LOOK AT ME NOW!

One photo was enough to put Michaela Lines, 35, off takeaways for good

Running across the court, I leapt in the air, caught the ball and passed it on to my teammate. ‘Great goal,’ I cheered, as her  shot swished through the net.

It was November 2018 and, aged 30, an evening playing netball was one of my favourite pastimes. With training and matches I was on the court at least four times a week and when I wasn’t wearing my netball bib I was playing tennis or doing martial arts. I’d never been one for sweating it out in a gym but team sport kept me in great shape.

At 5ft 1in, I’d weighed 10st 9lb most of my adult life and comfortably fit into a size 8. At home, my partner Leon, then 30, and I didn’t eat badly – the occasional takeaway or chocolate treat, but otherwise, my diet was balanced, and whatever I did eat

I soon burnt off with exercise. Then, in November 2020, Leon and I were thrilled when I fell pregnant. I gained 1st 7lb as our baby grew inside me but I felt great and loved seeing my bump blossom.

Our daughter Xanthe was born in June 2021 via caesarean, weighing 4lb 15oz. After, I breastfed at home and I made sure to keep myself refuelled and energised. But cooking healthy meals was hard with a newborn and soon I was polishing off entire packets of custard creams in one sitting or scoffing share-size packets of crisps.