Somerset eating disorder survivor giving others 'hope'
Lisa shared her story as part of Eating Disorders Awareness Week, to highlight how these conditions can develop slowly and unnoticed. For years, she denied she had a problem, even when teachers noticed the signs."Eating disorders are very insidious. They creep up on you, and before you know it, your whole life is consumed by it," Lisa explained."I brushed it off, saying everything was fine. But eventually, I could not ignore it any more."After years of struggling, she accepted support and began her recovery.
'A lot of shame'
Now, Lisa helps others on their road to recovery from eating disorders through meal support, body image groups, and open conversations."I share my experience to try and give people some hope and try and bring as much awareness to eating disorders as possible," she said. Nerissa Shaw, clinical lead for eating disorder support in the south and west of England, said the need for awareness around eating disorders had never been greater, with a 400% rise in people seeking help since the pandemic."Eating disorders can be isolating, and people feel a lot of shame when they have one," she said. "That's one of the reasons it's so difficult to ask for help or come forward. But there is support available - it is crucial to reach out before it's too late."With Eating Disorders Awareness Week shining a light on these complex conditions, Lisa hopes that by sharing her experience, more people will feel able to seek support."We need to break the silence," she said. "Eating disorders affect everyone, and the more we talk about it, the more people will seek help."
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Daily Record
a day ago
- Daily Record
Scots boy who suffers ten seizures a day due to drug-resistant epilepsy set to start high school
Cole Thomson takes lifesaving cannabis oil to combat crippling seizures, which costs £2500 per month for a private prescription. Brave East Kilbride boy Cole Thomson will mark a major milestone in his life this week– starting high school. He lives with a severe form of drug-resistant epilepsy and needs cannabis oil to keep his crippling seizures at bay. Cole, 13, relies on the medical cannabis to stay alive and a private prescription costs £2500 per month. His mum Lisa Quarrell has campaigned tirelessly to fundraise the huge amount. She said: 'Starting high school on Thursday, I can't believe it. He's buzzing, really excited.' Cole, who is starting Duncanrig Secondary in East Kilbride, was suffering up to 10 spasms and seizures a day at one point. And on the huge fundraising effort, Lisa added: 'All I know is that I don't want Cole to go back into his wheelchair and I want him to have the best chance at high school as he can." Cole underwent brain surgery at three but suffered cortical dysplasia – a brain defect that sadly means the youngster will have to battle seizures for the rest of his life. But he will start an exciting new chapter in his life on Thursday when he walks through the gates of Duncanrig for the first time. His mum Lisa Quarrell said: 'He spent a lot of time going up and down to Duncanrig just making sure he was comfortable and it was the right fit. He really likes it, he'll be doing part of his classes in the base and part in the mainstream.' Cole previously attended Canberra Primary, and Lisa said that it was 'a great school'. She said: 'He had to repeat P1 so he's starting high school a year later. I had to fight to get him in Duncanrig, originally he was given a place in Sanderson High. As much as Cole has got a disability, he's very social and likes to get out and play, does his taekwondo, he does his boxing. 'I had said that I wanted him to go to Duncanrig base because I felt that was a better fit and at Duncanrig there is also the option of him going into the mainstream and it being split, so he has a taste of both, depending on how he copes. 'Definitely when I went up to see it and I sat down with the head teacher, they were absolutely brilliant, they took me through all the different options and showed me round the school, and the school's fantastic. 'They've just recently built an outdoor classroom, and they've got their own wee playground and there's loads of stuff for the kids. It's definitely a better fit for Cole.' Mum-of-two Lisa has been campaigning tirelessly for six years to have her youngest son's lifesaving medical cannabis prescribed on the NHS, raising more than £100,000 to fund the drug. Cole's Campaign was set up to help fund the East Kilbride boy's medicine which has transformed the youngster's life since taking the drug six years ago. Since taking a daily dose of the cannabis oil Bedrolite he became seizure-free and went from being confined to a wheelchair with limited speech to excelling in taekwondo. Lisa said: 'Unfortunately he's not been great over the summer with his seizures, they've been quite bad.' There were some issues with the supply of the cannabis oil and Lisa said: 'He was going without it for a few days, and that happened three or four times, and that's really dangerous. So his private consultant had said we'll put him on a like for like oil, see how he copes. 'Kids like Cole, especially drug-resistant epilepsy, you can't be without your medicine. It's really important that they get the same brand, the same amount and it's constant, they never go without it, because it can be deadly. 'We tried the like for like oil from March, it's significantly cheaper, So instead of £2500 every 28 days for Bedrolite it's £820 every 28 days but it's not working as well and over the last couple of months we've noticed an increase in seizures.' Lisa said: 'The Scottish Government have said they are looking into alternatives and to see what they can do. I've worked closely with the health minister and he seems really good, Neil Gray. 'He's been very like, 'I'm not gong to make you false promises, I'm going to see what I can do, see what we can deliver and then we'll come back to you'. 'They've been in recess, they come back September I think and we'll pick it up from there.' The Scottish Government continually say that while they have 'enormous sympathy' for Cole Thomson and his family, the regulation, licensing and supply of Cannabis Based Products for Medicinal Use (CBPMs) remain reserved to the UK Government and it has 'no power' to alter this. Lisa added: 'The cost of living crisis just now has just made it really really difficult, we've never struggled the way we've struggled this past year and a half financially. 'We've kind of tapped into everything that we possibly can and the well is dry as they say and I'm kind of out of ideas apart from starting again. 'All I know is that I don't want Cole to go back into his wheelchair and I want him to have the best chance at high school as he can and I know that the only way to do that is get him back on his Bedrolite and keep him on his Bedrolite. So I've got a duty as his mum to find the money and find a way.' If you can help, contact Lisa on lisaquarrell26@ or 07825 252523, or on Facebook.
Daily Mirror
7 days ago
- Daily Mirror
20st crisp addict who ate 4 packets daily lost half her body weight without jabs
Lisa Bernett tipped the scales at a whopping 20st 5lbs A crisp fanatic who tipped the scales at a hefty 20 stone after munching through four packets a day has shed an incredible half her body weight naturally – without resorting to any injections. Lisa Bernett, 44, reached a peak weight of 20st 5lbs and found herself panting just climbing the stairs. Her diet was dominated by family-sized bags of Doritos, bi-weekly takeaway feasts costing £50, and "huge" servings of cheesy pasta. However, when Lisa's husband expressed his desire to slim down, she decided to join him on his weight loss journey, not wanting to be the larger one in their partnership. Having been let down by "fad" diets in the past, Lisa turned to the calorie-counting app MyNetDiary instead of opting for injections like Mounjaro. In just two years, she went from wearing size 24 clothes to flaunting a trim size 8, having lost a whopping 10st 5lbs by overhauling her diet and embracing exercise. Lisa, hailing from Boreham Wood, Hertfordshire, shared: "I would never use the jabs as I do not believe it teaches you about fat loss or educating yourself about food. It's a good tool to have but if you have no other tools then how will you keep it off? "There's no way I would want to stay on injections for the rest of my life in the fear that if I stop I'll gain. I also didn't feel comfortable going down the surgery route." Lisa, who manages a funeral directors, added: "When my husband said he wanted to lose weight that set the bells off. I didn't want him to be smaller than me, I'm quite old fashioned and I thought 'if he's smaller me than he can't protect me'." She further shared: "My lifestyle before was pretty bad - I didn't move. I'd take the kids to school, go to work and then come home and sit on my backside. Walking, going up the stairs, it was hard. "My knees hurt and I got out of breath really quickly. Thankfully, I never had any health issues, but I got chest infections quite a lot." Following her decision to transform her life, Lisa recognised she needed to tackle her eating habits. She explained the calorie tracking application enabled her to keep her generous portion sizes whilst focusing on protein and fibre intake. She swapped heavy cheesy pasta dishes for jacket potatoes topped with grilled chicken and salad, and quickly started noticing results. Paired with a fitness routine beginning at 10,000 daily steps - later increased to 20,000 - plus regular gym sessions, Lisa successfully dropped the weight. She can now select "anything" from clothing rails in shops after previously 'despising' shopping trips. Lisa explained: "My diet was poor. I wouldn't ever eat breakfast. "Lunchtime I'd either eat loads of pasts with cheese, or I'd have lots of bagels with cheese. For a snack I'd have a whole bag of crisps with a dip - I didn't realise a whole bag of and a dip was probably my whole daily allowance for food. "I'd have a takeaway twice a week and big portions of home cooked meals. I always had to finish my plates. "Now, I use a calorie app. I reeducated myself about food and now I know when I'm going to lose weight and when I'm not. "My portions are big but they're big with calorie dense food. I prioritise my protein goal, fibre goal and a calorie goal. "As long as I hit these goals then it doesn't matter about my fat and carbs. As soon as you cut out food, your body wants it. "When people say they're going to have 1,200 calories, it's not sustainable and then you binge over the weekend." She also embraced a gym routine as part of her revamped lifestyle, overcoming initial intimidation that had once sent her "running out crying" from the gym. Lisa shared: "I started off with walking 10,000 steps a day. I did that for three months but now I'm doing 20,000 a day. "I got a gym membership, and I walked in and it was so overwhelming. You feel like everyone's looking at you and I ran out crying. "So I got a PT, and I had him for three or four months. I liked the boxing part of it so I started Muay Thai which I did three times a week - sometimes five times a week. "Now I'm at another place where I have gym sessions and do martial arts every morning. I do that Monday, Wednesday and Friday, then on Tuesday and Thursday I go to gym and do weights." Despite her achievements, Lisa notes that since shedding the pounds, attitudes of those around her have "changed". She said: "A lot of people didn't think I'd stick to it, and I get that as I'd probably think the same thing. "I know there are other people who are waiting for me to put the weight back on. People change when you lose weight. "I'm not that fat friend anymore and everyone likes to have a fat friend. Strangers are also nicer to me. "I used to hide in the back in photos, now I want to be in the front - I love it. I eat properly during the week so I know I can have a big plate of food at a restaurant on Saturday, and I don't feel like people are watching or judging me, but if I was big, they'd be judging me." Lisa revealed her advice for others looking to follow suit is to "take accountability" adding: "Not everyone's perfect. Even on the days you find hard, and you want to reach out for something bad, do it, but weigh it and take accountability, then rein it back in the following day." Lisa's previous eating habits Breakfast: Nothing. Lunch: Large serving of cheesy pasta. Snack: Packets of crisps. Dinner: Generous home-cooked meal or takeaway. Lisa's current daily menu Breakfast: 60 grams of porridge, 28g vanilla protein powder, 200ml almond milk, 80g blueberries. Lunch: Potato, 300g tuna in brine, tin of sweetcorn, 50g spring onion and mix with 50ml lite mayo, 20ml balsamic vinegar. Dinner: Jacket potato 300g, bowl of salad, spring onions, beetroot and balsamic vinegar, with grilled chicken and peri peri salt
Scottish Sun
07-08-2025
- Scottish Sun
I used to scoff 4 bags of crisps a day, couldn't walk up stairs & was 20st – now I'm half the size without fat jabs
Plus, how people treat her differently now she has lost weight WEIGH TO GO I used to scoff 4 bags of crisps a day, couldn't walk up stairs & was 20st – now I'm half the size without fat jabs A CRISP addict who ballooned to 20 stone scoffing down four bags a day managed to lose half her body weight naturally - without using any jabs. Lisa Bernett, 44, tipped the scales at a whopping 20st 5lbs at her heaviest and found herself struggling to even get up the stairs. 9 Lisa Bernett, 44, reached 20st 5lbs thanks to her crisp and takeaway addiction Credit: SWNS 9 She has now shed 10st 5lbs without weight loss jabs Credit: SWNS She would gorge on entire grab bags of Doritos crisps, two takeaways a week costing £50 a week as well as eating "huge" portions of cheesy pasta. But after Lisa's husband told her he wanted to lose weight, she decided to follow suit as she didn't want to be bigger than him. Having previously tried the "fad" diets without success, Lisa instead decided to use a calorie app MyNetDiary instead of weight loss jabs like Mounjaro. And within two years she had slimmed down from a size 24 dress to a svelte size 8 after shedding 10st 5lbs all by changing her diet and exercising. More on weight loss JABS UP Can you get free fat jabs on the NHS? The 4 key criteria plus exact weight revealed Lisa, from Boreham Wood, Hertfordshire, said: " I would never used the jabs as I do not believe it teaches you about fat loss or educating yourself about food. "It's a good tool to have but if you have no other tools then how will you keep it off? "There's no way I would want to stay on injections for the rest of my life in the fear that if I stop I'll gain. "I also didn't feel comfortable going down the surgery route." Lisa, who runs a funeral directors, added: "When my husband said he wanted to lose weight that set the bells of. "I didn't want him to be smaller than me, I'm quite old fashioned and I thought 'if he's smaller me than he can't protect me.' "My lifestyle before was pretty bad - I didn't move. I look unrecognisable after my 14st weight loss - it's like my partner has brand new girlfriend "I'd take the kids to school, go to work and then come home and sit on my backside. "Walking, going up the stairs, it was hard. "My knees hurt and I got out of breath really quickly. "Thankfully, I never had any health issues, but I got chest infections quite a lot." 9 She used to gorge on entire grab bags of Doritos crisps, two takeaways a week, and eat 'huge' portions of cheesy pasta Credit: SWNS 9 She has slimmed down from a size 24 dress to a svelte size 8 Credit: SWNS After deciding to make a change, Lisa knew she had to address her diet. She said the calorie counting app allowed her to still maintain her bigger portions, whilst prioritising protein and fibre. She switched the heavy cheesy pasta for jacket potato with grilled chicken and salad and soon began to notice a change. Combined with an exercise regime of an initial 10,000 steps a day - upped to 20,000 - and regular gym activity, Lisa managed to shed the pounds. She is now able to pick "anything" off the clothing rack in a store after previously 'hating' shopping. FOOD BEFORE Lisa said: "My diet was poor. I wouldn't ever eat breakfast. "Lunchtime I'd either eat loads of pasta with cheese, or I'd have lots of bagels with cheese. "For a snack I'd have a whole bag of crisps with a dip - I didn't realise a whole bag of and a dip was probably my whole daily allowance for food. "I'd have a takeaway twice a week and big portions of home cooked meals. "I always had to finish my plates. 9 Lisa used to struggle to go up stairs Credit: SWNS 9 She said the calorie counting app allowed her to still maintain her bigger portions, whilst prioritising protein and fibre Credit: SWNS "Now, I use a calorie app. "I reeducated myself about food and now I know when I'm going to lose weight and when I'm not. "My portions are big but they're big with calorie dense food. "I priorities my protein goal, fibre goal and a calorie goal. "As long as I hit these goals then it doesn't matter about my fat and carbs. "As soon as you cut out food, your body wants it. "When people say they're going to have 1,200 calories, it's not sustainable and then you binge over the weekend." 9 She switched the heavy cheesy pasta for jacket potato with grilled chicken and salad and soon began to notice a change Credit: SWNS LISA DIET: BEFORE AND AFTER LISA'S BEFORE DIET Breakfast: None Lunch: Big portion of cheesy pasta Snack: Crisp grab bags Dinner: Home cooked big portion or takeaway LISA'S DIET NOW Breakfast: 60 grams of porridge, 28g vanilla protein powder, 200ml almond milk, 80g blueberries Lunch: potato, 300g tuna in brine, tin of sweetcorn, 50g spring onion and mix with 50ml lite mayo, 20ml balsamic vinegar. Dinner: Jacket potato 300g, bowl of salad, spring onions, beetroot and balsamic vinegar, with grilled chicken and peri peri salt. FITNESS CHANGE She also incorporated a gym routine into her new lifestyle - despite previously "running out crying" as she thought everyone was looking at her before eventually conquering her fears. Lisa said: "I started off with walking 10,000 steps a day. I did that for three months but now I'm doing 20,000 a day. "I got a gym membership, and I walked in and it was so overwhelming. "You feel like everyone's looking at you and I ran out crying. "So I got a PT, and I had him for three or four months. 9 Now she feels fully confident in a bikini on holiday Credit: SWNS "I liked the boxing part of it so I started Muay Thai which I did three times a week - sometimes five times a week. "Now I'm at another place where I have gym sessions and do martial arts every morning. "I do that Monday, Wednesday and Friday, then on Tuesday and Thursday I go to gym and do weights." CHANGED OPINIONS Despite all her success, Lisa says since losing the weight people around her have "changed." She explained: "A lot of people didn't think I'd stick to it, and I get that as I'd probably think the same thing. "I know there are other people who are waiting for me to put the weight back on. "People change when you lose weight. 9 She does exercise every day to help her weight loss Credit: SWNS "I'm not that fat friend anymore and everyone likes to have a fat friend. "Strangers are also nicer to me. "I used to hide in the back in photos, now I want to be in the front - I love it. "I eat properly during the week so I know I can have a big plate of food at a restaurant on Saturday, and I don't feel like people are watching or judging me, but if I was big, they'd be judging me." Lisa said her advice for others who are looking to do the same is to "take accountability." She added: "Not everyone's perfect. "Even on the days you find hard, and you want to reach out for something bad, do it, but weigh it and take accountability, then rein it back in the following day."
