Joining WW was just the beginning of a complete life makeover for Suzie. Not only did she lose over 7st, she launched a brand new career and met the love of her life
AS TOLD TO IMOGEN ROWLAND
Name Suzie Stirling
Age 39
Weight lost 7st 2lb
WW Workshop Watford
Instagram @wwsuzystirfry
Being active as a teenager and into my early twenties, I was always an average size.
I enjoyed playing tennis and swimming, and weight was never really an issue for me. Then, at 26, when I got married, I decided to learn how to cook. It might sound old-fashioned, but I wanted to make tasty dinners for my husband from scratch. I’d watch cookery shows on TV and follow the celebrity chefs to the letter – even when their recipes involved loading butter and cream into dishes. I also took to baking cakes and pastries, wanting to make sure that if we had friends over I could offer them a homemade treat.
Over the next couple of years, my weight crept up, but I was oblivious. I was working as a team leader at an insurance firm, and when I went to buy new work clothes I remember commenting on how the shop’s sizes were getting smaller. With hindsight, it wasn’t their sizes shrinking – but mine growing!
It wasn’t until I saw a photo of myself at a friend’s birthday party that I started to face the truth. We’d had a great night out and the next day she tagged me in one of the photos she’d taken. I didn’t recognise myself. I was completely devastated, and disgusted that I’d failed to see what was right in front of me. I began to feel like an average-sized person trapped in this bigger body. I also remember thinking really clearly that I looked like someone who could have a blood sugar problem, after seeing a government campaign raising awareness of the issue. I booked a doctor’s appointment straight away, and soon found out I was right. At the age of 28, I’d eaten myself to the brink of Type 2 diabetes. I knew that if I carried on I’d have a life-altering condition and only myself to blame. It was time to make some changes towards a healthier lifestyle.
Recipe for success
Over the next two years I tried multiple diets – one that involved shakes, another that only allowed liquid meals, and one where the group meetings were so boring it was actually demotivating. Then, I decided to give WW a try. I was 30 years old, weighed 21st 2lb and needed a serious but achievable programme. On the Flex plan,
