real life
Stacey Farrell, 43, had a debilitating health condition, but overhauling her diet had some life- changing consequences…
Unable to resist, I snaffled another chip from the dinner plate. I’d been snacking all day and working as a childminder meant I was too busy rushing around after kids to worry about what I ate.
I cooked simple things for them, like sausages and chips, and I’d always end up eating whatever was left.
I was slim as a child but had suffered with severe back pain since I was 16. There was nothing the GP could do but advise me to take painkillers, but as the years went on the pain only got worse. Some days, even walking was difficult, and when I became a childminder at 25, the pounds started piling on – partly because I couldn’t exercise.
Because I was so busy, I’d often skip breakfast and survive on processed, on-the-go foods like sandwiches, crisps and chocolate. I was also a single mum to my son, Sean, who I’d had at 15, so in the evenings I’d usually reach for pre-made sauces for spag Bol and curries to rustle something up quickly.
But my biggest weakness were Pringles and I couldn’t get enough of the paprika f lavour. Often, I’d munch through a whole tube in an evening, followed by a tub of Häagen-Dazs ice cream. In time, I met my boyfriend on a dating site and he was the complete opposite to me. He’d get up at 5am every day to go to the gym and even had a six pack. He was into healthy eating and I felt a little guilty making him big plates of stodgy food for dinner. He didn’t complain, but I knew he’d rather eat something healthier.
Meanwhile, feeling content and happy in the relationship, my weight continued to steadily creep up. But it was making my back pain even worse and painkillers barely took the edge off. It got to a head when I was 37, and woke up one day with such horrendous back pain that I couldn’t move. Sean had to carry me to the GP and that’s when I found out I had a slipped and crumbling disc. “You need to lose weight before you can have surgery,” he said. I was prescribed very strong painkillers that I had to take every night before bed.
DIET BEFORE
BREAKFAST Skipped, but mid-morning sugary cereal bar and toast with butter and jam
LUNCH Big sandwich with crisps and chocolate
DINNER Roast dinner, minimal veg
SNACKS Pringles, tub of ice cream
DIET AFTER
BREAKFAST Porridge topped with fruit
LUNCH Chicken salad
DINNER Grilled salmon with broccoli, courgettes and carrots
SNACKS Low-fat yoghurt with fruit
That summer, my
