3 days ago
Walking 8 miles every day helped me lose 7st – and keep it off
In 2024, I weighed 18st 12lb. I was a binge eater and a food addict – I had no off switch. I knew I should be making better choices, but once you are on that food train, it is very hard to get off.
I had a terrible addiction to secret binge eating. I loved carbohydrates – pasta, potatoes, bread, anything! As I began to have children, I slowly put on weight and was unable to shift it. I also got into a habit of having a cheese sandwich before bed every night. My husband worked away from home half of the week, so once the kids were asleep I'd be able to get away with snacking without anyone around to hold me accountable.
As a regional manager in commercial property, I was always on the road. I had a property portfolio to manage so I was always in my car, living off service station meal deals.
Maintaining a good diet and getting into shape was just not a priority for me. I had a stressful job and a busy life looking after my daughter, aged 14 and my son, aged 11. I have very active children and I felt the life I was living was not fair to my family. I was not fit enough to participate in any part of family life.
In October I was going to turn 40 and I knew that this was it – it was time to make my health a priority. For months I'd been suffering from all sorts of aches and pains: joint pain, back pain – I couldn't walk up a flight of stairs without becoming breathless. I knew I could no longer go on the way I was, something had to change.
Then I went on a trip with my son and some friends to France. Naturally, I wanted to live my best life, so I indulged in a lot of wine and cheese. The trip was lovely but it was emotionally draining. My friends, who were all running fanatics and enjoyed staying active, would be up in the mornings to run together and I wasn't able to go because of my health – it was isolating.
My friend took a video of me one night, while we were drinking on the balcony of our chalet. When I look back at the video it makes me extremely sad. I was masking my sadness a lot at that point in my life and pretending to be happy but in reality I was devastated about the state of my health. I was not in a good place.
It wasn't until I got home from the trip, stood on the scales and saw that I was the biggest I'd ever been, that I put a serious action plan in place. That number I saw on the scales reflected all the health issues I'd been experiencing. It was a defining moment for me.
So for my birthday my husband and I were going on an amazing trip to Dubai. The countdown was on – I had seven months to get into shape.
At my weight, exercise was not an option, so I committed to walking every day. In the beginning, just getting out there felt good. I was making better choices and felt positive about this new journey I was on.
In addition to committing to moving my body every day, I decided to start intermittent fasting on a low-carb diet. To gain inspiration, I made an Instagram account and followed weight loss influencers. I noticed that there weren't any prominent UK health influencers who were losing weight in the same way that I was.
I had significantly limited my eating window – I'd fast for 18 hours a day and eat between 1pm and 7pm. I truly believe that fasting worked so well for me because when I was addicted, I was so consumed with food that this method allowed me to control my eating habits. I used to binge so much during the evening that by cutting off my supply of food at 7pm, I was forced to occupy my time with something else.
At first it was so hard to find the strength to control myself but the results were so transformative that it became a way of life for me. I still fast every single day because I will never ever go back to the way I was before now that I have this new found life.
I've also significantly cut down on carbohydrates in my diet – while before I might've opted for potatoes or bread with my meal, now I focus on protein like eggs.
One day a friend said to me: 'Alex, why don't you blog about your weight loss journey? It will hold you accountable and track your progress,' so I turned my Instagram account into a weight loss diary called 'theweightlosswife'.
The impending trip to Dubai motivated my decision, but the Instagram page added excitement to the journey. I met a lovely community that was incredibly supportive and followed me every step of the way. I decided not to tell any friends or family about the page, or my goal as I didn't want to feel monitored: I wanted to work at my own pace and feel confident in the progress I was making.
Getting started
When you are as unfit as I was, even going for a walk is hard work. I started from absolutely nothing and downloaded the Couch to 5k app. Rain or shine, I went on a walk just to get my steps in.
In the beginning, it did not matter how many steps I got in, just that I got out. It was an absolute struggle – I did not enjoy it at all. I had to really push myself and eventually the more I did it, the more I found myself actually enjoying it. When the weight begins to drop off and your body begins to change, it feels really good – it becomes quite addictive.
Once moving got a bit easier, I began to set myself targets for the amount of steps I needed to get in each day. I started at 3,000 to 5,000 steps, then 10,000 steps, and now I do 20,000 steps a day (about eight miles). There is a walking track around the back of my house which I use to take my dog out for a walk at least twice a day, and then I go to the gym after work. I just try to walk absolutely everywhere, especially on the weekend – by Friday I've had enough of being in my car!
I began to see a positive change in my body after three weeks and I started to feel great. When I was heavier I avoided social situations because I couldn't find anything to wear. I also hated people taking pictures of me, so I actively avoided them. Since losing the weight, my confidence has grown so much and I find it extremely enjoyable to visit different places and to meet up with friends and family. I'm now 11st 7lb and have never felt better after losing 7st.
After a couple of weeks, I also noticed the health benefits: I had a lot more energy, I wasn't as tired and my joint pain eased up. Also, I'd always struggled with constant heartburn and acid reflux but that completely disappeared once I started eating better.
My family and friends have been so supportive and encouraging. They can see that I've got a whole new life – I'm out every weekend, spending time with my family and engaging in activities that I just could not participate in before. I feel like now I can capture all these moments that I couldn't before.
I have noticed that people treat me differently since I lost weight. I used to tend to fall into the background. I had these long hair extensions to somewhat mask my size, but since losing weight, I embraced my bob and feel more confident in my skin.
To push myself, at the end of April, my husband, a group of friends and I decided to climb Snowdon. It was the most exhilarating, rewarding experience, and I was so proud of my progress. The whole way up I was worried that I wouldn't be able to do it – that I wasn't as fit as I thought. The experience made me realise how far I'd come with my fitness and once I got to the top after two hours of climbing, I was astonished at myself.
Following that life-changing experience, I signed up for Macmillan's Jurassic Coast Mighty Hike in July, and the Great South Run in October. I also placed a ballot for the 2026 London Marathon, my next big goal. To run the marathon would be a bucket list activity for my life and I'll be devastated if I don't get in. Runners get informed whether their entry was successful or not in July, but I've read that this year has seen a record number of ballot entries, so I think my chances are unlikely.
I feel like I'm still on my journey – it is not over just because I've lost weight. I want to focus on the fitness side of my well-being now and use my Instagram to spread knowledge and awareness. I've gained 56,700 followers in the space of a year, and I'm so proud of what I've managed to achieve in such a short space of time.
What I ate before
Breakfast
Cheese toastie and a coffee from a Starbucks on the side of the motorway.
Lunch
Prawn Mayo or BLT sandwich, a packet of crisps and a Pepsi Max (I used to drink two to three cans a day).
Dinner
Cheesy pasta or something with chips. I also had a fair amount of takeaways on the weekend.
Alcohol
Fizz, vodka cranberry or a gin and tonic.
What I eat now
Breakfast
Egg white omelette with cream cheese, smoked salmon and a side of grapefruit and strawberries.
Snack
Fruits – grapefruit, passion fruit, strawberries, oranges.
Dinner
Steak with courgette, rocket and parmesan.
Alcohol
Stayed the same – it's the one thing I didn't change, but I don't drink at home.
