Carolann Hicks hated that her weight was holding her back, so she set herself a goal
WORDS: FIONA FORD. MAIN PHOTO: SLIMMING WORLD/PAUL BULLER
It’s such a cliché, isn’t it? Overweight woman, who’s too big for the fairground rides. But for years, that fear is what stopped me from having fun with my two daughters, Kaitlin and Isobel.
Whenever my partner, Simon, and I took the girls to fairs or theme parks, I was always the designated coat holder as they waved to me from carousels or rollercoasters. I’d tell the girls I was scared of heights and fast rides, but the truth was, I knew I was far too big to fit into the seats, so I didn’t even bother trying. I pretended that I didn’t mind, but deep down I was ashamed that my size physically stopped me from joining them.
As a teenager, I had never been overweight, but in my late teens I discovered fast food and indulged in hamburgers and fries before going home to eat a homemade meal.
My weight slowly crept up to a size 16 when I was 20 but it didn’t matter as my new boyfriend, Simon, loved me for who I was.
It was after I had Kaitlin in 2007 and Isobel in 2010 that my battle with food and weight really began. I found the emotional impact of becoming a mum tough and I’d turn to food for comfort. After working in my job in social care, I’d frequently stop at fast food restaurants, eat two or three burgers then cook a family meal for everyone, such as spaghetti bolognese, and scoff a huge plateful.
As the children grew up, my waistline continued to expand from a size 16, to an 18 and then beyond. Thinking I could manage my weight gain myself, over the years I tried diets such as low-carb shakes and cabbage soup, but I found the plans impossible to stick to. I kept going back to my beloved takeaways for comfort and, as well as bingeing on cheeseburgers, I would also devour fried chicken balls and spring rolls as side dishes.
By 2019, my weight was up to 23st – the biggest I’d ever been. Not only was it far too much for my 5ft 5in frame, but I knew it was impacting my health. I couldn’t play with the children, then aged 12 and nine, or walk up the stairs without getting breathless. I knew I needed help and I went to my GP.
Deep down, I hoped a health issue was the reason for my weight gain, but sadly, there wasn’t and my doctor prescribed diet pills.
I resolved to try them, but they made me feel unwell and did nothing to address the issues I had with food. By now, my self-confidence was really low, but then I thought about my niece who had joined Slimming World a few weeks earlier and was doing really
