‘I didn’t want to be a fat mother of the bride’
Bernie Heade, 50, is a business support manager and lives in Wallington, Surrey.
Shaking the pasta into the pan, I knew it was way too much. ‘Never mind,’ I thought. But as I glanced down at my stomach bulging in my trousers, I knew another huge vat of pasta wasn't going to help.
In school, I was tall, and slightly heavier than some of the waif-like girls, but never overweight. Only, after my daughter, Lauren, was born in 1994, the weight crept on, and when I split with her father when she was three, I didn’t have time or money to cook from scratch each evening. As a single mum, it was cheaper to do frozen chips and nuggets.
Carbs were my vice, and with every beige meal I’d add buttered bread. Where once I’d been able to slip into a size 12, I found my clothes getting tighter. But I’d just pick the next size until eventually the next size wasn’t in the high street. Shopping wasn’t fun, as I'd get out of breath and had no confidence, so I bought online.
Then, in late 2016, at 22st 7lb and size 24, I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. It ran in the family, but my diet and the strain of the excess weight had probably accelerated its onset. I was prescribed medication, but it wasn’t enough to shock me into action. Then, in December 20 Lauren, then 24, invited me for dinner. ‘We have some news,’ she said, sitting with her boyfriend. ‘We’re engaged!’ I was ecstatic, but as I hugged them, it struck me I’d be a fat mother of the bride.
Finding the motivation
Denne historien er fra September 14, 2020-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
Denne historien er fra September 14, 2020-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
SUCCESS AGAINST THE ODDS
Pauline Campbell, 59, refused to let her childhood marked with racism stop her from achieving her dreams
Jennifer Saunders 'WE JUST HAD THE BEST TIME'
The Absolutely Fabulous star on her hit sitcom… When the first episode of Absolutely Fabulous aired on BBC2 on 12 November 1992, it introduced viewers to the Bolly-fuelled antics of self-obsessed PR guru Edina ‘Eddie’ Monsoon and her chain-smoking pal Patsy Stone, played by Jennifer Saunders and Dame Joanna Lumley.
HOLIDAY IN HANOI
With its charming buildings and green spaces, Vietnam's capital city deserves a place on your bucket list
Who is better behind the wheel?
Most men believe they are the stronger driver in their relationship, according to a new study...
52 ADVENTURES IN 52 WEEKS!
Jessica Last, 36, believes you don't have to step on a plane to have a trip of a lifetime
CHILDREN IN CRISIS
With the number of homeless children in the UK at a record high, how can we help kids with no place to call home?
A SHARPER BRAIN IN 7 DAYS
Beat foggy thinking and supercharge your memory with these easy lifestyle tweaks
MUM'S PRECIOUS GIFTS
When Genevieve Kingston's mother learnt she was dying, she found a poignant way to marh her children's milestones
KILLED BY OUR NEIGHBOUR
Laura Sugden, 34, always knew the man living next door was trouble
THIS MORNING IN CRISIS!
With plummeting viewing figures and facing a mounting backlash, could Cat Deeley be ready to quit the ITV show?