This has inspired me to become a Consultant to help others suffering from obesity.
“Marilyn has really supported me through all the challenging and sometimes emotional times, always patient and always giving me great examples through her wealth of knowledge and experience of weight loss.
“My life is transformed, changed beyond all hope. I have boundless energy and for the first time ever I believe I can maintain my new ‘me’. It feels wonderful to look more like the yoga teacher participants would expect.”