‘‘I can breathe easy
after 30 years’
Karen Noble, , is a retired social worker. She lives
in Bognor Regis, West Sussex. She has three grown-up
children and four grandchildren. Karen is ft ins
tall and weighs st lbs, having lost st lbs at
Lisa Empson’s Slimming World group in Bognor RegisR
aise one leg and stretch your fingers out
towards your toes...’ The Pilates teacher’s
calm voice made the move sound easy,
but as I lay on the mat with my stomach
muscles burning, I wondered what my friend
Caroline had got me into. Afterwards, though, I felt
exhilarated...and I agreed to go back the following
week. I figured I’d soon get the hang of it. After
all, a couple of months ago, I wouldn’t have been
able to make it even halfway through the class.
I’d started overeating as a child and it continued
into adulthood, when I turned to sugary snacks
to help me cope with the stresses of my job as
a senior social worker. As my weight increased, the
asthma I’d had for years got worse, too, and I’d feel
breathless climbing the stairs to my first-floor flat.
When my daughter Jenny set a wedding date,
I told Caroline how I wished I could be slimmer for
the photos...and she took me along to her Slimming
World group. I let out a sigh of relief when the
Consultant, Lisa, explained about Free Food. I’d got
it into my head that I’d have to eat less meat to lose
weight, so hearing I could still have meaty
dinners, as long as I chose lean cuts and
removed visible fat, was music to my ears!
Another food I’d worried about having
to do without was chocolate. I’d been eating
a family-size bar at a time and knew that was
far more than I could fit into my daily Syns.
When I unwrapped a bar, it seemed impossible
to stop after a few squares. So I broke it into
four-chunk sections and put each one in a little
pot. Then, when I had a sweet craving, I’d eat
a pot of chocolate and stop – it worked a treat!
Just two months after joining Slimming
World, I was diagnosed with a hernia and my
breathing problems became worse. So when
Caroline suggested the Pilates class, I was
more than a little dubious, even though by that
point I’d lost 2st. She convinced me to give it
a try anyway, and it was only a few weeks before
I found I could master some quite difficult
moves. As I got stronger, it seemed that my
hernia was troubling me less. Then, as I carried on
losing weight, I noticed my asthma was getting
better than it had been for 30 years, too, and my GP
was happy for me to stop my daily preventer inhaler.
In 18 months, I lost more than 4st and I revelled
in the compliments I got at Jenny’s wedding, feeling
wonderful in a fitted, size-10 dress. I love my regular
Pilates classes, but the best exercise has to be racing
around with my young grandchildren. It’s a delight
I never dreamt I’d get to enjoy. I’m no longer held
back by my asthma, or my weight! KAREN WEARS:
Above: Top and
cami set, Nine by
Savannah Miller
at Debenhams.
Leggings and yoga
mat, both USA Pro
at Sports Direct
p: Dress,
RJR.John Rocha
at Debenhams.
Shoes, Bonprix.
Bracelet, Primark SLIMMING WORLDINTERVIEWS: KEVIN DONALD. PHOTOGRAPHS: PAUL BULLER. STYLING: SHARNA VALENTINE. HAIR & MAKEUP: SARAH BULLETT & LIZ KITCHINER. SEE P FOR STOCKISTS THIS INFORMATION IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE GENERAL KNOWLEDGE AND SHOULD NOT BE USED TO REPLACE THE ADVICE GIVEN BY YOUR HEALTHCARE TEAM. IF YOU’RE PLANNING TO START A NEW EXERCISE PROGRAMME, IT’S ALWAYS GOOD TO CHECK WITH YOUR GP FIRST ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE AN EXISTING HEALTH CONDITION SUCH AS HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE OR DIABETES. PREGNANT WOMEN SHOULD CHECK THE SUITABILITY OF THE EXERCISE WITH THEIR MIDWIFEwell-being special
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