A woman has told of her life-changing weight loss journey after she felt "too embarrassed" to ask for a seatbelt extender on a plane. Claire Faulkner-Green, 46, said she got a "wake up call" when she tipped the scales at 17 stones on January 1, 2022.
"I knew I could not live like this, I was shocked," she said. She embarked on a weight loss programme, having lost two-and-a-half stone at the time of publication.
"I swam every single morning between 60 and 100 lengths every day at Retford Swimming Pool. I used to swim every day for 14 minutes to an hour.
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"I was burning thousands of calories every day, and then alongside eating healthy. So the intake of calories was far lower than what I was burning."
She joined the Worksop Weight Watchers group, where she would have weekly meetings to weigh herself and have discussions with other people following the same programme. "I still got to my local class, and I think that is what made it so successful, because you are surrounded by supportive people who are also going through the same thing as you.
"You just put it all behind and it keeps you motivated," she added. Ms Faulkner-Green, from Blyth, now weighs 14.7 stone, and is working towards her goal which is 12 stone.
"It is like a new lifestyle, it is more than a diet. I can eat anything I want as long as I respect a number of points every day. But it is not just about losing weight, it is about the journey, too."
She described what she would be eating in a typical day, adding: "I go swimming in the morning, and then for breakfast I have grilled bacon, fresh tomatoes and poached eggs.
"Then for lunch I can have a tuna salad and in the evening I would have white meat or fish with vegetables, or a salad. I am just eating super healthy now, I stopped drinking wine and dropped chocolate."
Ms Faulkner-Green, who now enjoys going shopping and having beauty treatments, revealed how her extra weight was affecting her life. She added: "I love my holidays and fly abroad every year but always feel uncomfortable on the plane and worry the seat belt wouldn’t fit so with this in mind it was time to do something about my weight.
"I remember one time I was too embarrassed to ask for a seatbelt extender. And then when I went on a cruise in India I felt so uncomfortable wearing shorts.
"But everything has changed now. I feel 20 years younger. I love going into a shop knowing they will have my size. I love having manicures and pedicures, and I feel comfortable having massages."
She added: "It has changed my life. I have recently had a job interview and I was so confident, I was smiling. I got the job and I will start in September as an executive wine consultant, working in sales. But the point is, this is not just for six months. It is a lifestyle choice, and it is forever."
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