A mum became so big that she was afraid to pick her children up from school. Lydia Collins, 38, from Solihull, has struggled to lose weight since her late teens. She was no stranger to abandoning her goals after experiencing a setback, until she joined her local group in October 2017. The decision led to "changing her life", and she went onto shed seven stone. Now she feels fitter and happier than she ever has been. A new study revealed 53% of
UK adults admit that just one setback can derail them from their weight loss goals, with almost one in five (19%) saying a setback made them give up on their weight loss goals altogether. The survey of 2,003 adults, commissioned by the UK and Ireland’s largest weight-loss organisation , revealed 77% of adults say they’ve previously attempted to lose weight. On average, people have tried to lose weight seven times in their lifetime. But, to prove that it's possible with the right attitude and dedication, Lydia shared her own story. All she needed was the right guidance and support to get there. Lydia said: "If I’m honest I’ve probably always struggled with my weight, but it really started creeping up from about 16. I started thinking I was too cool to do sport at school and discovered takeaways and going out with
Friends. "I tried so many different ways to lose weight, but nothing worked. I was always hungry and I felt miserable. "My health was suffering, I used to limp as I had excruciating pain in my ankles due to the strain from how much weight I was carrying. My weight made me feel anxious too – I’d worry what people thought of me and I’d hate walking into a room full of people. "Even collecting my children from school terrified me in case my kids would get picked on because of my weight. It was on a family holiday in Wales that I realised I had to make a change. "Our holiday home was a short walk up a very steep hill. I got halfway up the hill, I could barely breathe and thought I was going to have a heart attack. "Everyone else breezed past me and when I finally got back to the house, after crawling on the last stretch. I was so embarrassed, and worried about my health, I knew I had to do something." When a friend mentioned she was joining a local Slimming World group, Lydia asked if she could go with her. It was the only weight loss method she'd tried in the past that she'd enjoyed, and she knew it worked. From the first meeting, she threw herself into the plan, and made healthier versions of all her favourite foods. This way she never felt like she was missing out. She's since lost seven stone, and she's kept on track by munching on healthy everyday food that all the family can enjoy. Lydia cooks all day in her
Job as a catering manager, so she didn't want to have to prepare different meals for each person. "From being a regular takeaway
Queen on a Saturday night, I’m now a fakeaway queen, replacing all our family favourites with healthier versions – which they say they much prefer," Lydia added. "My Slimming World Consultant helped me to understand my personal ‘danger zones’, and how planning my meals ahead would help me from getting derailed and feeling hopeless. I would always skip breakfast meaning I’d snack all the way to lunch. "Now, I prep my breakfast the night before, fill up on egg muffins or omelettes for lunch. I no longer reach for the quick, easy high in fat ‘convenience’ foods I used to as I was always so tired and too busy to cook anything else. "Now I cook pretty much everything from scratch and I bring the children in to help me – cooking as a family makes it so much more enjoyable. I’m not perfect though – I'm human and things don’t always go to plan, and I’ve learned that’s ok. "So now, when I have a setback, I know it doesn’t have to mean I’ve blown it." Since shedding the weight, Lydia has dropped from a size 22 to a size 10. Even though she knows anxiety will never leave her, she admitted she's much less anxious since losing weight. She's now a regular gym member and a keen runner, and she has dreams of doing the
London Marathon one day. For anyone trying to lose weight, she said the best thing you can do is be kind to yourself. Lydia continued: "My husband, Gareth, has joined and lowered his cholesterol after losing weight. I knew it was my mindset that had to change, and I soon discovered being kinder to myself helped me navigate the bumps in the road. I feel I’m the best version of myself because I’m happier inside and out." Claire Pykett, who runs the Knowle Slimming World group in Solihull, and works as Lydia’s Slimming World Consultant, added: "When Lydia walked through the doors to my group that first night, I could see she was absolutely ready to make a fresh start. Each week, with support, Lydia grew in confidence. "While we were working on her personalised plan, we discovered Lydia struggled with a setback every Saturday night having the takeaways that the family loved. "We discussed adapting these family takeaways into healthier versions cooked at home, and now she proudly tells us her family much prefer her fakeaways and she’s saved money! "I’m so proud of Lydia and how far she’s come – not only with her weight loss but also with her confidence and her self-compassion."