Woman UK – 22 July 2019

Yo-yodieterSarahEdwardshasa wardrobefullofsize 10 clothes,

despitebeinga size18.Canshegobacktothewomansheoncewas?

J

ustlikecertainperfumes,clothes

cantakeyoubackin time,toa party,

eventormomentyoufeltincredible.

Andnow,holdingupmypink

body-condress,I canrememberthe

dayI woreit likeit wasyesterday,andcan

stillfeeltheexcitementandsatisfaction

I feltbackthenwhenI putit on.

ItwasNovember 2012 andmybest

friend’s27thbirthdayparty.I’dnotlong

qualifiedasa personaltrainer– andafter

slippingonthatfigure-huggingsize 10 dress,

I’dneverfeltsoconfident,smilingforphotos

anddancing.I wasworkingoutregularly,

eatinghealthilyandI lookedandfeltgreat

asa resultofthateffort.ButI appreciated

myfigureallthemorebecause,justa few

yearsearlier,I’dbeenmorbidlyobese.

12 STONE

I’ve lost & gaine

I’dalwaysbeencurvierthanothergirls

atschool;mythighsweredoublethesize

ofsomeoftheirskinnylegsandI hadbig

boobs,too.AlthoughI wasn’thuge,I still

gotteasedformyshape.I remember,aged

14,a groupofboyscruellychanting‘fat

ginger’behindmeasI walkedtoschool.

ThehumiliationandshameI feltstayed

withmeanditstarteda life-longobsession

withmybodythathasseenmeloseweight

butthenpileitbackonagainandagain.

WhenI leftschoolandwenttocollege,

I wasa size12/14andstruggledtomake

friends.Lonely,I’dsneakofftotheshop

nearcampusandbingeonready-made

sandwiches,crispsandchocolate.

BythetimeI was 18 andwenttounito

studyInteriorDesign,I was17st7lbanda

size22.DesperatetohidehowI looked,I

dressedinleggingsandbaggy,long-sleeved

tops.Aftergraduating,I startedanadmin

job,butbingeeatinghadbecomemyway

oflife,andI kepta permanentstashof

snacksinmydeskdrawersatwork.

Lowpoint

Withmyself-esteemlow,I’doftenattract

thewrongmen,andhada stringof

disastrousrelationships.Itonlymademy

eatinghabitsworse– wallowinginself-pity,

I’dbingeonchocolateduringthedayand

treatmyselftotakeawaysatnight.

Butonedayatwork,mycolleagues

weresigninguptoa 10krunforcharity

and,despiteneverhavingranbefore,

I wasgrippedbya desiretotakepart.

Size

20

Size

10

Size

16

2012 Dramatic

weightloss

aftera10k

2008 Comfort

eatingwaspart

ofSarah’slife

(^2014) The
weight crept
back up