Sometimes, we need a wakeup call to make a big change in our lives. For mother-of-three Kelly Rothery, from Leeds in Yorkshire, the thing that convinced her to lose weight was stepping on a set of scales just after her husband, only to discover that she was heavier than him.
Kelly had always struggled with her weight and was cruelly dubbed "marshmallow" and "fatty" at school because of her size. Ashamed of her own body at her heaviest (19 stone and three pounds), she never stripped off in public and avoided going out because she was so self-conscious. After finding out that she weighed five stone more than her partner Charlie, she knew it was time for action.
Kelly booked an appointment with some private health consultants, who planned a meticulous diet and exercise program for her. They introduced her to a new medically-supervised weight loss and lifestyle programme called MediWeight, which starts by replacing normal meals with high-protein sachet meal substitutes. As a result, she managed to slim down to weighing 12 stone and two pounds - which necessitated her replacing her entire wardrobe and getting body contouring treatments to tighten the excess skin.
Commenting on her weight loss in a recent interview, Kelly stated: "It was two years ago and Charlie suggested we should both hop on the scales, but I wouldn’t weight myself in front of him, so I waited until he left the room and then did it. I was so disgusted to see I weighed more than my husband that I knew I had to lose the weight.
"The weight just kept creeping on. I think when you’re a mum you struggle even more, because you have treats in the house for the kids and hoover up after them ... It’s a vicious cycle because you feel disgusted with yourself, lose your confidence, hide away, become more and more isolated and then comfort eat to make yourself feel better."
She added: "The weight loss hasn’t just given me back my life, it has helped me to find myself. I’d say to anyone who, like me, has had a long-term struggle with their weight you can do it, don’t give up. Even if you start and lapse, just start again because when you succeed it really will change your life. I used to avoid the other mums at school when I dropped the kids off, because I was so embarrassed to be the fat mum. Now, I talk to them all, I go out a lot more."
For more information on Kelly's diet plan, you can visit MediWeight's official website. However, make sure you consult with a doctor first, before making any drastic changes to your own eating habits.