About Me

I’m a forty two year old woman, no husband, no kids, and no lover, middle class living in middle England. There’s nothing special or different about me, I’m pretty average in every way. Except that something rather extraordinary happened to my life and I wanted to share it with the world.

I was not obese but I was overweight. At 5ft 6 inches, and at 11st 11lb (70.55 Kilo or 166 lb ish or) I was well over the bracket for being a healthy/ideal weight, 9st8 (range 8st 3 to 11st 0 ish, or 124-155lb. BMI 26.63 ideal.)

I’ve never been terribly unhappy with my weight or my body but inevitably like so many people I was a skinny kid who gained approximately a stone every ten years of her adult life. During my twenties I was always about nine or nine and a half stone and I could eat what ever I wanted. I always had a little tummy, which never went. I guess the paunch would have gone if I’d lost weight but no amount of half marathons and trips to the work gym made any difference. I never really thought through that there was a layer of fat covering my upper and lower abs.

I have been constantly on a diet since I was about fourteen and I felt inadequate at the images of people like Cindy Crawford who dominated female iconography in the eighties. I didn’t realize I looked pretty hot then. If only I was as slender at nine and a half stones now!

Dieting has always been a battle, I’ve used sweeteners in my drinks since my teenage years and I’ve tried every diet going, but mostly low fat and counting calories. I’ve never liked low calorie carbonated drinks much or even full fat carbonated drinks. I had some luck with Weight Watchers in my late twenties when I lost 16lb but it went back on eventually. I think the biggest influence over my weight loss then was the weekends clubbing and dancing as well as recreational cocaine habit – so I didn’t eat for 3 days of the week!

I love food. I love eating. I’m a terrible cook. I love French restaurants. I live alone and I can’t be bothered. I’m not a homemaker. I’m busy and food has always taken a back seat. Having said all that I’ve never eaten junk food but I love fatty meats and delicacies and high quality luxurious foods of all types. There is nothing I don’t like really, or rather, nothing I wouldn’t eat. I never liked lean cuts of meat like chicken breast. What’s the point in chewing on cardboard? Or Tuna fish? Yawn. I’ve never scrimped when it comes to buying food either in the supermarket or in restaurants. It’s a false economy to buy cheap low-grade food, it always goes in the bin and anyhow I don’t believe eating healthy has to be expensive.

I’m getting to the point, honest. Three years ago I lost a close friend, Neil. He was about 5ft 5 in height and he weighed 26 stones. He slowly became more and more poorly and in then his heart gave out. I miss him each day. If only Neil had discovered HFLC he might still be here to write this blog with me.

Some years back, when I was about 34 years old I saw about three different surgeons about having Lipo on my abdomen and flanks. I got quotes and before then I’d undergone two expensive procedures, which promised the earth and delivered no results at all.

The first was some injections in the fatty tissue, costing £400, which should have broken down the fat, which in turn would be disposed of through ordinary waste. The other was a procedure called Smartlipo, and I paid a £1500 deposit for the procedure during which I stayed awake. The procedure was just fine and I’m not squeamish. They made holes in me and broke down the fat cells and again said the body would absorb the broken fat and then it would be put to waste. Despite quite a painful experience over about a week there was no difference at all and I refused to pay the balance of another £1500.

After weeding out the very questionable ethics and safety I chose a clinic in Harpenden called Riverbanks to have my procedure by this time I was thirty-six years old. I had a consultation with Dr Ravi Jain. He is a nice man I had every confidence in him but I was scared and worried about the procedure. I can’t remember a lot from the first consultation but he certainly told me I needed to lose weight or the fat he takes off would come back on. I teetered on the brink and in the end didn’t book the procedure. I felt I would definitely go back if I wanted it done, in my opinion the man is the best and he is also the most ethical.

Up to present day now. I paid off all of my debts this year after selling my house and downsizing. I carried a lot of worry and stress from losing almost 100k from a failing business. I came out the other side after nine years of coping on my own with it. And with a new home and new small mortgage I found I had ample funds for spending on ME, not cars, not houses, not credit cards, mortgages or loans but ME.

What I really wanted was to stop having ‘fat head’ and fat gut. Tired of being and egg on legs or looking like was pregnant, and yes I was asked if I was about to drop a sprog at any moment even by my own family. I decided enough was enough. I’d managed to lose 8lb a few years ago but now I don’t exercise and I’m very sedentary. The weight went back on, and some and as I grew older I realized there was a serious risk to my health from carrying fat around my middle. My organs must be clogged to buggary. Then there was the aspect of not being able to get into old clothes and I just couldn’t face shopping for clothes, as I was just a fat lump. I looked fat and I felt old.

With a wad of cash in my pocket off I went to see Dr Ravi. He remembered me, said he thought I was depressed last time I came. I didn’t think I had been but then again I guess I might have been pretty low. So, the first thing he said to me at this consultation which incidentally costs £50 and it’s offset against the cost of the procedure, was You need to lose weight, or the fat I take off your body will go back on around your organs. You will be barrel shaped.  I nodded eagerly and just said yes. He asked me what I ate and I said, “Crackers, pot noodles.” Yes my life had really come to this. I didn’t care any more. It was quick and easy. I felt embarrassed because he told me how bad these foods were for me and I nodded. He told me to eat Paleo. I didn’t have a clue and I got him to write it down for me.

I signed up for the procedure paying half the fee for Vaser 4D, which was £4,000 deposit. I was serious about losing weight and serious about looking after myself. I took on board what this man said to me. I invested time in ME. I looked all over the Internet at Paleo.

I set a date to start Paleo, the last supper was fish and chips (which I love). Then I went Paleo. Two weeks passed and I didn’t lose weight and I didn’t feel any different in myself. I’m not having a go at Paleo I think it’s fab but unless you’re controlling calories you wont achieve much. I ate a lot of fruit, I love it. Nevertheless it kick started my anti carb life and it was a step in the right direction.

I looked again at Atkins. I’d tried Atkins twice in my thirties but dip shit here never did it properly – I thought I knew it all of course. I didn’t invest time in finding out about it properly. This time I decided I would do it exactly as it tells you on the USA Atkins web site.

I’ve never looked back.

From Atkins I learned more, I looked at High Fat Low Carb diets like The Scandinavian Diet and others like the South Beach diet. This blog is my story as I write this I’m almost a stone down . . . I feel great in every way.

I couldn’t decide whether to go through with the Vaser Lipo. In the end I didn’t, the clinic gave me a refund on my deposit less £500 for their costs (they did bloods and bought a compression garment for me) fair enough. Above all else I will always be grateful for the advice of Dr Ravi Jain because without him I wouldn’t have discovered the new me. I think two consultations and a lot of faffing around totalling £600 is a bargain considering the heath, psychological and aesthetics I have gained.

I want others to learn about weight loss that works so read on and join me.