My stomach rumbled as I peeled off the cardboard on a pile of foil trays and sunk down into our big, comfy sofa. ‘It smells so good,’ I grinned as my boyfriend, Matt, then 28, piled the Chinese food onto our plates and I unscrewed a bottle of rosé. It was August 2015, we’d not long got back from a family holiday to Turkey with my kids from a previous relationship, Hollie, then nine, and Mason, five.
We’d had an amazing time, but before I prepared to go back to my job as a maternity care assistant at my local hospital, I just wanted to relax in front of the TV with Matt and tuck into my favorite takeaway.
Struggling to breathe
Though, moments like this weren’t exactly a rare treat. While I’d cook something healthy for the kids after school, as soon as Matt came home from his job in construction, we’d order in a Chinese or Indian takeaway for ourselves – often up to five times a week.
After eating several plates full of spare ribs, special fried rice, and prawn balls, I sat back and slowly sipped my glass of wine. Only, something didn’t feel quite right – I could feel my chin resting on my chest and the skin was rubbing together. It felt uncomfortable and I struggled to breathe properly. ‘Are you OK?’ Matt asked as I wriggled around, trying to get comfy.
‘I think I’m probably just getting a bit too fat for this,’ I groaned, wedging my hand between my chin and my chest to stop the skin touching.
‘What? Too fat to watch TV?’ Matt said with a chuckle. I laughed, too – he was right, it was a bit ridiculous.
Denne historien er fra September 30, 2019-utgaven av WOMAN'S OWN.
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Denne historien er fra September 30, 2019-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
