26-05-2025
Mum loses 6st in time for her 40th birthday without fat jabs after piling on the pounds eating family's leftovers
LISA Fillbrook shed six stone in less than a year without any fat jabs after years of piling on the pounds eating her family's leftovers.
"I've always loved food – my whole day used to revolve around it," said the accountant from Truro, Cornwall.
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She snacked on crisps and cheese in front of the TV, served up huge dinners, and often returned for third helpings of homemade curry.
"I loved big portions," Lisa admitted.
"I would eat my dinner, then my husband's leftovers, and then whatever our two children didn't eat.
"I'd tell myself it was to minimise waste, but I was just out of control."
At her heaviest, Lisa tipped the scales at 17st 6lbs and wore a size 18.
Years of yo-yo dieting had left her demoralised — from Atkins to Weight Watchers to extreme calorie counting, nothing stuck.
"Food was my answer to everything — whether I was happy or sad," she said.
"I wasn't a binge or comfort eater, I just loved to eat.
"Cooking for my family was my way of looking after them. I'd dish out mega portions and polish off everyone's leftovers."
As her 40th birthday approached, Lisa reached a breaking point. In January 2024, she vowed to lose five stone before turning 40 in November.
"I had to make a change for good," she said. "I didn't want to feel bloated and insecure on such a milestone birthday."
The difference between binge eating and overeating
Rather than follow another fad, Lisa adopted a new approach: intuitive eating.
This involves listening to her body's natural hunger and fullness signals.
Alongside this, so started doing daily five-minute Joe Wicks workouts and 10,000 steps a day.
"I didn't restrict myself or count every calorie," she said. "I just stuck to sensible portions and made smart choices."
By May, Lisa had shed four stone.
She kept up the routine and by her birthday on November 1, she'd not only reached her target — she'd exceeded it, losing a total of six stone.
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She now weighs 11st 6lbs, wears a size 10 and says she feels like a new woman.
"I didn't think I would achieve my goal, but I'm so glad I did," she said.
"It meant I'd remember my 40th as feeling confident and happy, not insecure and bloated."
'I don't have to restrict myself'
Lisa, who lives with her husband Michael and their three children — William, nine, and twins Charlie and Poppy, six — has maintained her weight loss and found new joy in everyday life.
"I feel great, not just physically but mentally," she said.
"I love getting my steps in and walking with friends.
"I've fallen back in love with eating — even though I don't eat anywhere near as much as I used to."
She still makes home-cooked meals, but anything left over now gets frozen for another day.
"I don't have to restrict myself or have a difficult calorie deficit to be slim," she said.
"Intuitive eating and making smart choices are not just more enjoyable but sustainable."
She added: "I don't have to buy whatever is in my size, but clothes that I love and make me feel good.
"My family are proud, which means the world."
