You've gone from 21 stone to 13 stone in the space
of just one year. What was the catalyst for this incredible
weight loss?
The moment that triggered the start of my weight loss was
when I saw a photograph of myself on holiday. It scared
me - it made me actually realise how big I was, and I
felt sick. I knew then that I had to change things.
Within an hour of seeing the photo I had my trainers on and took
myself to the promenade for a run/jog, and since then I haven't
looked back.
Name the everyday task that your weight impacted upon the
most, and how it affected you.
When I was at my highest weight (19 stone), my weight
stopped me from doing a lot of things, I was seriously unfit and
even struggled with walking/jogging, and getting up and down the
stairs. I was sad/down daily and had no confidence!
What would an average day's food intake be, both now and
before the change in lifestyle?
BEFORE:
AFTER:
What exercise do you do per week, and how do you fit it
around your schedule?
Now I go to the gym 5-6 times a week. I am currently
studying so can fit it in easily, but when I had a job it
was a lot harder. I found the time because I was so
determined, but it meant losing a lot of friends and my social
life.
If you could offer one piece of advice to others struggling
with their weight, what would it be?
Don't say that you will 'start on Monday'. As soon as you
think about it, get up and get out for a run.
Whenever you feel down or struggling with the exercise, keep going
- think of the end product!
What sweet treat could you never give up?
To start with I gave up everything; I swapped my old
diet for purely salads, porridge, meat and vegetables. After a long
while and when the weight started coming off, I would allow a treat
every now and again...otherwise you crave it. For me that
treat is a bit of chocolate.
Do you have any plans or aspirations now that wouldn't have
been possible/you didn't feel confident enough to pursue
before?
Since losing my 8 stone, I am now training to become a
Level 2 Gym Instructor and a Level 3 Personal
Trainer.
Why do you think you became overweight?
I have always been very overweight but I really gained
weight when joining high school, as I was always eating
large portions and fast food meals.
Do you think that more needs to be done on the Island to
combat obesity?
I do think that a lot more needs to be done in schools,
colleges etc. For example in cookery lessons they need to
promote a more healthy range of food, and also show the
students how easy it is to cook.
Which plan or guidelines do you follow, if any?
I didn't follow any guidelines, mainly because I could
never stick to set out plans. I made my own, which seem to have
worked - I lost eight stone within one year of starting.
My main plan was to cut out everything bad, like sugars, fats, and
bad carbohydrates. Instead my diet was mainly meat and salads.