Help me lose weight, Mum!

Mikala Barsby, 39, wasn’t bothered about shedding pounds, but she would do anything for her son

- KARA O'NEILL, LUCY BRYANT

My story might not start the way you expect it to, as I don’t have that picture of myself on a holiday or at a special occasion that made me cringe and became the catalyst to me losing nearly half my body weight. Instead, as I look at old family pictures, all I see is a proud mum as she poses with her son.

Yet, without realising it, my boy Kian was the only motivation I needed to start leading a healthier lifestyle.

I’d been overweight since I was seven, but I’d never let it stop me being happy. Yes, I’d get the occasional cruel comment, but it didn’t bother me.

No reason to change

‘I’m made of tougher stuff,’ I’d laugh to my friends. After finishing school, I was a size 18-20. I went to college, and eventually got a job at a hospital as a nurse, before transferring to a job in the mortuary, performing post-mortems, but despite my bigger size, I felt strong, and relatively fit.

After having Kian at 23, my weight continued to creep up. It was just the two of us, and as a single mum with a full-time job, life was hectic, and convenience food was the easiest way to make sure we were both fed so we could have time to relax.

Jars of sauces or ready-made lasagnes made things easier, and as a typical boy, Kian wasn’t complaining.

By the time I’d reached my 30s, I weighed 24st. I’d pick up baggy size 28 to 30 clothes, often from a​ limited selection of racks from certain stores that carried plus sizes. Whenever friends told me about the diets they were doing, I was supportive, but I wasn’t interested.