Not everyone congratulated Heidi Shakespeare, 34, from Sutton Coldfield when she regained her figure
WORDS: FRANCES LEATE, RACHEL TOMPKINS. SEE YOUR GP BEFORE TAKING A NEW SUPPLEMENT ✱ Find out more at one2onediet.com/HeidiS
Walking down the aisle, I felt the train of my long, slim-fitting, corset-style cream gown swirl behind me. It was August 2017, and after going from a size 12 to a size 8 earlier that year, I felt every inch the beautiful bride. ‘You look amazing,’ mouthed my handsome groom Daniel. And the best thing was, I felt it too.
Sadly, my good intentions didn’t last. I hadn’t meant it to be just a quick fix for the wedding but the weight slowly piled back on. At just 5ft 1in, it didn’t take much for me to look bigger. After having my daughter Sofia in June 2018, then Oscar in October 2020, it felt like game over for my body.
I’d never been much of a snacker, but I’d eat large portions at mealtimes and by the end of that year I weighed around 13st 5lb and was a dress size 16, the biggest I’d ever been. It severely affected my confidence and I went from being an outgoing, sociable person to wanting to stay indoors. I was living in leggings and baggy tops, and wanted to hide myself away. ‘I’m ashamed of how I look,’ I admitted, and no amount of reassuring words from Daniel made me feel better.
‘I think you should speak to someone,’ he suggested. My doctor diagnosed postnatal depression and prescribed antidepressants. With the support of friends and family, I slowly came out of my shell. But every time I caught sight of myself in a mirror my heart would sink. ‘I look so big,’ I’d frown, struggling to recognise the chubby woman looking back at me.
That December 2020, when I’d reached my heaviest, I decided it was time to get my life back. I posted a video to my 4,500 followers on Instagram, mainly people who’d added me during my first weight-loss journey. ‘I’ve not felt like me lately, and I’m finally ready to do something about it again,’ I announced. And just as I had before my wedding, I went back on the 1:1 Cambridge Weight Plan, eating three meal replacement products and a portion of conventional food totalling 800 calories. Porridge for breakfast, a soup for lunch and a pasta meal for dinner with some protein and salad.
It wasn’t easy, and the first few weeks were really tough. It took all my willpower not to pick at the kids’ leftover food and Danie
