Eating in her car, secret binges and avoiding nights out with friends, Ónagh Martin knew she had a problem with food but she couldn't find a way out of the endless cycle.
Over the years she tried various slimming groups, diet pills, shakes, the lot, but nothing worked. That was until she met Noreen McDermott, owner of Fit for Life gym in Omagh, Co Tyrone.
After joining the gym with a friend, Ónagh soon came to realise that she might have found something that she was good at and something she soon became passionate about.
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Since that day three years ago, the Garvaghy woman has lost an incredible 7st, changed her career path and won a top award for her personal training.
Speaking to MyTyrone, the 35-year-old explained how he life has changed since she first set foot in the gym three years ago.
"I struggled with my weight most of my adult life and in later years at school and in my early 20s. One of my friends one day suggested we joined Fit for Life gym so we did.
"I was just sort of training away not really doing much and then Noreen who runs the gym approached me and asked me did I fancy getting involved in powerlifting and I was really self-conscious.
"My personality was horrible as well I wasn't a nice person because I was so unhappy in myself but I decided to give it ago.
"When I started powerlifting I would have been 17 and half or 18 stone and I decided then I wanted to lose weight and I wanted to get fit and healthy. Noreen really helped me, I was just a member of the gym at the time and had no interest in becoming a personal trainer.
"I was working full-time in retail but I kind of started to get a bit of a bite for it and I thought maybe I could be good at this, maybe I could help other people as well."
Admitting she had a 'really bad relationship with food' Ónagh decided it was time to change and she completed her level 2 in personal training, although still unsure if she wanted to make it her career.
"I still hadn't got an awful lot of confidence but I completed my Level 3 and Covid hit, so everything was on the back foot again.
"But I started working properly in Fit for Life last year when things reopened again. I remember then I only had three clients and I was doing one class a week on the timetable and I was still working in retail as well trying to balance it all.
"From there I worked so hard, I really pushed myself on social media and now I have over 30 clients and I'm taking eight classes for Noreen and I have four of my own groups, so I'm full-time at it now."
Explaining how she changed her life, Ónagh says she owes much of her success to Noreen at Fit for Life.
"I know I talk about Noreen a lot but she has been more than good to me, she is the reason I am what I am now. She had some much belief in me I didn't want to let her down. I'm the type of person as well when I get into something I want to do it well and want to do it right.
"I had done Slimming World, Weight Watchers, bought all those stupid pills of the internet, those stupid shakes as well and nothing worked but whenever I was educated by Noreen on correctly how to lose weight and stack on track, it just clicked.
"I never, ever expected I would be working in her gym, it all just happened so fast.
"I was one of those people who would have hated going for nights out with friends because I hated sitting down and ordering food. I obviously was eating but I wouldn't have eaten in front of other people. Or if I had to go up the town or go to the shop I would sit in the car and think, 'I can do this' because I would think that people were looking at me and talking about me.
"But now I don't give it a second thought."
Ónagh has also completed a half marathon, a triathlon and competed in the Irish Nationals powerlifting competition, which is for the top lifters in the country by invite only.
She added: "If you work hard, anything is possible."
She says she now makes it her mission to educate her clients on food and why it doesn't take a crazy restrictive diet to see results.
"What I would say to anyone out there that is really in the depths of despair about their weight firstly is to reach out for help, but there is no such thing as a restrictive diet.
"There is no such thing as good and bad food either, yes there are foods which are certainly better for us and others which are more detrimental but a calorie is a calorie. All my clients eat, bread, they have a takeaway at the weekend but they just have a good balance, they go for walks, get their exercise in, and keeping an eye on what they eat, it doesn't have to be a mass lifestyle change.
"I tell my clients 'don't leave here and go to Asda and buy a trolley full of vegetables that you're not going to eat or stuff you can't pronounce that you're going to throw in the bin'. It's so straightforward but again it's finding someone who will help you in the right way and that you can relate to and that's a big thing."
Ónagh's own personal success story and dedication to her clients were recently recognised when she was crowned the Best Personal Trainer in Tyrone at the 2022 NI Bfit Awards in Belfast.
Speaking about the award win, Ónagh said she was 'stunned' to be nominated, let alone win.
"When I got word that I had made it through to the final, I never, ever thought I would win. I wasn't even thinking about it, I just thought I'd go along and enjoy the night. It was a bit more real when I was there and then they called the runner-up and Noreen said 'I think it's you', and I was saying 'no it's not me', and when my name was called, my heart was beating out of my chest.
"As I went up to collect the award I had this flashback to the girl who was sitting in the car eating a McDonald's before she went home because she was a binger, and now the same girl standing on stage now collecting an award for best personal trainer.
"I just can't believe it happened."
You can follow Ónagh via her Facebook page.
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