An obese Scots mum who was left in tears after taking part in her kids’ sports day has turned her life around after losing more than seven stone. Laura McCormack, who tipped the scales at 17st 10, is embracing her new gym bunny lifestyle after dropping from a size 22 to an 8 in just 15 months.
The 41-year-old, from Renfrew, would almost always refuse to take part in physical activities despite pleas from her children. But during her first fateful sports day, Laura, who suffered back and leg ache due to her excessive weight, says she felt ‘awful’ and was left in floods of tears.
Laura, who now weighs 10st 4, says she has now unlocked 'competitive mum mode' for this year's event - with daughter Lucy, nine, and 11-year-old son Jack ‘buzzing’ to watch her. She said: “I got embarrassed when it came to things like kids’ sports days and I would never take part in any of the parent activities.
“That upset me because the kids would always ask me too. I remember the first one I took part in and I ended up just crying because I felt so awful. I had no confidence in how I dressed and would cover head to toe in black to hide my body away.
“I was having to wear a size 22 and hated clothes shopping. I also live in a top floor flat and sometimes just coming back up the stairs I would be puffing and panting. I used to think that it was not ok to be feeling like that just from climbing a few flights of stairs.
“Just after Christmas, something clicked into my head that I needed to start looking after myself better. I wanted to get healthy and be a more active mum for my kids. I had to set a good example for them as they are only 11 and 9. It wasn’t good seeing me so unhappy and unfit.”
The mum-of-two took the plunge and signed up for WeightWatchers but was frustrated after getting off to a slow start, losing just a few pounds in her first two weeks. She explained: “Normally I would have given up, stopped everything, and fell away from it.
“But I pushed myself to stick with it and told myself that slower is better as long as it’s coming off. In the third week I lost 5lb and I was delighted. I guess my body was just adjusting to the massive changes with my food and exercise.
“I wanted to ensure that I stayed consistent with tracking all my food and exercise and stuck with it. I am so glad I did at that point. After that I continued to plod along with tracking and exercising consistently. My life has changed so much now for the better.
“I am able to be more active with Jack and Lucy. I was delighted to take part in the parent activities at school sports day last summer but was only about halfway through my journey. So now ‘competitive mum mode’ is going on for this year’s sports days and I know my kids are buzzing for this too.
“My son just keeps saying that I am a much happier mum. This makes it all seem worthwhile. I also just feel so much better in myself in how I can dress and the choices when shopping for clothes is amazing.
“Before I would laze about and just eat rubbish but now I ensure I get my daily steps in and go to the gym 4-5 times per week My eating habits have changed dramatically. I never used to eat breakfast at all and lunch would just be convenience food, like Gregg’s or Subway.
“Dinner was always just what I could throw in the oven and come evening I would eat sharing sized packs of crisps to myself. But now I ensure I have a healthy breakfast daily which is cereal or porridge with fruit. Lunch is a salad sandwich, soup, or pasta.
“My evening meal is always so varied but includes homemade meals with chicken, potatoes and vegetables or homemade spaghetti bolognese, chilli or curries. I used to wear a size 22 but now much happier in a size 8 and now love clothes shopping.
“I used to walk to work which would take around 40 mins but now it takes 25 as my fitness levels are great. My job I stand for long periods of time, and I used to struggle with leg and back aches. I no longer have this either, so my everyday working life is now easier.”
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