The Journey to Healthy

My Struggle With My Weight

Growing up, I was always an active, healthy child. I would play out around the pond, climb trees, walk to the local shop by myself, and go watch my granddad fish, then run around like the mad head I am. That all changed when I was around 7-years-old.

Me and my amazing mother became homeless. We ended up living in a hostel when I was around 8-years-old.

This was probably the lowest time of my life and my mum's and not something I speak about a lot because everyone wants it to seem like life is all pink and sparkly, but shamefully for young me, it wasn’t.

I would play in the play area with NO FRIENDS. I would have abuse shouted at me from the older kids on the outskirts of the railings and I would witness things no child should ever have to. So, I started staying in, watching the TV and I would EAT AND EAT crisps until the whole packet was gone.

After this, the weight PILED on. I would always be the fat kid who would be bullied everyday. Bullies don’t realise that the one thing they did was affect you mentally. I never spoke out about it and by the time I got to high school (10/11), I was a size UK 16.

The thing about bullies that my mum would say was that they’re jealous. It turns out, they most likely are... It could be for many reasons. But, don’t ever let ANYONE bring you down, because everyone has imperfections. Bullies aren’t perfect and they know it.

To be honest, I got my heaviest working late night shifts: takeaways, pizzas, McDonald's. I’d eat it all, sometimes even twice a day, and plus on my days off. I would just go out, drink alcohol, and get a garlic bread and chips with garlic mayo. (Plegh, the thought of it now just makes my stomach turn). I would do zero exercise. I was super tired constantly.

I ended up stepping on the scale and there it was. It said 23 stone. I NEVER would have allowed myself to get this big. This is when I definitely spiralled into depression. I would look at myself and just think I was better off dead. One day, I sat in front of my TV and I sat and watched a 2010 episode of Extreme Weight Loss with Chris Powell (eye candy or what). Something clicked in my mind. I CAN DO THIS. And that is where I started in July. In September, I joined something called The Six Pack Revolution and started this on September 11, 2017. I weighed myself September 17 and had dropped a MASSIVE 15 pounds. Currently, I am 19 pounds down and have dropped to a size 20 from 24/26.