The new fit me

Gone are the days when Ashli Sterling, 34, would do anything to avoid exercise

- SARAH VENESS

As I opened the front door, the howling wind nearly knocked me over. I looked down at our dog, Penny, who returned my gaze with expectant eyes. ‘Are you sure you don’t want to take her out, Danny?’ I called over to my partner. ‘No thanks, love,’ he replied from the sofa. ‘It’s definitely your turn.’ Realising I wasn’t getting out of it this time, I pulled up my hood, grabbed Penny’s lead and braced myself against the cold. After what must have been the shortest dog-walk ever, I joined Danny on the sofa, wondering how anybody did this kind of thing for fun.

When Danny and I had got Penny a few months earlier, we’d hoped having a dog would get us out more – maybe even help us get a bit fitter. So far, it wasn’t working. We did walk her faithfully once or twice a day, but it felt like a chore and we got back home as fast as we could.

I’d never been a fan of exercise. Even if I was popping to the local shop, I’d reach for my car keys rather than my trainers. I’d lost count of the gym memberships I’d taken out, only to go once or twice and never again. I’d convince myself there was always a reason why I couldn’t go to the gym or out for a walk – it was too cold, too late, I was too busy.

I knew, deep down, the reason was that my weight made it feel too difficult. Just walking up two flights of stairs in our three-storey house would leave me gasping, and I’d have to stop halfway through the housework to take a rest.

Then Danny’s mum joined Slimming World, and seeing how well it was working for her spurred me to join, too. That was in November 2016, not long after we got Penny. I weighed in at 12st 11lb and set my target weight at 9st 13lb.