Latest news with #LucyCastle
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Mom Loses Nearly 60 Lbs. in 4 Months by Ditching Her Favorite Food That Was 'Wrecking My Life'
When Lucy Castle hit more than 220 lbs. and developed type 2 diabetes, she had a 'wake-up call' that made her change her dietNEED TO KNOW A mom of 3 who snacked on cheese and bread — and covered her meals in grated cheese — saw her weight climb to 220 lbs. As Lucy Castle, 41, explains, 'cheese was wrecking my life' — and getting diagnosed with type 2 diabetes was her 'wake-up' call She drastically changed her diet, losing nearly 60 lbs. in four months, and now works as a wellness coachA mom lost nearly 60 lbs. in four months by giving up her favorite food, explaining she knew she had to change her diet after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, which she says was her 'wake-up call.' A self-described 'busy mom,' Lucy Castle, 41, was running around after her three sons, now 2, 9, and 15. When it came to food, 'I used to find the quickest easiest option,' she said, according to Daily Mail. Her diet consisted of things that were easy to eat on the go: French bread and cheese, along with chips and chocolates. And when she did sit for a meal, she would cover it in grated cheese. As Lucy, who lives in the English county of Leicestershire, said, 'Cheese was wrecking my life. My favorite was brie.' Brie is high in sodium and fat, Verywell Health explains; 1 oz. of the creamy cheese — about the size of your thumb — is nearly 100 calories. Lucy said her health began to decline once she had her youngest son two years ago. 'I wasn't feeling well. I was dizzy. I had pins and needles,' she said, sharing that her self-esteem took a hit as her weight climbed to more than 220 lbs. 'I used to avoid social events, hide away in baggy clothes and I couldn't keep up with my boys.' It was when her doctor diagnosed her with type 2 diabetes that Lucy decided to make a change. 'That was my wake-up call,' she said. Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body can't regulate blood sugar — and unlike type 1, which is congenital — can be caused by a high-fat, processed diet, and excess belly fat, the Cleveland Clinic explains. While there is no cure, it can be managed with lifestyle changes, medication, and regular monitoring of your blood sugar. Lucy went on a strict diet — giving up cheese in lieu of premade meal replacement snacks, soups, and shakes. 'Seeing the scales every week and my weight going down — it kept me motivated,' she explained of how she was able to lose nearly 60 lbs. in just four months. She's ditched the cheese and snacks for home cooked meals like chicken stir fry, and says 'for the first time in years, I now love shopping for clothes that make me feel amazing.' Lucy has since embarked on a new career as a wellness coach, explaining that 'You can do this too. Take it one day at a time, stop being hard on yourself, and practice self-love.' 'It's not just about losing weight,' she says. 'It's about finding yourself again.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Read the original article on People Solve the daily Crossword
The Sun
a day ago
- Health
- The Sun
I shed 12st in just 4 months after £1.2k a year addiction – and I did it without fat jabs
A BUSY mum who spent £1.2k on her addiction to a specific food has lost 4st in four months, without weight loss jabs. Lucy Castle weighed 16st and was a size 20 at her heaviest. 12 12 12 The mum-of-three had a hankering for cheese and would often find herself snacking on unhealthy treats while juggling looking after her three boys - aged two, nine and 15. Lucy would regularly gorge on a whole oven-baked Camembert with French bread or chunks of brie and covered her meals in a generous layer of grated cheese. But when she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes Lucy had a wake-up call and decided to give the 1:1 diet a go - after seeing a friend try it out. The diet involves eating four replacement meals a day and helped Lucy get down to 12st and a size 12 in four months. Lucy, a diet consultant and women's wellness coach, from Hinckley, Leicestershire, said: "I found myself again. "I was a busy mum, I used to find the quickest, easiest options. "Cheese was wrecking my life. "I was spending £25 a week on different cheeses. My favourite was brie." Lucy struggled to balance her busy mum life while sticking to a healthy diet. She would often grab what was easy - chocolate bars, crisps, cheese and takeaways. Towie star Saffron Lempriere reveals how she lost 12 pounds in 4 weeks - without fat jabs After having her youngest son, now two, she struggled to budge the baby weight. And then, in March 2024, Lucy's health took a turn. The mum recalled: "I wasn't feeling well. I was dizzy. I had pins and needles and would come out in sweats. "I used to avoid social events, hide away in baggy clothes, and I couldn't keep up with my boys." 12 12 12 She went to see her GP and was diagnosed with type two diabetes that same month. "It was my wake-up call," she said. Lucy tried the 1:1 diet and found the meal replacements and supportive consultant helped her stay focused on her goal. She said: "Seeing the scales every week and my weight going down - it kept me motivated." She got down to 12st in just four months and is now maintaining the weight by switching to easy home-cooked meals and healthy snacks. She has also reversed her type 2 diabetes diagnosis. Lucy still has the occasional treat or cheese on crackers but said food no longer "controls" her. She is able to be more active with her boys. Lucy said: "Before I couldn't keep up with my children. "My back was hurting - my knees, my hips. "Now I have more energy. 12 12 12 "I feel so much happier, my health is back on track, and I'm enjoying life with my boys more than ever. "For the first time in years, I love shopping for clothes that make me feel amazing." Now a wellness coach supporting others in their weight loss journeys, Lucy hopes to inspire others. She said: "Believe in yourself. "You can do this too. Take one day at a time, stop being hard on yourself, and practice self-love. "It's not just about losing weight - it's about finding you again." The 1:1 diet explained The 1:1 diet, previously known as the Cambridge diet, is a calorie-controlled eating plan aimed at rapid weight loss. There is a strict regime to follow, starting as a 12-week, very low-calorie diet consisting of meal replacements in the form of shakes, soups and bars. It also includes personal one-to-one support with a diet consultant to guide you through the different stages. The diet follows six stages and total calories gradually increase from around 500 to 1200 kcal per day before the maintenance stage is reached. What you eat depends on the stage you're in. While it may provide quick results in the short term, it can be hard to follow long term as it's restrictive.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Mother-of-three 'unrecognisable' after shedding four stone without jabs - all she did was kick £1,200-a-year 'addiction' to a food favourite
A busy mother-of-three dropped an impressive four stone in only a matter of months by kicking her £1,200-a-year addiction to cheese. Lucy Castle, 41, from Leicestershire, fell into a trap of unhealthy eating—gorging on oven baked camembert, brie and french bread—whilst she ran around after her three boys. But when she was diagnosed with type two diabetes in March 2024, she knew something had to change. 'I was a busy mum so I used to find the quickest easiest option,' the diet consultant and women's wellness coach said. 'But cheese was wrecking my life. I was spending £25 a week on different cheeses. My favourite was brie,' she added. As well as covering her meals in cheese, she would also snack of chocolate bars and crisps throughout the day, before ordering a takeaway—whatever was 'easiest'. But after having her youngest son, now two, Ms Castle's health quickly began to decline as she struggled to lose the baby weight and her confidence plummeted. 'I wasn't feeling well. I was dizzy. I had pins and needles and come out in sweats,' she said. 'I used to avoid social events, hide away in baggy clothes and I couldn't keep up with my boys.' Then after visiting her GP, the mother-of-three was diagnosed with type two diabetes—a common condition in which the body struggles to make enough of the hormone insulin, increasing the risk of heart disease, kidney disease and even stroke. Unlike type one diabetes however, the condition is preventable and can be managed through diet and exercise. 'That was my wake-up call,' Ms Castle said. Determined to reverse her diagnosis and be able to keep up with her growing boys, Ms Castle tried the 1:1 diet—a very low calorie diet plan designed for rapid weight loss, also known as the Cambridge diet. The plan involves eating four replacement meals a day—specially made shakes, soups, porridges and snack bars—which fulfil a person's daily nutritional requirements while avoiding added calories. The diet works by putting the body into a state of ketosis—forcing it to burn stored fat rather than carbohydrate for energy. Ms Castle, who now supports others with their weight loss journeys, said: 'Seeing the scales every week and my weight going down—it kept me motivated. Lucy said she used to hid away in baggy clothes and avoid social events because of her weight 'Before I couldn't keep up with my children. My back was hurting—my knees, my hips. Now I have more energy. 'I feel so much happier, my health is back on track and I'm enjoying life with my boys more than ever.' The busy mother managed to lose a stone a month, totalling an impressive four stone on the diet which she has now stopped in favour of home-cooked meals such as chicken stir-fry and healthy snacks after reversing her diabetes. She added: 'For the first time in years, I now love shopping for clothes that make me feel amazing.' Now the mother-of-three hopes to inspire others to lose weight and prioritise their health. 'You can do this too,' the wellness coach said. 'Take it one day at a time, stop being hard on yourself, and practice self-love. 'It's not just about losing weight—it's about finding yourself again.' The Cambridge diet remains one of the most restrictive diets out there and a popular alternative to blockbuster weight loss jabs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro. Participants are given a low-calorie diet, totalling around 800 calories a day for between 12 and 20 weeks. Dieters on the plan will also get support from a nurse or dietitian to reintroduce healthy foods and maintain weight loss, while medications for type two diabetes can be stopped if seemed safe. Adults who have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the last six years and have a BMI of over 27 are eligible for the programme. Since its launch in 2020, over 25,000 people have been offered the NHS soup and shake programme, with the number to double in the next five years. However, experts have warned that forcing the body to burn fat rather than carbohydrates can have devastating consequences for women's health. Lisa Goldstein, a leading nutritionist who specialises in reproductive health told the Daily Mail: 'When you don't eat enough - especially too few carbs - your brain can switch off ovulation.' Medically known as hypothalamic amenorrhea, this is the body's way of avoiding pregnancy when energy reserves are low, she explained. This can be caused by being on a calorie-restrictive diet. 'Unlike men, women's reproductive systems require a minimum threshold of calories, carbs and body fat to function', she added. The 1:1 diet has also been linked to muscle loss, fatigue, diarrhoea and gallbladder stones.
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mirror
'I lost 4st in four months and reversed diabetes by ditching addiction to one food'
Lucy Castle weighed 16st and was a size 20 A busy mum who splashed out £1,200 annually on her cheese obsession has shed 4st in four months without resorting to weight loss injections. Lucy Castle tipped the scales at 16st and squeezed into size 20 clothing at her peak. The mother-of-three would nibble on junk food while managing her three sons - aged two, nine and 15. Lucy would routinely demolish an entire oven-baked Camembert accompanied by French bread, devour chunks of brie and smother her dishes in enormous portions of grated cheese. However, when doctors delivered a type two diabetes diagnosis, Lucy received the jolt she needed and chose to attempt the 1:1 diet - having witnessed a mate give it a whirl. The programme requires consuming four substitute meals daily and enabled Lucy to slim down to a svelte 12st and size 12 within four months. Lucy, a diet consultant and women's wellness coach from Hinckley, Leicestershire, explained: "I was a busy mum. I used to find the quickest, easiest options. "Cheese was wrecking my life. I was spending £25 a week on different cheese. My favourite was brie. I found myself again." Lucy was grappling to juggle her hectic maternal duties whilst maintaining a nutritious diet. She would frequently reach for convenient options - chocolate bars, crisps, cheese and takeaways. Following the birth of her youngest son, now two, she found it difficult to shift the pregnancy weight and started wrestling with her wellbeing in March 2024. Lucy opened up about her health struggles, saying: "I wasn't feeling well. I was dizzy. I had pins and needles and would come out in sweats. I used to avoid social events, hide away in baggy clothes and I couldn't keep up with my boys." After a visit to her GP, she received a diagnosis of type two diabetes that same month. "It was my wake-up call," Lucy admitted. Turning to the 1:1 diet, Lucy found success with meal replacements and the support of a consultant, which kept her on track. She said: "Seeing the scales every week and my weight going down - it kept me motivated." In just four months, Lucy slimmed down to 12st and has since maintained her weight with home-cooked meals and healthy snacks, even reversing her type two diabetes diagnosis. While she still indulges in treats like cheese on crackers occasionally, Lucy says food no longer "controls" her life. She's now more active and can keep up with her sons. Lucy reflected on her past difficulties: "Before I couldn't keep up with my children. My back was hurting - my knees, my hips. Now I have more energy. "I feel so much happier, my health is back on track and I'm enjoying life with my boys more than ever. For the first time in years, I love shopping for clothes that make me feel amazing." Now a wellness coach, Lucy is keen to motivate others on their own weight loss paths. Lucy encouraged others: "Believe in yourself. You can do this too. Take one day at a time, stop being hard on yourself, and practice self-love. It's not just about losing weight - it's about finding you again." Lucy's diet before Breakfast: Toast and Weetabix Lunch: Two cheese rolls, with cheese, two packets of crisps, and two chocolate bars Dinner: Takeaway/pizza with extra cheese/two large jacket potatoes with cheese Lucy's current diet Breakfast: 1:1 porridge/Greek yoghurt and berries Lunch: savoury pancakes/tuna salad
