Thanks for visiting my website, and my blog. In case you’re wondering who I am and whether I can help you, this is my story…

On the left is me in 2006, at my absolute heaviest weight. I don’t recognise myself at all. I lost all my excess weight that year, 5 stone, and reached my lowest adult weight, but 2 years later had put almost all of it back on, again!

On the right is me a couple of weeks ago, 21 miles into my 12th marathon in 11 years, something the old me would never have considered possible in, even my WILDEST of dreams, despite being in awe of going to see the London Marathon in the early 1980s. I HATED running back then!

I’m not a fast runner or a natural runner, in fact I’m often near the back of the field, but as I’m only ever racing against myself, and I love it, that’s totally cool.

Anyway, back to the story….. I spent from my childhood up to age 36 going between thinking I was fat when I wasn’t, or actually being overweight, being very self-conscious and unhappy with my body, and either gaining or losing weight. I’d never been able to maintain it. I was the classic yo yo dieter.

It was quite a rollercoaster and at the root of it were a few things…. loving my food, a big appetite, not having the skills to manage my behaviour (in many areas, not just food), terrible self esteem, hating my body, no self worth, that I didn’t think I was at all worthy of looking after myself, lack of confidence in my abilities, wanting instant results after a week of dieting, then giving up, or being far too strict and then rebounding, valuing instant gratification over my long term health, regularly overeating and then feeling terribly guilty about it but burying my head in the sand and thinking I’d sort it out ‘tomorrow’ or ‘on Monday’. In 2008 I put on 2 stone doing the ‘Monday diet!

So what changed??

I finally started to wake up to the consequences of my behaviour and accepted responsibility for it. That was hard, as it had been so easy to blame it on everything else but me. It was my doctor who said ‘the antidepressants might be making you hungry but they’re not making you put food in your mouth’ when I complained to him that they’d made me put on more weight. That was my wake up call. It was a shock, and very unsympathetic I thought at the time.

But I thought about it, and the penny dropped, and I realised he was right….. it was so LIBERATING and oh so POWERFUL!!! Because I suddenly realised that if I was responsible for getting myself there, I was therefore responsible for getting myself to where I really WANTED to be….and more importantly had the POWER within myself to do it, and so I did it. I also realised that my weight was a big factor in my depression at the time….

Then, in 2009, I decided I needed to make some fundamental changes to my life. On the left is me at the beginning of my complete mind and body transformation (that may sound a little cheesy but it absolutely has been a complete transformation, I feel like a completely different person inside and out)…It was the last time I was properly overweight, in 2009. I’d just done some exercise. On the right is me yesterday, wearing a medal from yet another race.

That was 11 years ago. It took me 2 years to properly crack it, and it wasn’t easy at all, but I was determined, and I’ve never looked back and for the last 9 years have been in control of myself and know how to live and enjoy food whilst maintaining my health and fitness and that I’m WORTH IT!!! I also have a lot more respect for myself and realistic expectations about what’s possible, and I’m much happier in my own skin. I have MY perfect body – as it does what I need it to, and is healthy. We only get one life so why not make the absolute best of it that we can and be the best we can be for our loved ones??

So 2 years ago I set up my business to help others whose weight holds them back from living the life they want to live, and I’m so proud of everything my clients have achieved so far!

If I can do it, and they can do it, then so can you!!!

I’m not saying you have to take up running like I did, but certainly an improvement in lifestyle was a requirement for me, and running has been a big part of that for me.

The key thing was finding something beneficial to my health that I enjoyed and therefore could stick to, that became a bigger part of my life than food and drink was, as food was such a big part of my life back then.

It no longer is, as I realise eating large quantities, and poor quality food no longer serve me. I don’t have a perfect diet, far from it, and I still love cake, I just know now how to keep it in balance. I aim for the 80/20 principle these days.

So that’s me.

So why not get in touch and tell me about your story?

If you’re looking for some free, friendly, non-judgmental support, come and join the YourOneLife Facebook Group !

See you there!