Janine Hooley, 30, had no idea what partying was doing to her.
Sinking on to the pub seat, I felt so fed up. ‘I just don’t understand it,’ I said to my friend, Laura. ‘I’ve been dieting for six months now and I’ve only lost 7lb.’
I reached for my glass of rosé and took a big slurp to make myself feel better. At 24, I was 5ft 7in and fed up of wearing size 20 blouses and flowery elasticated skirts.
Laura looked at me, then at the huge wine glass in my hand. ‘Well you do drink a bit,’ she said.
I looked up, ready to be affronted. But then I gave a sheepish smile. She was right. I did like my wine. In fact most nights I’d be down at the pub knocking back two or three glasses.
It had begun two years before, in 2007, when I’d split up with a boyfriend. To ease my heartache, I’d found solace with my mates at the pub.
Taking a toll
Denne historien er fra June 05,2017-utgaven av WOMAN'S OWN.
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Denne historien er fra June 05,2017-utgaven av WOMAN'S OWN.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
FAST & THRIFTY DINNERS
Filling family meals to save you time and money
ARE VIRAL FITNESS TRENDS WORTH THE HYPE?
Keen to know if the workouts she sees online can actually make her fitter, Rachel Tompkins, 44, gives them a try
GO OUT OF SEASON
While some European cities seem to go into hibernation over winter, others just get better in the colder months
MY LIFE IN MUSIC
Monica Cafferky, 55, reveals how certain tunes bring back special memories
THE DECISION THAT CHANGED MY LIFE
After trying diets without success, Breanne Concannon, 31, was left feeling hopeless
MY TOY ΒΟΥ KEEPS ME YOUNG
For Trish Hughes, 44, the thrills of being married to a man 20 years younger is worth all the judgement
'THAT'S NOT MY BABY'
Lying in the hospital bed, my husband Michael had tears of happiness in his eyes as he showed me a photo on his phone. 'Here she is,' he said proudly. 'This is our beautiful baby girl.'I stared at the photo and shook my head. 'No, that's not my baby,' I said. 'There must be a mistake.'It was August 2010 and I'd not long before had an emergency caesarean. I'd not had a chance to see Winnie when she arrived as she'd been whisked away for tests because she was nearly two months premature.
CAUGHT IN THE ACT
Hayley, 45, has her son to thank for crucial evidence
'I'D LOVE TO DO EASTENDERS'
Loose Women's Linda Robson on the daytime show, dating and her next career move
Beckhams INSIDE THEIR PROPERTY EMPIRE
We take a look at the power couple's posh pads
