A mum who spent £4k-a-year gorging on nightly takeaways dropped four stone in six months to become a competitive bodybuilder.
Helen Buchanan, 40, used to eat takeaways and junk food every night leaving her tipping the scales at 13 stone, wearing a size 18 - and spending £80 a week on her habit. She decided to make a change to be a good example to her daughter, Elliemae, 13 - joining a gym and swapping junk food for healthy home cooked meals.
Helen fell in love with exercising and decided to follow her dream of becoming a bodybuilder and has slimmed down to nine stone and a slender size six to eight. Now she competes professionally and said her daughter is "proud" of her for how far she has come.
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Helen, from Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, Scotland, said: “I was really down for about five years. I just didn’t really care about myself. I would eat a load of Chinese, pizza, chocolate most nights, greasy food.
"Mentally and physically, I felt horrible about myself. I wasn’t in a good place, and I felt uncomfortable. When the weight came off, it felt amazing. It was nice to see my body change and muscle appear. It almost doesn’t feel real. It has totally changed my life.”
Helen pushed herself to shift the weight in January 2023 after losing her aunt, Frances, 68, to cancer on Mother's Day in March this year. She said: “The hardest part was when my aunt, who I was close with, died on Mother’s Day and I had to just push through and do it for her."
After hitting the gym, Helen remembered her dream of becoming a bodybuilder - after finding a love for the competitions while watching them on TV. She said: “I used to walk and run with an old friend, and then I found a girl called Adele who is now my coach.
"I started in the gym, told her about my dream and in January I was training for my first ever show. I had to cut out chocolate, dairy, a lot of socialising. I had to really focus on the gym and my goal.”
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Now she follows a strict regime - spending three-and-half hours a day in the gym and following a diet of protein shakes and healthy food. Helen's coach, Adele, 28, inspired her to keep going.
Helen said: “She changed her life about to she inspired me. She even had a baby and entered a competition really soon after. She is more than my gym coach. She is my mentor. She was actually there for my show, I couldn’t have done it without her, or my friends or family.”
Helen competed in her first competition on June 11, 2023, and is looking to compete in more next year. She first visited the venue she competed at 10 years ago - and dreamed she would be up on the stage.
She said: "I remember seeing them and thinking I'm going to do that. That's going to be me. I told my friends I would be up there and they said 'aye OK' but I got there in 10 years – and I want to compete next year too.
“On June 11 I had my competition. I have always wanted to do one before I turned 40, which I did. My birthday was June 30. I felt amazing."
Helen has seen a huge transformation in herself, and in her daughter. She said: “My daughter has come in leaps and bounds in the last six months. She watches what I do, and she is proud of me.
"I think it helps children to see their parents doing good. You’re showing them how to do better for them as well.”
A huge advocate for bodybuilding, she pledges for other women wanting to get into to the sport to seize the chance. Helen said: “It has taught me to love myself more, that I can do anything and that I can help inspire others.
"I didn’t win a place, but getting up there made me feel great, I won for myself, I really did. We all have our ups and downs, but it is how you deal with it. I feel more confident than I ever have. I definitely recommend it.”
