EMMA SEALEY is walking on air after shedding a whopping 20st in just 19
months.
Morbidly obese Emma, who tipped the scales at 29st and was a size 32, knew she
had to act fast after doctors warned she faced an early grave if she didn’t
lose weight.
Unable to get the harsh words out of her head, unemployed Emma swapped her
daily takeaways and doughnuts for soups, shakes and cereal bars.
The 33-year-old, from Redditch, Worcs, also started an incredible photo diary
of her weight loss to keep her motivated.
She says the photos gave her the push she needed to persevere with her
dramatic diet and admits that looking back over her journey now makes her
emotional, as she realises how far she’s come.
Emma explains: “At my heaviest, I couldn’t get a seatbelt around myself in the
car or even leave the house for fear of being ridiculed. People would yell,
‘Oi, fatso, who ate all the pies?’ and throw food at me out of their car
windows.
“It was terrifying and I was so lonely because I’d lost lots of friends — as I
hated going to parties — and sat at home gorging.”
Emma had always struggled with her weight. Aged eight, she weighed 8st and was
sent to boarding school at 11, where her head teacher put her on a diet.
But with no one controlling what or how much she ate in the privacy of her
room, young Emma ignored the advice of her teacher and wolfed down her
favourite foods — pizza, chips, kebabs and doughnuts.
By the time she was 16, Emma was a size 16 and two years later was a size 18.
When she turned 22, her dress size again equalled her age.
She says: “I felt a prisoner in my own home and I was desperate to get out but
couldn’t because of my size.”
Lonely, Emma joined dating websites to find companionship but was too
embarrassed about her size to disclose her weight or a full-length photo of
herself.
She says: “I started talking to someone called Brian, who was clever,
entertaining and seemed interested in talking to me.”
For the next four months, the pair spoke only over the internet before Emma
finally plucked up the courage to send him a picture of herself.
She says: “I was terrified he’d run a mile but instead he asked if we could
meet. I couldn’t believe it.”
After that night, they were inseparable. But despite the fact Brian, 42, had
lifted Emma’s spirits, she was still far too ashamed to go out.
She refused to meet Brian’s friends and family and slowly but surely her
weight issues started to divide them.
Emma says: “He always told me he loved me and that my weight wasn’t an issue,
but I knew deep down it was causing problems.
“The doctor told me that if I didn’t do something drastic, I would be dead by
the time I reached 40. I was disgusted with myself.
“My mum suggested I had a gastric band but I thought, ‘I got myself into
this state — I need to get myself out of it’.”
A close friend told Emma about the Cambridge Weight Plan and she decided to
give it a go.
That night, she cleared all her cupboards of chocolate bars and asked Brian to
take a photograph of her.
She explained: “I was used to eating four pizzas in one go, so I knew swapping
that for soup would be hard, but I was determined. I decided the only way I
was going to lose weight and keep it off was to use photographs to chart my
weight-loss progress every month to motivate myself to eat the right things.”
From September 2010, Emma followed a 1,000 calorie-a-day diet and in the first
week lost an incredible 12lb.
The second week she lost 5lb and within a month she’d shed 2st.
She says: “I put my mind to it from the first day, eating soups, shakes and
bars and before I knew it I was dropping a dress size a month.
“My tummy started getting smaller, my chest was lifting and my double chin was
thinning out.
“Every time I looked at the newest picture of myself, I couldn’t believe how
much younger I looked.
“The pictures helped keep me on track. When I felt like cheating, I’d log on
to Facebook where I kept my photo diary and see just how much I had
achieved.”
Emma’s confidence soared and eventually she plucked up enough courage to join
the gym, which accelerated her weight loss even more.
Within 19 months, Emma was a svelte 8st 13lb — she reached her goal eight days
before her 33rd birthday on April 17 last year.
With the support of her now fiancé Brian and her own determination, Emma has
lost 20st or two-thirds of her original bodyweight, and dropped 22 dress
sizes.
Now full of confidence, Emma is looking forward to walking down the aisle in a
size 10 wedding dress.
She says: “I’m now wearing size 10 clothes, am no longer a prisoner in my own
home and can finally start thinking about our future together.
“When I was nearly 30st, I never thought I’d become a bride as I couldn’t
imagine trying to find a dress to fit me and worried I wouldn’t fit down the
aisle.
“I can’t wait to go dress shopping and look glam for my big day.
“It’s the ultimate reward and my wedding photo will be the final picture in my
photo weight-loss diary.”
Diet before
BREAKFAST: None
LUNCH: Sausage rolls, pork pies, crisps and sandwiches
DINNER: Takeaway three times a week
SNACKS: Crisps, biscuits and cakes
DRINKS: Coffee, tea, full-fat milk, fizzy drinks, wine and cider
Diet during
While on the Cambridge Weight Plan
MEALS: Specially made soups or shakes three times a day
DRINKS: Water or black tea or coffee (no sugar)
AFTER 12 WEEKS: Introduction of one small meal per day
Diet now
BREAKFAST: Branflakes and skimmed milk or fruit salad
LUNCH: Tuna salad sandwiches with light mayonnaise
DINNER: Chicken or fish with steamed veg and rice
SNACKS: Fruit
DRINKS: Water, tea and coffee
Nicki says:
EMMA is not alone in finding gyms daunting. SUN fitness expert NICKI WATERMAN
explains how to get started:
1. Pre-arrange an induction with a trainer. This will give you a reason for
going and make the gym seem less intimidating.
2. Once you know how to use everything and have a training framework, the
second visit will be much easier.
3. You don’t have to do lots of different things in your workout. Set yourself
a target, such as staying on the running machine for 12 minutes, then aim to
run for longer the next time.
4. And lastly, congratulate yourself on taking the most difficult step –
deciding to exercise in the first place.
Amanda says:
SUN nutritionist Amanda Ursell says: “Emma’s weight loss is extraordinary and
shows that when you want something badly enough, anything is possible.
“Seeing a photo of yourself is often the trigger people need to own up to
their real size and becomes their motivation to make changes to their diet.
“Emma took this one stage further by recording her weight-loss journey with
photos. “Making a photographic account of yourself as you lose weight is
worth the effort.
“As you lose weight you can begin to see the ‘new you’ emerging and are able
to visualise yourself reaching your goal weight.
“It is a very powerful tool in your weight-loss box.”