A woman lost eight stone in 18 months after an appointment with her doctor changed her life forever.
Heather Walker, 33, suffered from depression and took to binge eating to make herself feel better when she was feeling low.
Frustrated with how much weight she was putting on, she went to her doctor’s to see if there was something she could do while on her tablets.
When speaking with her doctor, she was told she could either be ‘fat and happy or skinny and miserable’.
At her heaviest, Heather was 22 stone and a size 26 in clothes.
Heather, from Spalding, said: “It shocked me, but I think it was the blunt message that I needed for me to make the change.
“The doctor’s had been increasing my doses and I just felt spaced out and in a check with my doctor she noticed that my weight had increased.
"I asked what I could do while I’m on the tablets.
“She said that I couldn’t have it all.
"It was the message I needed to make myself realise that I wasn’t living - I was just existing.
“I made the decision to come off my tablets, which isn’t recommended, but I just couldn’t keep going on like this any more.
“I kept my medication on prescription just in case I needed a safety net, and that was in November 2017 and I’m still off them.”
Heather joined Everybody’s Gym in Spalding and started counting calories and gradually lost eight stone over a period of 18 months.
“I needed the change - I had to be the one to drive it forward and push it," she said.
“I joined a new gym but I was so scared walking into it for the first time - but everyone has been so welcoming and lovely.
“Before I was a comfort eater, I would eat my three meals a day but I would snack on chocolate and crisps.
“I would easily polish off a bar of Dairy Milk without thinking.
“Now I just exercise at the gym and count my calories. I didn’t want to do a fad diet, I wanted to be realistic and do it gradually.
“From January to April, it was a struggle and I battled with side effects of coming off my tablets. I don’t know how I did it, but I’m still off them today.
“I just immersed myself in the gym and put all of my energy into that.”
Now Heather has dropped to 14 stone and a size 12 and has swapped to a healthy balanced diet and exercises around six times a week.
She has also started weight training and does lots of deadlifts, box jumps, squats and dumb-bells as well as running.
Heather added: “I eat lots of fruit and veg and for snacks I now have things like rice cakes or handfuls of walnuts as they are good fats.
“I never go hungry, if you just eat little and often it keeps you topped up. I probably eat more than I ever have now, it’s just making sure that you are eating the right sort of foods.
“I’m feeling really happy. I would go as far to say that it’s the happiest I have felt in a long time.
“I’ve got more energy now and I’m still off my tablets.”
Heather documents her progress on her Instagram account tallgirl_worksout and wants to show other people who may be struggling that they can do it too.
Heather said: “I just want to inspire people and let them know that if I can do it, they can do it too.
“I’m very honest in my account, and if I have a bad day I admit it.
“If I can try and help someone who is struggling that’s the main thing really.”
Last year Heather also took part in the Great Eastern Half Marathon, which was her first time ever running in an event, and now she is going to tackle Tough Mudder too.
Heather added: “It has been really tough going, but it has been so worth it for how I feel now.
“You have to stick with losing weight and be patient. It takes time and will pay off in the long run.
“I’m a different person now and I’m just so much happier in myself.”
