W
alking into the sports hall, I had to
fight the urge to turn around and run
back out of the room. Just four weeks
earlier, I’d started my journey with
Slimming World and somehow that
had given me the courage to try something else: my
first exercise class in 15 years. I’d dressed head to
toe in black in an attempt to disguise my size-22/24
frame and, even with my grown-up daughter Emily
beside me, I wondered if I was making a huge mistake.
As the music started, I forced myself to focus on the
instructor and lift the bar in front of me.
To my surprise, I was able to do it – and
everything else he asked during the
next 55 minutes. Once it was over, I was
flushed and out of breath...and I couldn’t
wait to try Bodypump again.
Exercise had never been a part of
my life as a child. At home, I’d choose
watching TV over a bike ride or swim.
I’d also started spending my pocket
money on cheap chocolate bars and
by the time I was 15,
my clothes were a size- The bigger I got,
the less I wanted to
be active. I just felt
too self-conscious.
I weighed around
15st when, aged 22,
I gave birth to Emily.
Then Megan came
along six years later
and my weight crept up to 17st 10lbs.
After splitting up from the girls’ dad
I threw myself into my career in
call-centre recruitment. I’d snack
on biscuits and crisps to keep my
energy up throughout the day and,
feeling exhausted in the evening,
would have a takeaway for dinner
three or four times a week. I
remember seeing a slim, sporty
mum in leggings zipping around
town with her buggy and thinking,
‘What’s she on?’. For me, it was
enough of a physical challenge
Kirsty Brown was only weeks into her slimming journey when she fell
in love with exercise classes, unleashing a whole new zest for life
THEN I’d rely on
chocolate to
get me through
the working
day, then sink
onto the sofa at
home exhaustedHow Kirsty lifted
her fitness fears
SNAPSHOT
Kirsty Brown, , is a
part-time office manager.
She lives in Markfield,
Leicestershire, with her
partner, Steve, and her
daughters, Megan, , and
Freya, four. She also has a
grown-up daughter, Emily,
and two grandsons, Freddie,
three, and Isaac, six months
Height: ft ins
Starting weight: st lbs
Weight now: st lbsWEIGHT LOST:
8st 12lbsKirsty is a target member of
Hazel Hickson’s Slimming World
group in Groby, Leicestershireto get up in the morning and make it through
the day. I might as well have thought about going
to the moon as to the gym.Coupling up
By the time I met Steve through friends in 2009,
I was a size 20 – and very unhappy about it. Steve,
who had a physical job and never seemed to put on
any weight himself, told me he loved me no matter
what size I was. Our life revolved around working
hard during the day, then unwinding with a couple
of glasses of wine and a takeaway in the evening.
On the rare occasions when we’d all go out together
as a family, I’d have to rest frequently. Even on short
walks I’d get out of breath and would secretly count
down the minutes until I could get home.
Falling pregnant for a third time at the age of
39 was a brilliant surprise. When baby Freya arrived,
though, looking after her was so much tougher than
it had been with Emily or Megan. Now a size 22/24, I
found clearing up her toys and getting her out of her
cot a struggle. As fitted clothes felt uncomfortable,
I stuck to wearing shapeless tunic
tops and leggings, and didn’t think
about how much older they might
make me look. Then, when Freya
was about six months old, I took
her for her vaccinations and the
nurse asked me if I was babysitting.
I felt my cheeks redden as I realised
she’d thought I was her granny,
not her mum.
As Freya turned into an
active toddler, keeping up with
her became even harder. Trips
to the playground would exhaust
me. I’d have to sit down on the
bench and watch her play by
herself. And Megan would take
Freya swimming, when I felt it
should have been me. I was
racked with guilt.
Then, in January 2016, my
daughter Emily joined Slimming
World. Her son, Freddie, was a
toddler now and she’d decided she’d
like to lose her baby weight. Within > SLIMMING WORLDKirsty_vb_v7.indd 102 10/11/2017 09:42