Success stories - Linda Healy (Irish Slimmer of the Year, 2009)


LINDA	MARIE	KATIE	DELLA	JOHN	HAYLEY

Hi my name is Linda. I would like to take you on a journey of my past life were food always won in the end. That was until I heard of the Cambridge Diet.

I have been battling with my weight as far back as my teens. I suffered from very low self-esteem and little or no confidence. Down through the years I tried many diets. Yes I lost some weight but quickly got fed up and regained it all again and more. One of those times when I shed a few pounds, I gained a bit of confidence and then met my husband to be Jim. Happy and in love I forgot all about dieting but the scales kept going up. Very soon I had my daughter and weighed a hefty 14.7 stone. Standing tall at just 5ft 3 I was well rounded. In 1999 Jim & I got married with me weighting in at 16 stone and a good size 20. I thought id never lose the weight and put it out of my head., but deep down it always needled away at me .

The following year I gave birth to my son weighting in now at 17stone.Both my children were born by C-Section I had complications from this due to my weight. I had two hernia operations. I did try to lose weight, but it was a constant battle and I just couldn’t win. My confidence was by now at and all time low. I was so unhappy. I tried to hid my feelings from the world and put all my time into been a yummy mummy to my children. My energy levels were really low as I carried all this extra weight. I hid under clothes that actually made me look bigger. I had no interest in fashion and rarely went out. I knew I was missing out on so much of my life but couldn’t seem to do anything about it. My daughter became very ill with a burst appendix and I was so stressed & worried that all I did was binge eat on junk food.

A family holiday was planned to Australia to see my sister and her family. I bought oversized t-shirts and tried to look forward to the trip. The heat really affected me as I was so overweight and again it stopped me from taking part in so many things. The shock of just how overweight I was didn’t hit me till I returned home to see the holiday photographs .I was so out of shape .Was that really me???I needed to do something. I needed to take control of my life.

My sister had started the Cambridge diet and was doing really well but as usual I was a bit apprehensive and thought it was just another faddy diet. With a little push and encouragement from my Mum & my sister I agreed to go and meet a counsellor but to be honest I was very sceptical .Having met & spoken to Carol (CC) I said I would give it my best shot and started the Sole/Source programme last February. After 3 days I got such an energy boost ,and a month later I was down well over a stone, and so began my journey with Cambridge that has changed my life and me in such a wonderful way. With each weigh-in day and each lb I lost, my confidence began to grow and it made me so determined to carry on. With the help and constant support of Carol the weight kept dropping off. If I had a bad week she was always there to reassure and make me believe in myself. By then I was 3 stone lighter and people began to notice. The compliments were flying and I learnt to accept them so graciously. When they said I looked good I felt great and my self esteem was coming back.

In November I reached my target weight. I had dropped 5 stone. I have been on the maintenance programme for the past few months with regular visits to Carol .I am now just under 11 stone and a size 12.My greatest pleasure was to purchase a pair of size 12 skinny jeans in Penny’s for a night out with my friends at Christmas. I felt so good it was wonderful. I continue to maintain my weight and I will never again go back to that other life again. Looking back I never in widest dreams believed I was capable of reaching this weight and sharing my story with you now.

My life and relationships with my husband and family have all benefited from my weight-loss. Their support and love has helped make this journey possible for me, and they really kept me going through it all. Carol my Counsellor has been my rock from day one and continues to be so to this day. Cambridge Diet will remain in my life for many years to come. I have now won my battle with food.





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