A gran has completely changed her physique after shedding 18 stone and removing two stone's worth of saggy skin.
Dee Hodgson, 53, has now become a bodybuilder after she struggled to fit into a size 34 and tipped the scales at 28st and 11lbs. She found it immensely difficult to walk without a frame and was constantly suffering with pain due to her weight.
Doctors believed that she was suffering from fibromyalgia, a medical condition that results in pain all over the body. The mum-of-four and gran-of-eight said her weight went out of control due to years of emotional-eating junk food.
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After realising that her high-sugar diet wasn't helping her condition, Dee decided to try a 'caveman diet' which involved only consuming 'natural' foods such as fresh vegetables and lean high protein meats. After sticking to the diet for six months, she had lost six stone before even going to the gym.
Following one year of sticking to the diet, she was down 12 stone and decided to take the next step by going to her local fitness centre and getting involved in classes and working out. Now, Dee weighs a healthy 11st 11lbs, can fit into a size 10-12 and says she 'feels like a new woman.'
Dee, from Willenhall, West Midlands, said: "My weight got out of control. At first, I wasn't dieting to lose weight, I just wanted to feel better and to help ease the symptoms of my health conditions. But the pounds quickly fell off and it gave me the motivation to keep going. I started going to the gym and fell in love with working out.
"Then I tried my hand at bodybuilding and absolutely loved it. Now I've lost 18st, I feel like a completely different person. I have so much more energy. I'm so much happier and it's completely changed my life.
“I did a lot of classes to start with, but when I started working with a personal trainer, I developed a passion for weights. He introduced me to weight-lifting and that was the start of my bodybuilding journey.
"I’ve done a couple of dance competitions to raise money for charity and I’m competing in a bodybuilding competition in November in High Wycombe. I’m in the transformation class, so it’s all about the journey. They will show a ‘before’ picture before I come out on stage.
"It’s about showcasing the way you’ve built your body. I’m petrified but really excited! I’ve always had body image issues but this is all part of my recovery. It’s so far out of my comfort zone, I’ll be out in a tiny bikini with all my scars and loose skin on show, but I hope that it will inspire others.”
For much of her life, Dee struggled with several health conditions such as type two diabetes and was on 20 different types of medication for her physical and mental health. She said: "My lack of mobility was so limiting. I was in pain all the time.
"I thought I was happy. But I look back now and I realise I was depressed and in pain. My life was very limited and I was very dependent on people, which was hard as I’m very independent. It was embarrassing for me."
By 2016, Dee realised she needed to change her eating habits. She googled fibromyalgia and discovered that processed foods, additives and preservatives may have made her symptoms worse.
She said: "My new diet was very basic and that made it easier to stick to. I didn’t have to think because I’d limited my choices. The more choices you have, the more slip-ups you’ll have.
"I’ve continued with the meal planning now and will freeze batches of food so that it’s easy for myself. I didn’t notice the weight loss at first, but when I hit six stone down, I realised that it was working and I might as well keep going.
"People were noticing the difference and I was feeling more mobile and healthier. I realised that a different life really was achievable."
She continued: "I started with an induction at the gym, and he talked me through the equipment and rules of the gym. My go-to was the bike at first, and then I was shown how to use weights. I remember looking around and thinking 'I don’t belong' I was so worried that people were judging me.
"But they really weren’t and I soon found my groove. My family would say that I’m now obsessed with the gym, but I just love working out and setting myself new goals and challenges to strive towards.
“It’s been so beneficial to my mental health. I have also seen such dramatic changes to my appearance that I barely recognise myself.
“My personal trainer, Josh Bothwell, has helped me more than I could ever say, and the friends I’ve made at Warriors World gym in Coventry have been integral to my journey.” Dee’s newfound love for the gym quickly yielded results and she can now leg press 335kg, deadlift 80kg and bench press 46kg.
She added: "My son, Will, 33, told me that he feared he would soon have to tell his children, my grandchildren, that I had died - that’s how bad my health had got. My body was collapsing because I was obese and once I lost the weight, I wasn’t in pain anymore.
“I remember about a year into my journey, I was playing tag with my eldest granddaughter. She turned around and said 'Nanny, I didn’t know that you can run.’ And it’s moments like that, that make it all worthwhile. Losing weight can be incredibly difficult, but I remember why I’m doing it and it keeps me motivated.
"Bodybuilding has changed my life and I don’t use that phrase lightly. I now look at myself with pride. I’ve gone from hating my reflection to really liking the person looking back at me. I finally feel proud of my body.
"I had to make dramatic changes to my lifestyle and undergo two surgeries to get rid of two stone of excess skin that I had after I lost a lot of weight very quickly. It’s been a really challenging and emotional journey but it’s the best thing I’ve ever done.
“I’m taking back the years that were stolen from me and owning my future.”
Here's a breakdown of Dee's diet before and after her weight loss:
Dee's diet before her weight loss
- Breakfast - Cereal or toast
- Lunch - Graze through the day on sandwiches, cakes, or whatever was convenient
- Dinner - Hearty family meal like rich cheesy pasta or pizzas
- Snacks - Evening snacks of crisps, biscuits, cakes
- Drinks - Loads of creamy coffee, hot chocolate
Dee's diet now that led to her weight loss
- Breakfast - Protein smoothie, egg white omelette with chicken or fish
- Lunch - Green salad with chicken sausage, yogurt
- Dinner - Turkey bolognese
- Snacks - Cereal bar, rice cakes
- Drinks - Black coffee, lots of water, protein powder in water (like squash)
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