A mum who gained 6st from comfort eating says she was so ashamed of her weight she avoided mirrors for three years – and feels like a new woman after shifting the pounds. Louisa Halliday, 45, weighed 16st 9lbs and was a size 18 at her heaviest after indulging in chocolate, crisps and Chinese takeaways through the pandemic.
The mum-of-one gained so much weight she didn’t recognise herself – and spent three years avoiding mirrors. But symptoms of a knee injury, worsened by her weight, left her feeling she had “no other option” but to go on a diet.
Louisa joined Slimming World and lost 1st 1lbs in her first week – and 10 months in she’s dropped four clothing sizes and is a healthy 10st 6lbs and size 10. Louisa, a weight loss consultant, from Swansea, Wales, said: “I couldn’t look in the mirror for three years – I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. I didn’t recognise myself, but now, I feel like my old self again.
“I felt so depressed and down, I just couldn’t cope with that feeling anymore. I thought: ‘Now’s the time to change’. And I did. Now, I have no trouble seeing myself in the mirror – I can wear whatever I want, like lots of fitted clothing.”
When the pandemic hit in March 2020, Louisa find herself turning to food for comfort and to “treat” herself. She’d indulge in chocolate, crisps and Chinese takeaways most days – as well as washing down six glasses per weekend of her favourite tipple – red wine.
This, combined with no exercise, caused her to gain nearly twice her body weight. Louisa said: “I drank a lot of wine and I was eating high sugar, high fat food.
“Lots of people put weight on during the lockdown, it was just a bad time. I just wanted to treat myself – so I was going for the chocolate, the crisps.” Louisa would snack throughout the day and order McDonald’s or KFC for her lunches.
But during lockdown, she also injured her knee – which was exacerbated by the weight she was carrying. Louisa said: “I fell on top of a wooden frame bed. The corner went straight through my kneecap.
“I just got on with it, really – but because of my weight, the pressure on my knees was awful.” After her knee began getting worse – and not wanting to see a doctor about it – Louisa decided she wanted to start losing weight.
She set a goal weight of 10st – and joined Slimming World for help. Within just two weeks, she lost 1st 1lbs. “It felt absolutely amazing,” she said.
“I just wanted to see if Slimming World would work. I knew I was going to lose big in the first week – when I really start concentrating on something, that’s it. I never weighed myself at home – I didn’t want to be disheartened if the figure changed.
“But my first week, I lost 12lbs – and 5lbs in my second.” As well as following Slimming World meal plans, Louisa started trimming the fat from meat before cooking it.
She also decided to load every plate with vegetables – and stop eating when she was feeling full. A typical day of meals for her now includes oatcakes for breakfast, soup for lunch and ratatouille for dinner – and she’s banned takeaways from her diet.
Even her wardrobe has completely changed – and Louisa feels like her “old, sexy self” again in fitted dresses, jumpsuits and shorts. After losing 6st 3lbs, she now exercises by doing at least 28,000 steps a day and boxes at her gym. Louisa said: “I can wear what I want again.
“I even feel like I can be more sociable – when I gained the weight, I became very shy. “I feel amazing – and I’m not restricting food, either, as nothing’s off-limits.”
A DAY OF MEALS BEFORE THE DIET:
Breakfast: Two slices of cheese on white toast
Lunch: McDonald’s or KFC
Dinner: A Chinese takeaway
Extras: Three-to-four glasses of wine on a Saturday and Sunday
A DAY OF MEALS NOW:
Breakfast: Oatcakes
Lunch: Soup
Dinner: Batch-made ratatouille, or butternut squash curry
LOUISA’S EXERCISE ROUTINE:
At least 28,000 steps a day
One hour of boxing in the gym