Abigail walks tall after weight loss

WALKING IS KEY TO HER LOSING EIGHT STONES

- NEIL SHAW

A WOMAN looks "unrecognisable" after shedding eight stones in a three year period-by walking the distance from UK to Germany every month.

Abigail Ames, 26, piled on the pounds due to her polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) - a condition that affects how the ovaries work.

She was told by doctors that losing weight would be "extremely hard" and cutting out all carbs, as well as intense daily exercise, would be her only hope. But through walking 12 miles a day, 84 miles a week and 336 miles a month - around the distance from London to Duren in Germany - she was able to lose 8st 1lb and now feels "more confident".

Abigail, a social media lead, from Plymouth, said: "I'd initially just try to fit 10k in a day when I first started losing weight - but thanks to an under-the-desk treadmill, I'd walk 20k, every day, while working at my desk.

"Trying to lose the weight was an absolute minefield I wanted to gain some control back from PCOS and now I'm more confident than ever. A picture I took on holiday was what made me think 'I need to get a grip on my PCOS and change my weight. It showed me the realistic image of my face and body - something I ignored whenever I looked in the mirror. I found myself always placing my hand near my chin to hide it, because I was so uncomfortable with what I saw. It was just the final straw, I guess.