Pick Me Up! Special – September 2019

WORDS

BY

LUCY

BRYANT

PHOTOS:

SWNS

I joked

thatI

wasjust

cuddly

Rupert was

instantly

put at ease

Thehardwork

hadpaidoff!

My50’s

willbethe

bestyet

My big birthday

inspired some even

bigger changes

CARB THAT

APPETITE!

P

olishing off three thick

slices of buttery toast, I

patted my satisfied

tummy and headed off

to work.

You’d think that a huge

breakfast would have filled me

up – far from it.

As a train planner, I was sat at

a desk for most of the

day, snacking for

hours on end.

I’d tuck into biscuits

all morning –

chocolate digestives,

Hobnobs - anything.

Then at lunch I’d

have a large cheese

and mayo sandwich.

And for dinner? More carbs,

of course.

It was usually pie and chips or

a huge plate of pasta.

I was a carb queen!

‘I’m just a bit cuddly,’ I’d joke

to my friends.

But deep down, I knew it was

an addiction.

When I was 35, I hit the

scales at 15st.

And at just 5ft 7in, I was a bit

of a tub.

With my office job, over the

years, my weight continued to

creep up, going from a size 18 to

a puffed-up 24.

One day, I went to London’s

Camden Market with my

daughter Penny, 27.

Browsing through a vintage

shop, we pulled out beautiful

olden-day-style outfits.

But there was one problem –

all the dresses were

the same size.

As Penny was

drowning in the size

10 frocks, there was

no way I could even

zip mine up.

With my 50th

getting closer and

nearing the 20st mark,

I felt like I was staring down the

barrel of a gun.

I had to do something.

After doing some research, I

came across Slimming World.

Their eating plan allowed for

unlimited pasta, rice and spuds.

It sounded like it was too

good to be true!

I signed up in October 2016

and at my first meeting, I

weighed in at 19st 12lb.

But every week, I slowly

chipped away at my fat.

As bread wasn’t included in

Jill Ross, 50, from Leeds, had an

addiction she just had to beatÉ

the carb free-for-all, I cut it out.

Instead, I’d have lean bacon,

tomatoes, beans and

mushrooms for breakfast.

For lunch, I’d indulge in a

jacket potato, and for dinner, I’d

have pasta piled with veg.

And as the weight came off, I

started running.

Of course it was a struggle at

first, huffing and puffing after

just a few metres.

But soon I was doing 8k runs

four times a week.

By the time I turned 50 last

August, I’d lost over 5st.

And, this January, I reached

my goal weight of 12st 7lb.

To celebrate, I had a photo

shoot done, posing in a

beautiful size 14

vintage dress.

Now I feel

better than I

ever have.

I may be

50, but I’m

fit and

fabulous!

knees - there was no saving it.
Back at the hotel later that
night, I had to bin it!
It’s a shame, but I’m hoping
our windswept photos will last
much longer.

It was a

perfect day