'I lost 7st, I was worried my son would get picked on because of my size'
A mum who feared her sons would be bulled because of her size was inspired to kickstart a 7st weight loss.
Mary Watkins, 42, from Crowborough, East Sussex, had struggled with her weight for years and was diagnosed with high blood pressure and pre-eclampsia while pregnant with her eldest son Freddie.
"Freddie was born seven weeks premature as he had stopped growing due to the blood flow from my placenta being weak," she explains.
"I was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia and my weight and high blood pressure played a part in that.
"It hurts me to think that Freddie might not have been born early if I’d been a healthy weight."
At the time Watkins had seen her weight creep up to more than 17st and was advised to lose weight to control her blood pressure, particularly if she were to become pregnant again.
"I knew a lot of people who were intermittent fasting at the time, so I gave that a go," she explains.
"I did lose a little bit of weight before I conceived my second son, Walter, but the weight soon came back on.
"As the mum of two small boys, I found it difficult to make myself and my health a priority," she adds.
Her size had a knock on impact on her confidence and Watkins says she would often turn down opportunities for social events such as her friends' hen dos.
The turning point came in 2016 when Freddie was due to start school and the mum-of-two realised she needed to make a positive change.
"I was worried he would get picked on because of my size," she explains.
"A few of the mums at the baby groups I’d been to had mentioned Slimming World and friend said that she was joining our local group, so I decided to give it a go."
Watkins who lives with husband Dafydd, Freddie who is now 11 and Walter, eight, soon began to enjoy the slimming group's healthy eating plan and it kickstarted new healthy habits for the whole family including cooking from scratch more often and walking to school instead of taking the car.
"My previous attempts at losing weight had left me hungry and irritable so I expected this to be the same," she explains.
"Instead I was cooking food for the whole family – like spaghetti Bolognese, Moroccan tagines with couscous or chilli with homemade chips."
Watkins also started upping her exercise levels.
"I was quite active when I was younger, although this waned as I grew up," she explains. "I was so worried about embarrassing myself by being red and out of puff.
"So instead of joining a gym, I started out by walking and then progressed to running around the block and slowly stepped it up to running a 10K race, which I am so proud of."
Within just ten months of her new healthy living regime Watkins says she lost an incredible 7st to weigh just over 10st. She also dropped from a size 20 to a trim size 10.
"I felt so positive – full of life and energy – a world away from the person I was before I lost weight," she explains.
"I wanted to bottle this feeling and give it to everyone who had ever struggled with their weight. Becoming a Consultant myself seemed the next logical step.
"I thought losing weight was the best feeling ever, but it turns out that helping others to lose weight is just as rewarding."
Seven years have passed since she reached her target weight and reflecting on the secret to long-term weight loss success, Watkins says it is about making a change to your lifestyle.
"Nobody wants to ‘diet’ for the rest of their lives, but I want to feel the way I do every day," she explains. "Eating healthily and exercising is just second nature to me now.
"For the first time in my life I’m doing everything I ever dreamed of doing," she adds. "I’m the fit and active mum that I always wanted to be and that is just the best feeling."
Watkins' diet before:
Breakfast: A bowl of sugary cereal
Lunch: Shop-bought baguette, crisps
Dinner: A pizza served with garlic bread
Snacks: Bread, cheese, salami, pate
Watkins' diet after:
Breakfast: Fresh fruit and fat-free natural Greek yogurt, or a grill up breakfast of bacon, eggs and beans at the weekend
Lunch: Poached or scrambled eggs on two slices of wholemeal toast or homemade quiche with a large mixed salad
Dinner: Homemade spaghetti bolognese or fajita chicken with chilli, refried beans, salsa and taco shells
Evening: Glass of wine
Additional reporting SWNS.
Weight loss: Read more
Woman sees 7st weight loss after feeling too unfit to dance at parties (Yahoo Life UK, 4-min read)
Mental health benefits of mindful eating as couple see 14st weight loss (Yahoo Life UK, 6-min read)
Woman determined to be ‘fit at 30’ loses 4st in 4 months without restricting her diet (Yahoo Life UK, 4-min read)
Watch: 5 habits to living a longer, healthier life
