My heart sank as I struggled to fasten my size-18 work tunic. It was December 2021, and I’d recently landed my dream job as a newborn hearing screener and was getting ready to start my training in January. But with Christmas coming up, I knew there was no way my uniform would fit by then.
Snacking was my downfall. After having my children – Millie, Poppy and Oliver – I’d found myself grabbing quick snacks and picking at their leftovers instead of having proper meals, and gradually my weight had gone up. Then in 2018, I lost my teaching assistant job due to cuts, and my confidence took a knock. Feeling fed up, I turned to food. I managed to find work at a nursery, but the shifts were gruelling.
In September 2021, I plucked up the courage to apply for that new job, and I couldn’t believe it when I was offered the position! All through Christmas, though, that super-snug uniform preyed on my mind... What’s more, I was finding taking our dog Pippa out for just a quick walk exhausting. How on earth would I manage the long hospital shifts?
Determined to make my fresh start count, I joined a Slimming World group in January 2022. My Consultant, Jenn, made me feel so welcome – the only scary moment was when I stepped on the scales and discovered I weighed 15st 3lbs (95.2kg). It was a higher number than I’d expected, but I wasn’t going to let that put me off. Setting my target weight at 12st (76.2kg), I felt ready to get stuck in!
A bumper first-week weight loss
I started following Slimming World’s Food Optimising plan straight away, and made a slimming-friendly version of lasagne that night, swapping out the jar of cheese sauce for lighter soft cheese. And instead of our weekly Chinese takeaway, I made chicken chow mein using a recipe from the Slimming World members’ app. That week, I lost 5½lbs (2.5kg)!
I was loving the support part of group, where everyone shares their successes and any setbacks, and get help for the next week. It was there that I learned about my personal sabotage traps and danger zones, and realised I’d been eating and snacking to comfort myself. One of my danger areas was the local coffee shop, and at first, I’d make excuses not to meet up with friends there. It worked, but it wasn’t how I wanted to live my life. With the help of my group, I came up with a more satisfying strategy – on the day, I’d always have a filling Food Optimising breakfast, lunch and dinner, so I’d be happy to catch up over a drink and not feel like I wanted a brownie, too. By the time I started my new job, I’d got my half-stone award.
Discovering new family favourites
I found that the fewer high-Swip foods I ate, the less I wanted them. And at home, I noticed that the chicken nuggets and pizzas in the freezer were staying there for longer, because the kids were asking for my lasagne or cottage pie instead.
Things didn’t always go to plan, but Jenn ran a Facebook page for members and it was a real help on those days when I felt low and reached for chocolate. ‘Don’t beat yourself up,’ Jenn would message back. ‘Just draw a line under it and start again.’ In the past, I’d have felt so rubbish for ‘failing’ that I’d have gone into self-destruct mode and eaten loads more unhealthy things. Jenn and the other members made me see it wasn’t a failure at all, just a bump in the road and an opportunity to learn more about myself.
I reached target around the same time that I qualified as a newborn hearing screener. By then, being on my feet all day didn’t bother me at all and, on top of feeling fitter, I’d recently swapped my work tunic for one in a smaller size.
I’d decided I wanted to lose a bit more weight and before long, it wasn’t just my uniform that was too big. I started to replace my plain, mostly dark outfits with brighter, fitted clothes – and for the first time in ages, I was having fun experimenting with fashion.
Finding time for me
Before I lost weight, walking Pippa had felt like a chore. Hearing about the other members’ positive experiences of Slimming World’s active lifestyle programme helped me to see the benefits of squeezing in a bit more exercise. So I’d pop my earphones in and pace up and down the scenic hills near where I live. Those walks gave me some precious me-time and they gave me a boost whenever my weight loss slowed down. By July 2023, I reached my final target weight of 10st 5lbs (63.5kg).
I feel like there are no limits to what I can do now. I’m so much more confident in myself, and I’m loving my new career... Meeting the mums and their babies takes me right back to when my three were little. Sometimes, when I think about those days, I wish I’d slimmed down sooner. Thankfully, Poppy and Oliver are still young enough to enjoy kicking a ball around with their mum, and Millie loves it when we go shopping together. I feel good about every bit of my life, and I’m so glad I took the plunge and made those changes. Now, the future feels full of possibility – who knows where it’ll take me next!