The 1:1 Diet Life Changer Award Winner 2019
“One year ago, I was a 26 stone hermit. I wouldn’t go out except to take our children to school and only because I had no other choice. I would order absolutely everything online so I never had to leave my safe zone, my house.
“Being morbidly obese for most of my adult life, I never really saw each stone creep on until I was a size 32/34. Any event I was supposed to attend, I refused or else it made me physically sick with terror. I was housebound.
“My fears included being seen in public, talking and what people would whisper about me behind my back. My biggest fear was breaking chairs. After breaking several plastic and wooden chairs and swings, this haunted me everywhere I went.
“Even in my home, if someone from my husband, Paul’s, work came around, I would hide away so I couldn’t be seen. I really had no life.
“At 39 years old, I found I was pregnant with my third child, Brandon. After his birth, I was too tired to do anything. Everything I did felt like it was killing me, so I did nothing. Paul did everything, school events, hospital appointments or social event, but we did nothing together.
“In spite of this, we really wanted a brother of sister to grow up with Brandon, so we tried again and our fourth child, Eloise, was born. The pregnancy was complicated due to my weight. I refused to go to any baby mother and toddler groups as, I knew people were judging me.
“In April 2018, Paul was diagnosed with a serious heart problem. It shook our world apart. I didn’t know what I would do if anything happened to Paul. I feared neither of us might be around for the children unless I changed. This was a wake-up call with a vengeance.
“After finding consultants Matt and Kevin on the website, within an hour of emailing them I already had a phone call and an appointment booked. It was the best thing I ever did.
“The one-to-one support really changed everything. One year and 12 stone later, my life has been turned around.
“Since losing weight I’m now actually living a life. I do everything I can to make up for what I missed out on in the past. I now volunteer to read once a week at the primary school, go on school trips to theatres and farms and for romantic meals out with Paul.
“Brandon recently said, ‘mummy this is my new party trick, I can put my arms around you!’
“I only wanted to lead a normal life, but I went one step further. This has changed everything about me and the family. I finally get up every day, looking and feeling like Wonder Woman.”