I was 5ft 2in and ballooned to a size 16 – then my ‘ghost hunting diet’ helped me shed HALF my body weight
WHEN Linzi Steer's 10-year marriage broke down she comforted herself, gorging on takeaways and sugary treats.
The 5ft 2in mum-of-four says it was only when she looked in the mirror last August, having ballooned to a size 16, that she was shocked by her reflection.
The 55-year-old said she barely recognised the 'bloated, haggard face' starring back at her.
"I got pretty lazy, it was a horrible, vicious circle," she said.
"I've got two herniated discs in the bottom of my back and the weight on my back was agony.
"I was eating all the wrong things at all the wrong times, I wasn't disciplined like I am now."
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It was then that Linzi decided enough was enough and she vowed to turn her life around.
Now, after losing almost half her body weight and fitting into size 8 clothes, Linzi credits ghost hunting with helping her slim down.
The 5ft 2 adventurer conducted more ghost hunts on - a channel found on Facebook and TikTok which has 96.8k followers.
She combined this with tackling her junk food diet, replacing her meals with healthier options, and upping her daily exercise.
Linzi said: "One morning I woke up and thought 'right Linzi you've got to get up and get yourself sorted out'.
"I looked at myself in the mirror and I thought 'what the hell?' I looked haggard, I wasn't looking after myself.
"I started to eat more whole foods instead of convenience foods and started to feel so much better.
"I can also credit my weight loss to such an active job chasing ghosts, I go all over the place and walk a hell of a lot."
Since Linzi started turning things around she said her waistline starting shrinking immediately and she was able to curb her low moods.
The smitten ghostbuster met her hunk over the video sharing platform in December and messaged for six months before uniting in Albania.
Linzi puts her blossoming romance down to her skyrocketing confidence after modifying her lifestyle.
LINZI'S DIET AND EXERCISE REGIME
PRE WEIGHT LOSS DIET
Breakfast - Cereal or four slices of toast with butter, two full-fat lattes
Mid-morning snack - Biscuits and another full-fat latte, crisps
Lunch - Cheese on toast
Mid-afternoon snack - Sweets
Dinner - Fast food e.g. pizza
Evening snack - Sweets and chocolate
Post ghost-hunting trip snack - kebab/pizza/sweets/chocolate
POST WEIGHT LOSS DIET
Breakfast - Fat-free Greek yoghurt, muesli, banana with honey. Cup of herbal tea.
Lunch - Boiled eggs, avocado and fruit
Mid-afternoon snack - Fresh fruit
Dinner - Chicken or fish with vegetables and couscous or rice.
Evening snack - Fruit and nuts
Drinks - Drinking water throughout the day
She believes the combination of fruit, veggies, and an occasional glass of wine were the key to a balanced diet.
She said: "I don't do any stupid, crazy diets.
"I eat healthily, I love fruit and veg, and I'm constantly drinking water. It keeps your skin in lovely condition.
"I'll have fruit throughout the day and at tea time I'll have chicken and veggies.
"In the evening I have a few nuts, I don't eat chocolate, crisps or sweets."
And she admitted her new relationship could be helping her keep the pounds off - thanks to more action between the sheets.
Linzi added: "Now I'm in a new relationship, obviously there's a lot of exercise.
"I've got a lot of time to make up for it, I'm now happy and healthy.
"I feel empowered and sexy, I've got my confidence back."
Linzi describes her lover and exercise partner as her soulmate and equated it to a 'Mills & Boon romance.'
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She said she can't wait to head back to Albania in July, and has a newfound appreciate for Albanian culture.
"I'm living my best life at 55 years old, it's never too late."
How to lose weight safely
Losing weight should be a long-term commitment to healthier living, rather than any drastic measures.
The NHS tips - which can be adopted slowly - include:
- Get active for 150 minutes a week – you can break this up into shorter sessions
- Aim to get your 5 A Day – 80g of fresh, canned or frozen fruit or vegetables count as 1 portion
- Aim to lose 1 to 2lbs, or 0.5 to 1kg, a week
- Read food labels – products with more green colour coding than amber and red are often a healthier option
- Swap sugary drinks for water – if you do not like the taste, add slices of lemon or lime for flavour
- Cut down on food that's high in sugar and fat – start by swapping sugary cereal for wholegrain alternatives
- Share your weight loss plan with someone you trust – they can help motivate you when you have a bad day
Read about:
- The five fat loss foundations
- The calorie formula for weight loss
- The perfect portion sizes for meals to lose weight
- Sun Health's 8-week weight loss kick start plan