I had to rock myself off the sofa and got out of breath on the loo – now I’ve lost 7st people look at me differently
A WOMAN who “used to get out of breath going to the loo” underwent a stunning transformation after she lost seven-and-a-half stone.
Siân Russell, 30, felt depressed and anxious and struggled with low self-esteem while tipping the scales at 16 stone.
Fitting into a size 18 could be a struggle and she’d find herself having to propel her body off the sofa and feeling out of breath going to the loo.
Siân realised enough was enough when she saw pictures of herself at a family gathering in January 2020.
She decided to “put herself first” and overhaul her lifestyle for a “new year, new me”.
Two years into her journey in December 2022, she tragically lost her partner to suicide – and says she was unable to leave the house for months.
But Siân realised her partner would have wanted her to live her best life, so she started going to the gym and focusing on healthy eating habits.
In September 2023, she suffered another setback after breaking her leg in three places while on holiday and needing a wheelchair for months – but returned to working out as soon as she could.
Now Siân says she goes to the gym four to five times a week, walks up to seven miles a day, and has lost seven-and-a-half stone.
She weighs just 8st 7lbs and can slip into a slender size eight to 10 with ease.
Siân, a business developer, from Coalville, Leicestershire, said: “I used to sweat and get out of breath – even just getting up and going to the toilet.
“It impacted my mental health so much I wouldn’t even look at myself – I suffered really badly with depression and anxiety and knew I had to do something about it.
“I would see pictures of me taken at family events I couldn’t believe it when I was looking at the pictures.
“Now I’m just happier, I’ve got more energy – it sounds daft but people look at you differently.
“My confidence is so different, before I couldn’t make eye contact with people but now I want to be seen because I have done so well.
“When I look back I can’t really remember being that person before – I just know I was very unhappy and even the simplest of tasks was really hard.”
Against the odds
Before losing weight, Siân would regularly snack on donuts and cheese, as well as drinking alcohol regularly and not doing exercise.
When she decided to make a change, she started following the mantra “eat less, move more” and began swimming and walking to increase her activity levels.
Over two years she lost three stone – but in December 2022 her partner tragically died.
My partner would be proud to see me now – I’m a completely different person. He would be really happy to see it
Siân Russell
Siân says she was severely depressed in the months following and struggled to leave the house.
But realised she had to keep living for him and made the decision to go back to the gym.
Over the next year she lost another two stone, taking her down to 11 stone in total, before breaking her leg while on holiday in Menorca.
But despite being in a wheelchair for two months, she started working out again as soon as her leg was in a boot cast.
‘Life is too short’
Now Siân has shed nearly half her starting body weight.
Siân said: “I used to get out of breath going to the toilet and found myself having to rock to get off the sofa.
“No matter how bad things get, if you change your lifestyle things will start coming into place.
“I feel like I’ve found my style again, I have more energy, I sleep better and my skin is better.
“I could have cracked and not done anything about it but I just realised life is too short and you’ve got to go with what you’ve got.”
Siân's diet before and after her weight loss
Siân adopted the mantra of 'eating less and moving more'.
Before her weight loss, her diet consisted of:
- Breakfast – sausage roll
- Lunch – pasta and a ready meal
- Dinner – takeaway pizza or Chinese
- Snack – cheese or crisps
- Drinks – drinking heavily five times per week
Her diet after her weight loss consists of:
- Breakfast – porridge or low calorie bagel
- Lunch – tuna or chicken salad
- Dinner – steak or chicken
- Snack – low calorie egg bagel
- Drinks – water
Before losing weight, Siân would snack on donuts and cheese from the shop under her flat.
She says would binge eat, drink a lot of alcohol and not do any exercise.
Now, she avoids dairy and eats “clean” – snacking on celery and packets of baked crisps.
She goes to the gym up to five times a week and walks up to seven miles per day – but says she still occasionally indulges in a donut.
“My partner would be proud to see me now – I’m a completely different person. He would be really happy to see it,” said Siân.
How to lose weight safely
Losing weight should be a long-term commitment to healthier living, rather than any drastic measures.
The NHS tips – which can be adopted slowly – include:
- Get active for 150 minutes a week – you can break this up into shorter sessions
- Aim to get your 5 A Day – 80g of fresh, canned or frozen fruit or vegetables count as 1 portion
- Aim to lose 1 to 2lbs, or 0.5 to 1kg, a week
- Read food labels – products with more green colour coding than amber and red are often a healthier option
- Swap sugary drinks for water – if you do not like the taste, add slices of lemon or lime for flavour
- Cut down on food that’s high in sugar and fat – start by swapping sugary cereal for wholegrain alternatives
- Share your weight loss plan with someone you trust – they can help motivate you when you have a bad day
Read about:
- The five fat loss foundations
- The calorie formula for weight loss
- The perfect portion sizes for meals to lose weight
- Sun Health’s 8-week weight loss kick start plan