Real Life
WORDS:
BELLA
BATTLE
AND
FRANCES
LEATE/©THE
SUN/NEWS
LICENSING.
PHOTOS:
THE
SUN/NEWS
LICENSING
‘I COULDFIT
BOTHLEGS
INTOONE’
‘It’s in six months, that’s enough time
to get fit, isn’t it?’ I asked one colleague
dubiously. I’d had moments like this
before, where I’d vow to get healthy, but
this time felt different – I’d had enough
of my thighs chafing and my stomach
sticking out. So, with my workmate’s
encouragement, I joined the gym.
In the weeks that followed, I went two,
sometimes three mornings, determined
to get fit. I thought I’d be exhausted, but
actually, exercising seemed to give me
more energy. Not wanting to sabotageall
my hard work, I quickly adopted a much
healthier diet, ditching fast food and
snacking on fruit and yogurt
when I was hungry.
I shed 2st in a couple
of months and became
obsessed with eating well
and exercising. In July 2010,
when it was finally time to
run the 10k, I’d lost 3st and
stunned my colleagues – and myself – by
completing it in an hour and 15 minutes.
That’s when I decided to do a personal-
training qualification and start running,
boxing and calorie-counting. By the time
I hit 27, I had my dream figure – at 5ft 4in,
I weighed 11st and wore a trim size 10.
My new hobby was buying clothes, the
more colourful and figure-hugging the
better.Beingslim,I wantedto
showmyfigureoff.I keptsome
ofmylargerclothes,though–
mainlytoseehowfarI’dcome–
andI couldactuallyfitbothlegs
intoonelegofthebaggywork
trousersI usedtowear.Fallingoffthewagon
However,notlongaftermy
friend’sbirthdayparty,I injured
myshoulderliftingweightsand
tooka breakfromexercisewhile
I recovered.Withoutworkingout,I
quicklylostmymotivationandwassoon
gorgingonpizzasandtubsoficecream.
‘It’sa treat,’I’dtellmyself,onlyI seemed
tobetellingmyselfthat
everyothernight.So,justas
quicklyasI’dshedallthose
poundsa fewyearsbefore,
theweightcreptbackon.
Bymy30thinJuly2015,I’d
gained6standwasbackin
thoseblackbaggytrousers.
Andnow,hereI am,aged34,nolonger
thatpretty,confidentgirloutonthetown
wearinggorgeoustightdresses,butback
tohowI wasbefore– insecureand
overweight– at17standa size18.
Despitethat,mywardrobeisstillhome
todozensofsize 10 dressesI can’tbear
topartwith.I’mproudofthatconfident,
gym-honedwomanI usedtobeandgivingthoseclothestocharitywouldbe
likesayingI’llneverbeslimagain.
There’snotmuchinmywardrobeI
actuallycanwearthesedays.I onlyown
onepairofjeansthatfitmeand,other
thanthat,I liveinstretchyleggingsand
oversizedtops.There’snopointbuying
moreclothesinmycurrentsize.That
wouldbelikeadmittingI plantostaylike
thisforever.WhichI don’t.WhenI open
mywardrobeandseeallthosepretty
dresses,I feelreassuredandinspired–
iftheyfitmeonce,they’llfitmeagain.
Oneday,I’llbethatgirlinthepink
body-condressagain.I’mgoingbackto
thegym,watchingwhatI eat;I justneed
tostayfocusedontheendresult.It’snot
aboutclingingontothepast,it’sabout
believingI canachieveweight-loss
successagain– becauseI knowI will.Size
16
Size
18
Size
14
(^2019) Sarah
wantsher 2012
bodyback
2017 Stuck
in a cycle of
yo-yo dieting
2018 Getting^
back into^
keeping fit