Flopping down into my chair, I could hear my tummy rumbling. It was summer 2010 and I was exhausted and hungry, yet I didn’t have the energy to heave myself up and into the kitchen to make dinner. So I slung off my shoes, sank back and jabbed at my phone to order a Chinese takeaway – egg fried rice, chow mein, prawn toast, chicken in sweet-and-sour sauce, and I’d treat myself to a few prawn crackers too. Swiping it out of the hands of the delivery driver seconds after he’d rung the doorbell, I drooled over the steaming foil packages.
Working full-time as a receptionist for the local council in south London and being a single mum to my children, Shamara, then 18, and Tyreece, nine, took up all my time. ‘I’m so tired,’ I sighed on the phone to my mum Ailen, then 68, most days. ‘Haven’t got the energy to cook.’ I decided I had no time for exercise either.
Most nights I’d reach for takeaways, McDonald’s, fish and chips, Doritos and Pringles, all washed down by Coke. It was an easy option when I was rushed off my feet. The kids loved it too!
I’d always been a chubby child and teenager, enjoying the plentiful portions from my traditional Caribbean upbringing. And now I knew I was piling on the pounds even more. In fact, at 5ft 7in, I now weighed more than 22st.
In October 2010, I turned 40 and went along to my routine NHS health check, giving blood and urine samples. But I was stunned when the GP gave me the results. ‘You’re borderline diabetic,’ he warned.
Bu hikaye WOMAN'S OWN dergisinin May 16, 2022 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye WOMAN'S OWN dergisinin May 16, 2022 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
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