My struggle with weight

Over the years I had managed to gain weight without really doing anything about it - this in turn led to lethargy and low self esteem until finally last January (2009) when I had to move up from a size 20 clothing to a size 22 and I finally dared get on the scales again and was horrified that I was 16½ stone and I realised that I had reached a point of no return.

I bought an exercise bike on Ebay and after 5 mins on it I realised just how unfit I had become, my heart was racing and I felt dizzy, hot and sweaty. At my age (64 at the time) I was worried that I might be giving myself a heart attack so I toned down the exercise and made an appointment with the practice nurse at the medical centre where I am registered to get some advice on how much stress I should put myself through. The practice nurse gave me some advice and also suggested that I have a checkup for diabetes. When the results from the first test came back positive for diabetes, she made some further checks and these confirmed the original diagnosis. The one saving point for me was that it was not diabetes type 1 (where you have to inject yourself with insulin) but rather type 2, which could be controlled through diet and exercise (and failing that, through medication). Fortunately, here in Torquay, we have a dedicated team dealing with the treatment of the condition and I went to their classes given by healthcare professionals about how to control and manage the condition. They also have a gym where I could enrol on a 10 week course to help lose weight - so I eagerly signed up for that option too.

It had been explained to me in the diabetes classes that it was most likely hereditary but because I had become overweight (I was classed as severely obese) this had flipped on the switch in my body to activate the diabetes. I was so angry with myself, but I decided to let this anger become a positive attribute instead of a negative one and I used it in my drive to lose weight.

I had often thought about joining a gym over the past 15 years, but as I grew larger and larger, the more embarrassed I became about joining a gym and the lower my self esteem became as I envisaged training alongside all these superfit size 8 women. However, I realised that at the NHS gym there would be other people in the same condition as myself and at my initial consultation at the gym, the instructors were both sympathetic, considerate and genuinely concerned. I bought a road bike so that I could cycle to the gym (it was almost 50 years since I had ridden one of these, but I soon got used to it again) and this alongside the rather gentle exercises at the gym soon started the weight loss. I stepped up the work and was pleased I reached and passed below my set target of weight loss within a few weeks rather than at the end of the course. I had also adapted well to my new diet and although I had the occasional pang for a chocolate bar, some roast potatoes, some cheese or a Danish pastry, I resisted these as I was more satisfied with the weight I was losing.

At the Diabetes Classes, we had been taught about motivation and setting goals for ourselves, so I put this into practice. I created a chart for myself which plotted my weight against time (see image below) and also my BMI (Body Mass Index) against time. I drew a straight line down through the points and from this was able to extrapolate down to give me an estimate for the date for getting down to the weight which I wanted to be.

Unfortunately, the 10 week course at the NHS gym had come to an end, but by now I was completely motivated into losing that weight - I had already come down from a size 22 to just about into a size 16 - so I asked around and one of the local hotels (the Red House Hotel) had a fitness and health club at a price I could afford (some of the posher gyms were just simply out of my price bracket) so I took out a years membership there. They also provided both an indoor and outdoor pool, sauna, jacuzzi besides the gym. I gradually increased my work rate in the gym going from around 30 minutes and burning off 300 calories a session to up to 90 minutes at its peak and burning off 1000 calories and what was more important, I was keeping to my extrapolated weight loss line. Yes, it was difficult (torturous) at times - and it was here that my anger against myself came in handy and made it possible for me to drive through the pain barrier. The other women who were members of the club were friendly and supportive (more than they could ever possibly realise) and I am indebted to them for their support.

Finally, in December I reached my goal of 130lbs, a total weight loss of just over 100lbs (down from 16stone 7lbs to just 9stone 4lbs) and down from a size 22 to a trim size 10 and although I put on a few pounds over Christmas and New Year, I now knew how to get rid of it quickly, so I am back down to 130lbs again now. I celebrated with a promise I had made to myself, a complete makeover when I got down to my target weight (thanks Di, I just love the new hair style). Yes, it was expensive - new clothes every few months (God Bless Sainsbury's and their 25% off sale every few months) and the membership of the gym but it was well worth all that effort. I also had my annual diabetes review in late January (2010) and the doctors and diabetes team at my local health clinic were extremely pleased with me as not only had I lost all that weight, all the tests came back showing normal or low levels. No, I am still diabetic as once that switch inside me has been turned on, it can never be turned off - but I am now no longer at risk of moving to type 1 diabetes and have eliminated some of the other risks associated with the condition as well.

I would also like to express my thanks to the instructors at 'Fitness in Torquay', the healthcare professionals who put on the Diabetes Classes and everybody else who has helped and encouraged me along the way - your kindness and consideration helped make all this possible.

Also a word of warning - do not believe all these 'miracle' weight loss products such as AcaiBurn etc. I tried these during my year and actually put weight on and the company I bought them from kept on sending me a months supply and charging my debit card. I finally got it stopped but ended up over £70 out of pocket. They are the worst kind of scammers, preying on folks' misery and selling you absolutely useless products.

I suppose the moral of my story is that anger can be a positive thing if it can be harnessed and used properly, it was indeed the self anger which helped me achieve my dream of being slim again.