A few years ago, I barely recognised myself. As a single mother recovering from a difficult relationship and severe postnatal depression, I felt exhausted and relied on wine - sometimes as much as a bottle a night - and constant comfort food.
By 2021, after lockdown, I weighed around 13 stone. At 5'6", I wore size 16 to 18. I looked tired and puffy, and my confidence was gone. I ran a PR company and worked with glamorous people, but I often felt like I didn't fit in.
One day, while I was waiting outside my daughter Zuri's nursery - she was just three - another mum noticed I seemed lost and asked if I'd tried the gym above the pub nearby. She invited me to join her.
I almost said no. I didn't even have decent gym clothes, but I was tired of feeling stuck. I thought, I want to change.
Now, five years later, I'm 10 stone, a size 10, stronger than ever, and training for fitness competitions. Most importantly, my mental health is so much better.
Here's how I did it.
1. I started even though I didn't feel ready
My first class at Fit & Food in Chiswick, west London, was called Saturday Sweat, and I almost turned around at the door.
I showed up in an old maternity top and Primark trainers. Looking around, I thought, I don't belong here.
That first class was hard. I couldn't do a press-up, and even dumbbells under 3kg felt heavy.
I almost gave up. But Laura, the gym owner, gently encouraged me to keep coming back.
2. I found my 'why'
At first, losing weight wasn't my main goal. I just wanted to feel better mentally.
Exercise gave me a sense of peace I hadn't felt in years. After each session, I felt clearer, lighter and more in control of my emotions.
And then there was my daughter, Zuri. I didn't want her to think my struggles with food, alcohol and my body were normal. I wanted to show her a healthier way to live.
Now, at eight, Zuri has grown up around gyms and being active. She plays netball, does gymnastics and loves taking part in junior fitness events. I'm so proud of her.
3. I made consistency my priority
At first, I only went to the gym now and then. I'd go once or twice, then not go for weeks. Things changed when I started making exercise a priority instead of an after-thought.
I started putting workouts in my diary like they were meetings.
I began with three sessions a week, including one with a personal trainer. That turned into four, and now I work out about two hours a day six days a week because I love it.
As a solo mum - her father left us soon after she was born - I had to get creative. When Zuri was a baby, she sometimes came with me and even acted as a weight. She'd nap in her pram or play nearby. My parents or sister helped with childcare. Now, I run while she's at school, at playdates or while she's at after-school activities. Sometimes she comes to the gym to do her homework, and I help her while training.
4. I dramatically cut back my drinking
For a long time, I used alcohol to cope. Most nights, after Zuri went to sleep, I'd open a bottle of wine. Some nights I had a couple of glasses, but often it was a bottle or more. That was how I tried to deal with my anxiety and stress.
But every morning, I woke up feeling groggy, craved sugar, and did it all over again. It stopped being enjoyable. It was just a way to numb my feelings.
Training regularly made me see that alcohol was undoing all my hard work, draining my energy, ruining my sleep and making me crave sugar.
I didn't quit alcohol overnight. Instead, I slowly cut back on how much and how often I drank.
Now I hardly ever drink. When I do, it’s because I really want a glass, not to escape.
That one change made a huge difference to my energy and mood, and I think it was the main reason I lost weight.
5. I invested in a personal trainer
Getting a personal trainer was one of the best decisions I made. Before that, I thought going to the gym just meant running on a treadmill until I was exhausted.
My trainer showed me how to use barbells, build strength and train safely.
At first, it was intimidating. Lifting a heavy barbell was way outside my comfort zone. But over time, I got stronger and more confident.
Within a year, I was doing deadlifts, chin-ups and pull-ups – things I never thought I could do. I used the money I'd been spending on wine and takeaways to pay for my weekly session.
Strength training changed both my body and my mindset. Since muscle burns calories, it helped me lose weight faster.
6. I found exercise I genuinely love
Over time, I found a type of training called hybrid fitness, which mixes running and strength exercises.
Now I take part in competitive events like Hyrox, which include an 8km run with strength challenges in between.
The atmosphere, the friendships and the feeling of achievement after finishing are addictive.
These days, I run 40km to 50km a week and train most days, often doing an hour-long run and an hour in the gym. I've made fantastic friends through fitness and even met my partner while training at his gym.
Now we compete together and are training for my first marathon.
7. I love to eat
When I started building muscle and stopped drinking every night, the weight came off. Over three years, I lost three stone. At one point, I was 9st 6lbs (60kg), but I gained some weight back as I built muscle. That gain would once have bothered me; but now I love being strong. My weight is now between 10st and 10st 5lbs (63kg-65kg).
I used to eat anything labelled 'diet' that I could microwave; then eat chocolate because I felt bad. Now I cook from scratch with lots of healthy protein and carbs. My best runs and lifts happen when I'm well-fed.
For breakfast, I have porridge with berries; banana; nut butter; or scrambled eggs on toast. I snack on nuts and have a protein shake in the afternoon.
Lunch is often a chicken sandwich or chicken salad with quinoa and fruit. For dinner with Zuri, I might make steak with vegetables and mashed potatoes; a casserole or fish.
Because I exercise so much, I can eat what I like and never worry about calories or macros. It feels freeing.
8. I test my body and take supplements
I take my health seriously so get tests done with doctors at PHC Personalised Health Clinics whom I know through work. They check bloods; look for nutritional gaps; help fine-tune gut health.
I take creatine for muscle strength; liquid collagen; vitamin C; magnesium; vitamin B12; electrolytes from The Naked Pharmacy—all of which help with training & recovery.
Looking back, I can hardly believe how much I've changed.
All it took was that first step through the gym door even when I felt totally unready.