MY BIKINI BODY IS HERE TO STAY!

Lesley Foy, 53, finally put an end to her unhealthy weight cycle

- JOHANNA BELL

Dancing with my friends at a beach party in Ibiza, I felt incredible. It was September 2022 and we were celebrating my friend's birthday. This trip had been a long time coming, something I'd been looking forward to for ages. When we'd planned it months earlier, I'd decided to use it as a goal. I'd wanted to lose weight in time for the holiday and spend the days showing off my new figure in a bikini. And now, here I was doing just that.

I'd battled with my weight for years. After having my children, Nathan in 2003 and Niamh in 2004, I weighed around 13st. I joined WeightWatchers and lost 3st, but then I stopped going to the meetings and gradually old habits crept back in. I'd eat crisps and biscuits and did little exercise, so my weight just gradually increased.

By the time I celebrated my 40th in 2009, I'd put all of the weight I'd lost back on again, plus more. I felt so self-conscious, but over the next few years my weight continued to yo-yo. It was the same unhealthy cycle. I'd return to Weight Watchers, lose weight, then stop going to meetings and start allowing myself a few too many treats.

One more won't hurt, I'd say, eating another biscuit. By then, I'd separated from the kids' dad and was single. I lost weight ahead of my 50th and, while celebrating in Benidorm with my friends, made a promise to myself.

'It's going to be different this time,' I told my best friend Julie, 42, as we lazed on sunloungers. I'm going to keep going to the meetings to make sure I keep the weight off.' I was determined but when we got home, the pandemic hit. 'How do you think you'll cope if we get locked down and you aren't able to come to meetings any more?' my WeightWatchers group leader asked.

STAYING MOTIVATED