How Nurse Jen Lost 100lbs (8 Stone) in 1 Year Without Dieting

Gin, it's just so lovely to have you here. And, um, and you know, I've been tracking your progress in SlimPod Club for the last year, uh, and now you— I mean, you've gone from being BMI of over 45, uh, and 11 stone excess fat, uh, to now You've lost 8 stone and in a year and just quite phenomenal. And, you know, last time or this time last year, you were heading for bariatric surgery and, you know, you were in a size 32 coat, which was a bit snug, and you were the biggest you ever— you were ever— you'd ever been. You were also a nurse. And that is, you know, is quite a big deal. Now, you tried all the dieting and everything, but, you know, tell me a little bit about how you felt a year ago.

Honestly, I think I was probably the lowest I've ever been, and I was terrified. This was, you know, a lifetime of being overweight. And I was probably, well, I know I was the biggest that I've ever been at that point. And we were in the pandemic, we were facing, I, from my sort of little corner of the world, I work part-time clinically and I was facing redeployment and sort of wanting to do my bit and helping with the COVID surge. I'm a children's nurse, so that meant moving into adult nursing potentially, and that was terrifying. And it was terrifying for everybody. But I knew that my weight put me at real risk of sort of significant illness. And then I was looking at— and I'm going to try not to get cryy— but I was looking at my little— and thinking, I can't leave. Like, that's not an option. You were looking—

you just cut out a bit there. You were looking at your—

little girl and thinking, I can't leave, that's not an option. At that point, I was fairly far down the bariatric pathway. And then one morning I was going on shift and I was just on Facebook and scrolling through, getting ready, you know, as you do. And I stumbled across SlimPod and I signed up there and then, listened to the first recording. Cried, and then went to work. And almost immediately, just, I went to go and get lunch. We've got Marks Spencer's in the hospital. That's fatal. And that day, for the first time ever in my life, I chose pineapple and like some fruit rather than anything else. And that was it. That was the start of it. And now here we are. I promise. It's just when I talk about Florence.

Oh, absolutely. I mean, honestly, I'm going to be— I'm going to be in the same way because, uh, I can't— you know, I, I am just so excited with having you, you here and talking to you because I've just seen how, how things have developed over the year and, uh, which we'll be talking all about now. But, um, But, you know, this— it gets really emotional for me when I see people like you and a different person in front of me than, you know, than was a year ago. And, and yeah, I'm so excited. Now, we were talking a bit earlier about, you know, you went through pregnancy when you were a larger lady. And how, how was all that? How was that experience?

I felt mainly guilty, I'd say, actually. My little girl was very longed for. We'd had a rocky road getting to a successful pregnancy with her, and I'd put a lot of blame at my— to be fair, and if I'm being frank with myself, my size probably did mean that the miscarriages that I had before her played a part in that, potentially. So I was feeling guilty and worried, and would something happen? You know, I was so big. You know, would something happen and then would that be my fault? And actually pregnancy was largely okay, the pregnancy itself. But mentally and emotionally it was hard. Because the worry. I get it.

And people looking at this will probably say, well, why didn't you lose the weight? What is so different? What's happened that has changed? Because you, you know, you did You used to do diets. What— why didn't they help you lose weight, do you think?

Well, they did initially. They always would. I was overweight, um, from, from a very young age, and I have done every— pretty much every diet you could imagine, all the usual suspects, and on my own, and then periods of— so I'd generally lose 2 to 3 stone, I'd say, um, and then sort of think, well, I've cracked it now. That's it. Marvellous. And then go off. And then of course, slowly it would creep back on because I hadn't really gotten to the bottom of what the changes needed to be and why I was doing it. And then of course it'd go back on slowly. You'd get a bit more fed up again, and then a bit more would go back on and you just carry that on until you tried again. And then over the years, you just slowly Yeah, where I, where I ended up.

Um, so you started in October. By the 10th of February, um, there was a little post in SlimPodClub saying that, I can, I feel like I can conquer the world. What was that about?

It was about Flo's birthday. That's my little girl. And occasions have always been a bit of a struggle for me because it's like a reward, isn't it? It's like, this is something lovely. And it was a moment, and I think I'd listened to you on one of the lives we were having because of course we were all locked down, weren't we? And so we were having a little party at home, just us three, my husband and my mum and Flo, and had all lovely things. I'd made a cake. I'd made a brilliant cake. I'm not blowing my own trumpet, it was good. I'd made the cake and I was looking forward to the party, and normally I'd either be sort of throwing the towel in and thinking, "Oh well, I'm going to eat everything anyway, so let's just eat it all," or be feeling hard done by. And you had said something about occasions being about people and not about food. And it really stuck, like something just sort of twigged in my head. And I thought about Florence's birthday. Like, this is the day that she landed in the world. It's not about the cake or the sandwiches or everything else that we had. And it was like a light bulb. And I was like, I've done it. I've cracked it. That's it. That's, that's, that's it in a nutshell. So I, we had a little party and it was absolutely fine. I didn't fall off the wagon. I had a little bit of bits and bobs that I wanted and was perfectly all right with that because I chose that. And the main The main point of this was that it was someone's birthday and I was with my little family. It was blooming brilliant and I still remember it now vividly.

So it was reframed in your head that it wasn't all about the food. It was about, you know, something more, something more important.

Yeah. Look, I just sat there thinking, God, of course it's not about the food. Like, none of these lovely events are about the food, are they? Weddings aren't about the food. You know, like, parties are about people and being with the people you love. And it was such a switch for me. It really was. And so, yeah, that's what that was about. Amazing.

Amazing. And then on the 15th of February 2021, you couldn't wait for a bath because you hadn't been able to get into one. Now, that's just— I mean, that's taken for granted by so many people. And obviously you didn't post pics of the actual event. But how was it when you did get in the bath?

Oh, it was lovely. For the first— you know, A, I could get in it, and B, those of us that have been bigger will know well the feeling of draining the bath and only the water in front of you draining and not the water behind you draining. And that didn't happen. So not only did I get in it, but the water flowed freely. So yeah, it was, um, yeah, it was a good, a good point.

Amazing, amazing. And then again in February, um, there was a very emotional post for me anyway, um, and I'll struggle here a bit, was that your— on the 22nd, your engagement ring went back on. Yeah, and Uh, yeah, fitting nicely as well, which is fantastic. So I mean, that must have been a hugely— that must have been a big— when was the last time that you wore the engagement ring?

I'd say probably a good year before that, right? Off for work one day, because I only wear my plain wedding band at work, which is bigger. And, uh, I took it off for work one day and I just couldn't get it back on. I just I just couldn't get it on, it hurt, and my finger was sort of going red and purple, and I thought, oh, better take that off again. And it just never went back on, and I wore it around my neck on a necklace for a while and then stopped that because, you know, yeah. And now it's well and truly easily on with a little ring sort of holder-onner thing because I need to take it to the jewellery shop to get it resized. But, um, yeah.

Um, and you know what, the nicest thing about hearing this is that you deep down inside, you know the weight's not going to go back on again now?

No, never. That— no, I'm not. I am not going back. Absolutely not. A hope in hell.

And what makes you so sure? What's changed so much that you are so sure?

Everything. I, I am 100% in control now, and For me, it's two main things. For me, it's about reframing what's important and why I am choosing to do the things that I am choosing to do. I'm not being made to do them. I'm choosing to do it and the reason behind that. So that's number one. Number two is moving. And I, you know, two weeks ago I ran 5K and I got a blooming medal. And if you'd have told me a year ago, I couldn't, I couldn't have walked 1K a year ago. And I, you know, it's that I'm never going back. The moving, I'm not ever giving that up. And it's that those two things will be, will be the reason why.

Yeah. And so, you know, you started moving earlier in the year, and there was a post saying, you know, obviously that you had just started your first Couch to 5K, and that was a process, obviously. What size were you when you started moving, and how did that come about? How did the whole— how did the whole— because you must have lost about probably 4-ish stone by that stage. But what was it, your brain just telling you you had to move, or—

I felt itchy, right? I can't describe it any other way. Like, I just felt like twitchy and, and a bit like I just needed to move. I can't quite describe it, but it was like my head was getting restless legs. It's a very difficult feeling to describe because lots of people have asked me and But it was a distinct point. Um, and I must've been around a size 24, 26, around there. And I started walking. Um, my aim initially was to hit 10,000 steps a day. And I did some online workouts, um, some of the YouTube ones and did that for, I'd say about a month and then was consistently hitting 10,000 steps a day. Took a while to build up to that.. But once I was hitting that consistently, the itch kind of intensified and I thought, you know what, I'm gonna do Couch to 5K. That's what I'm gonna do. And it took me a good 7 months, maybe 8, to get through it to the end. But I did it. Amazing. Done it. Done it. Got a medal. Ha!

That's so fantastic. Cause in May you actually posted, blows my brain out, quotes, blows my brain out, how much I want to move now.

Yeah, yeah. And that, that itchy sort of restless feeling that, that has never changed. If I haven't been out, that comes back. Like, I, that's still there. I have to, and, and I want to now. Went to a Zumba class last night after a 9-hour shift. Off I went. Had a whale of a time. You know, it's, yeah, it's a, absolutely. Brilliant aspect of this. There's no better feeling than having your family that have watched you struggle your whole life get over a finish line at the end of a 5K. Nothing. Nothing. Amazing.

Something else happened in May as well, which was quite major for you. I feel like I'm going through, you know, This Is Your Life. It feels like This Is Your Life. Last May, Uh, you got in a chair, didn't you, that you haven't been able to get into? And there was a photograph of the chair.

My arch nemesis. That chair had stalked me for years. Honestly, years. Because there's— it's such a silly thing, isn't it? And I remember vividly when I was on the bariatric surgery pathway I went to the hospital to have an appointment, and they had special chairs that were wider in that part of the waiting room for those of us that needed them. And part of me, when I sat in that chair, was mortified that it was comfortable and lovely. And part of me was delighted that it was comfortable and lovely. And then there was this chair at work that was a similar sort of old-fashioned armed chair. And it just used to make me feel sick because whenever there was a meeting or lunch or, you know, if you don't— you have to be tactical. Like, I don't want to be the last one in the room because I don't want to be left with that, because then you've got to make a joke about your back hurting, or you don't want to sit down because you're trying to stretch your leg. You know, all of those little things you do to try and fit in in a social way that doesn't draw attention to the fact that it's due to your size. All of that little pressure that's going on in the back of your mind, it was gone because one day I sat in the damn thing and I fit and fit comfortably. So I took a picture.

So fabulous. So fabulous. And so we move on to 3rd of October, which was your 1-year anniversary of being on SlimPod. And was that the point that you'd lost 8 stone, or is it— I mean, you know what, you'd lost about 10 sizes, haven't you, or around there?

Yeah, I'd say I'm a steady 18-20 now.

Amazing. Quite extraordinary.

Thank you.

And, you know, unbelievable. But you marked that first year anniversary by doing something very special. Tell us about that.

Oh, well, we went out and went trampolining, had the best time. We'd been before, and I'd never gone on because there was no— there's a weight limit, and I was probably the equivalent of another small person over that weight limit. And, um, you know, all those little, you know, 'Mummy, come and come and jump.' 'Oh no, Mummy's just gonna take some pictures.' All of the same kind of negotiating in your own mind give a rationale without making it about mummy being fat. That was gone in a flash. And I got on the trampoline and I bounced. And it was amazing. It was brilliant.

Fantastic. And so, you know, on to, on to food, because as well, you, in October, you had a posh breakfast and you said previously you wouldn't have done that. Now, what has changed with the whole food thing?

It was bad food choices before, and, um, I, I, a degree of, uh, I'm binging might not be too strong a word, if I'm honest. And that will always, I think, for me, I think SlimPod has allowed me to unpick that, and particularly triggers, and also mechanisms to handle that when I can feel that may be coming. And one of the things that I've learned to do is to move. So when that's itching or starting to build, or— and for me, and this is probably, you know, not everyone's different, but for me, my triggers are particularly when I'm cross or irritated. Like a row with my husband will have me in that in a flash of an eye. It's not sadness or happiness. It's more about the stress sort of response. And I just move now. I just go and do something, go for a walk, walk, you know, anything, just even 5 minutes. And it just— I've learned that that is enough to just knock that off. And I think SlimPod has allowed me— it's okay, the guilt's gone. I mean, guilt sounds like a funny word, doesn't it, to use with being overweight? But you do just feel guilty all the time for all sorts of things, your choices, how you got here, what you're doing, why you're doing it, why are you not doing something. And, you know, God forbid you should eat something when you're big in front of someone else that isn't a carrot stick, because you just can feel the judging, you know. And, uh, yeah, that is taking that away from me. And, and it took that away from me quite quickly. And it was, it was okay to make a healthy choice. That's, that's That's good. You, you are choosing to do that. That is in your gift to do. So that's what I did. I made good choices and I naturally have fallen and stayed into it, into intermittent fasting. Naturally sort of fell that way. Um, completely gone off coffee, which is unheard of. Like I was mainlining coffee before and now I just don't tend to drink it. Yeah, so it's that for me. That's how it did it.

Now, one final thing. You had a very special picture taken, didn't you? You were part of— you've become part of a book, haven't you?

Yep. You want to see the book?

I can show you the book. Show us the book, because this is so exciting.

Yes, this was, um, the Duchess of Cambridge did a photography competition for images of the lockdown, and, and we sent one in that we had a lockdown portrait taken by one of our friends, um, and on a whim I put my uniform on and Flo put her nurse's uniform on, her little pretend dress-up one, and we sent it in. Never in a million years thinking that it'd be chosen, but it was, it was. I can't find it though, never find the page. But yeah, it was chosen and put in, and we got into the director's choice as well.

Amazing.

We're in a book, but it's— I want to redo it because this was probably around when I was at my largest.

And need to find that picture, Jen.

Yeah, finding it, I'm working on it.

You need to put a Post-it note on it.

You ask a question and I'll keep looking.

Oh my goodness, I mean, you, you saw me, you, you showed me that picture and I had to take a second look when you, when you sent it to me, and I just thought, my word, how amazing. And here it is, look at that, look at the size of Jen back then. She— and it's just such a lovely picture though, it really is just such a fabulous— honestly, you look like two different people. But you have, you've lost it. You've actually lost a person, a whole person from your body.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I, I still, I still can't quite wrap my head around what, what the year has done. I was in such a different place a year ago. I was so close. I was probably a month away from bariatric surgery. I was going to have the sleeve. I, I just can't quite I can't thank you enough. I really can't. I mean, this is— I'm 43. I've, you know, I've done everything, everything. And this, you know, the want to lose weight, that includes that urge and that drive to have children. And even then I couldn't do it. I'm very lucky to manage to have my little girl, and, and we'll be forever grateful for that. But if even that primal urge to have a child couldn't do it, and then along came this— I, I can't—

you're gonna get me going.

It's true. I mean, this, this has now meant I can I'm around for my little, you know, I, I'm not risking leaving her early. And that was a real risk. Like, it was— I was on such a terrible path. And yeah, and that's down to you. So thank you.

Ah, it's really down to you, um, because you were the one who started believing um, in it and yourself. And, you know, so many people come on the program and they're full of skepticism because they've been through what you've been through for all of their— so much of their lives. Um, and it is— it's really hard getting through that initial skepticism and then starting to, uh, you know, put your belief in something. Um, so, you know, thank you for, for doing that because you've just enabled me to be able to get all emotional. Anyway, look, I'm going to go before I start bawling my eyes out here. And honestly, I, as I said at the very beginning, I'm so excited to have, you know, that you agreed to doing this. Not everybody agrees. It's, you know, a lot of people shy away from cameras still. Even when they've lost weight. So it's just wonderful to have you on here and, you know, speak. And if there was one tip that you could give a SlimPodder looking at this who has, you know, quite a lot of weight to lose and, you know, they may be having doubts because that's part of the journey. You yourself actually had some wobbles. It hasn't all been plain sailing, has it? What tips would you give And that's a hard one. Say that again, because I think you just, uh, the sound.

Trust.

Trust.

That's a really hard one because of exactly what you've just said. And it's trust, persistence, and a wobble is just a wobble. I did have wobbles. I did have to restart at some points. And if you can It's having a buddy. I've got a buddy and I won't say her name because I don't know if she would want me to or not, but honestly, she'll know who she is. And that woman has kept me straight. So if you, if you can get a buddy, that, that is an excellent thing to do and just trust it. Just, just, just this one thing. Just let yourself fall into it. And if you have a wobble, it's okay. That's it. It's just a wobble. It's— that's all it is. And tomorrow, gonna start again. It's the overall that counts, not the day or the hour. So that's what I'd say.

Fantastic. Thank you so much. Just so wonderful talking to you. Thank you.

Oh, thank you. Literally saving lives over there. So I'm very grateful. Thank you. You're welcome.