A super-slimmer who weighted 18 stone shed half her body weight in just a year through exercise - and has now bought the gym which helped her get fit. Lucy Brydon, 26, tipped the scales at 18 stone 8lbs and would gorge on a diet of crisps, chocolates, biscuits and unhealthy takeaways until she felt sick.
Her bulky size 26 frame also meant she would get out of breath just walking up the stairs and left her too anxious to leave the house. Lucy decided to join her local gym in 2019 and incredibly managed to lose 10 stone in just a year by hitting the weights and treadmill.
She is now helping to inspire others as a personal trainer and has taken over Ocean-Fit gym in her home town of Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear. Lucy, who can squat an impressive 140kg, now weighs a healthier 8 stone 10lbs and is a svelte size 10 after finding her newfound passion for personal fitness.
She said: "When I was at my biggest and couldn’t walk up a flight of stairs, I felt embarrassed of myself. Walking around was difficult, I didn’t want to leave the house. I was imprisoned in my own head. I’m not saying people who are fat are trapped but for me it was debilitating.
"A lot of it is about having control and where I was going in life. I mostly ate a high calorie convenience food like crisps, chocolate, sandwiches, biscuits lots of each until I felt sick.
“I was calorie counting. I was so large I could only do walking so I bought a treadmill and had it in my bedroom and then I decided to pluck up the courage to join the gym."
Lucy had tried fad diets and slimming clubs before without any success and achieved her amazing weight loss solely by working out in the gym and calorie deficit. She added: "I started at 18 stone 8lbs on my petite frame and got down to 8st 10lbs - all through calorie deficit and exercise.
“I've had no weight loss surgery just a tummy tuck once I’d lost all of the weight. Now I aim for a balanced diet, so everyday I eat 80 per cent of my diet as nutrient dense food so good protein sources.
“Diet has to be about balance not restriction so I still eat all of the food I love. I’ve gone from morbidly obese unable to get up the stairs, to being small, big and strong.
"I began to weight train and loved getting strong and seeing my body change shape. Even when I was at my largest I’d always wanted to lift weights but was far too scared to enter a gym.
“Not only have I lost all of this weight and kept it off, I can now squat 140kg."
Lucy began by attending a six-week body confidence class at Ocean Fit gym and became inspired to become a fitness instructor. She took a course to become a personal trainer before being offered a job at the gym and is now taking over as boss with the current owner moving to Australia.
Lucy said: “I became a coach at Ocean Fit and now just over a year and a half later, I’m buying the very same gym that changed my life. I love the place and the people. It's changed my life. That's why we’re so successful.
“I just had to make it work, so I decided to go for it. Everyday I get to help people achieve their health and fitness goals and it’s so rewarding.
“My goal is to help people make safe and sustainable lifestyle changes. I know how it feels to be nervous about joining a gym for the first time and I’m here to help people with that.
“I hope to inspire people to be able to do the same. If I can do it, you can too.”
Diet before:
Breakfast: Pastries, toast with butter, sugary cereal
Lunch: Sandwiches, crisps and chocolate
Dinner: Pizza, chips, noodles, filled pasta
Snacks of crisps and chocolate, biscuits etc
Diet now:
Breakfast: Protein shake and a bagel with peanut butter or Greek yogurt and strawberries
Lunch: Quorn wrap or salad, fruit and a protein bar
Dinner: Meat free sausages/fillets or tofu, roasted vegetables with either rice or pasta then a dessert of either protein yogurt or low calorie ice cream.
