Mum sheds almost six stone after son's innocent comment
A mum has revealed how an innocent comment from her son about her weight spurred her into losing almost six stone.
Nicola Boswell, 42, a program manager, from Yateley, Hampshire, was struggling to find time to eat healthily, admitting to "surviving off sugar" with lockdown contributing to the problem.
But a throwaway comment from her son Jameson, now five, became the turning point for the single mum to overhaul her diet and lifestyle.
"I knew I had to change," she says. "I wanted to take my career to the next level, I wanted to be happy and I wanted to be the best role model to my son as his only parent."
Since that conversation with her son in October last year, Boswell's weight has gone from weighing 15st 5lbs to just 9st 7lbs and has dropped from a dress size 18-20 to a size 8-10.
"I had a few toxic relationships that were awful for my self-esteem," she explains. "I was going out socialising all the time and just not taking care of myself.
"When I had my son, everything changed. I had even less energy to take care of myself and I was surviving off sugar. And my weight just kept increasing."
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The start of the coronavirus pandemic meant Boswell saw her weight creep up even further.
"It just got worse during the first lockdown as it was such a worrying and difficult time," she explains. "I turned to food for comfort coupled with extra glasses of wine.
"One day my son looked at me and said innocently 'mummy you're fat', but he was just saying what he saw," she adds.
Following the conversation with her son Boswell signed up to The 1:1 Diet by Cambridge Weight Plan.
To help keep her on track with her weight loss goals, she decided to tell her boss about her desire to overhaul her lifestyle.
"I wanted to make an impression by showing I was someone who could be relied upon and always does what they said they were going to do," she explains about the move.
"So I told him in October last year that I wanted to lose two stone by Christmas so that it would keep me motivated."
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The trick worked as the mum-of-one not only stuck to her goal but went on to exceed it.
"Within eight months I had lost five stone and exceeded my weight loss goal," she explains.
"Before I lived off quick and easy food and lots of sugar for quick bursts of energy, so it was amazing when I started seeing the results from the diet plan.
"I needed results fast to keep me motivated," she adds.
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The transformation not only impacted the way she looked but also the way she felt.
"Until I lost the weight I had no idea how much my size was affecting me," she explains.
"I'd find any excuse to avoid situations like family parties and seeing people I didn't regularly see."
And her weight loss has also impacted the relationship she has with her son, enabling her to carry him up to bed with ease and giving her more energy to have fun with her little boy.
Boswell also admits she still gets a shock when she catches her new reflection when walking past a window.
"I just feel like a completely different person," she continues. "I'm more relaxed, ambitious and I just enjoy living in the moment.
"My self-belief, self-worth and self-esteem have gone through the roof. I am a new person and it shows in every aspect of my life. I haven't felt this good for years."
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Diet Before
Breakfast: Large bowl of high sugar cereal, tea with sugar
Lunch: Rice, chicken, spinach and a hot chocolate
Dinner: Microwave pasta meal
Snacks: Another bowl of cereal, chocolate bars, crisps
Diet After
Breakfast: Cambridge weight plan bar
Lunch: Chicken salad
Dinner: Chicken stir fry with rice
Snacks: 2-4 litres of water and a diet coke
Additional reporting Caters.
