I was getting TOO BIG for my scrubs

Veterinary nurse Jenna Martin Leitch felt awkward telling owners their pets should lose weight

- MICHELLE RAWLINS

I’d been asked to assist in theatre at the vet’s where I worked, and as I walked into the changing room to find a pair of scrubs, I was fretting. If I couldn’t find any big enough, I’d have to admit to my colleagues there wasn’t a single tunic or pair of trousers I could squeeze into and ask if someone else could go instead. And that wasn’t the only way my size was affecting me. I was finding it more uncomfortable getting up and down off the floor to bandage injured animals and, at 15st, I’d cringe when I needed to tell an owner their pet would benefit from losing weight.

Weight conscious

I’d been self-conscious about my weight for as long as I could remember. When I met my husband, Chris, I just about fitted into a size 18 and, as we settled into our life together, I didn’t pay much mind to what I was eating. Dinner was often made using sauce from a jar, with oven chips on the side, plus mayonnaise, ketchup and barbecue sauce. Then later I’d make myself toast with peanut butter or cheese.

Gradually, the weight crept on, and I gained a little more with the birth of each of our daughters, until I’d gone up another couple of dress sizes. That’s when I started thinking about the future – I wanted my girls to grow up with a healthier and more energetic mum.