I was stuck in a rut, but then my boyfriend dumped me and everything changed. By Joanna Warren, 32
I held up the red-and- mustard-checked top and inspected my handiwork.
Looks good, I thought.
I’d learnt to sew as a hobby, and was always designing colourful outfits for myself.
But it wasn’t just a way to flex my creative muscles.
At size 30, I couldn’t fit into shop sizes.
After pulling on my new top, I set off for work.Z I spent the day sitting at my desk and drank several cups of sugary tea.
When I returned home, I saw a golden pastry-crusted pie cooling down next to a mound of mashed potatoes and gravy.
My boyfriend James was a chef and he loved to cook rich meals.
After devouring my dinner,
I asked: ‘Did you make a fruit pie too?’
‘Of course,’ James said.
He took it out of the oven and I cut myself a large slice before smothering it in thick cream.
I never felt satisfied unless I ate something for dessert as well.
Later that evening, we settled in front of the telly with a large bag of crisps and a sharing-size bar of chocolate between us.
Although I wore bright clothes, dyed my hair vibrant colours and appeared confident on the outside, inside I felt self-conscious about my weight.
But James and I had been together since school, and he seemed to love me regardless of my size.
In time, he bought a motorbike and loved going out for a spin in the evenings.
‘I’m just off for a ride,’ he said, one day.
I settled down on my own to do some sewing.
‘See you later,’ I said.
But hours passed and I grew concerned.
Eventually, I heard the rustling of James’s keys in the front door.
He walked into the living room and looked upset.
‘I don’t think we should be together any more,’ he said.
My mouth dropped open.
We’d been together 15 years, and I hadn’t seen it coming.
He left that night and I broke down in tears.
In the weeks that followed, I moved home to live with my dad Steve, in Colchester, Essex.
I felt too upset to eat properly and lost a stone.
Then my sister Justine said: ‘I’m joining the gym and you’re coming with me.’
As I’d already unintentionally lost weight, I thought it might be a good idea to use this as a kick-start to getting in shape.
It would give me something to focus on, instead of wallowing in self-pity.
So, days later, I pulled on a pair of old leggings and together we muddled through a gym session.
After just two minutes on the cross trainer, I had to stop.
My muscles ached for days.
But I thought: If I can just do a little bit more each time, I’ll get there eventually.
As well as exercising, I cooked healthy meals using lots of veg and meat substitutes.
Within four months, I’d lost four stone.
I chatted with a personal trainer at the gym, and he showed me how to tone up and build muscle by lifting weights.
My confidence began to grow and, one day, I looked at a picture of me in the red and mustard top I’d created.
I look like a blob wrapped in a picnic blanket! I thought.
I realised that I’d been in denial about my size for years.
‘It’s time for a big change,’ I told Justine.
I went to the hairdressers and had my hair cut short and dyed black.
When I returned home, Dad said: ‘You look amazing!’
It spurred me on to lose more weight.
Then I went to Primark to buy new clothes.
After years of not being able to fit into standard high-street sizes, it felt exhilarating to be able to slip into a pair of size-18 skinny jeans.
I felt ready to jump back
into dating, so I downloaded Tinder and got chatting to a man named Carl.
We went on a date and hit it off straightaway.
It turned out that he also liked to lift weights at the gym.
I told him about my body transformation.
‘That’s not you!’ he said, looking a picture of me at my heaviest.
I’m now a size 12 and strong and healthy.
Even really muscly men at the gym look impressed when I lift 100kg (15 stone) weights.
I feel confident and I’m grateful to James.
When he dumped me, it gave me the motivation to turn my life around.
● James’s name has been changed.
Diet before
● Breakfast: cups of tea with two sugars
● Lunch: more sugary tea or fizzy pop
● Dinner: vegetable pie with a mountain of mash covered in gravy, followed by apple pie and cream
● Snacks: chocolate, crisps, biscuits, fizzy pop
Diet now
● Breakfast: low-fat yogurt with fruit
● Lunch: Mediterranean salad or soup
● Dinner: Quorn pieces, broccoli and green beans
● Snacks: apple dipped in peanut butter
Height
5ft 8in
Before
22st 9lb Size 30
After
13st 10lb Size 12
Total loss
8st 13lb