A woman, who used to hide her takeaway boxes from her husband, has revealed how she saw an incredible 7st weight loss after being fat-shamed by a child.
As a nurse, Debbie Grimwood, 39, from Colchester, knew how important it is to maintain standards of physical and mental health.
But two years ago, she was signed off work through stress, anxiety and depression - problems that were exacerbated by her weight.
At more than 17 stone, Grimwood frequently found her trousers splitting as she bent down to tend to patients and she was finding her job increasingly difficult.
Her weight gain was exacerbated by the emotional stress of losing her dad, who spent a lot of time going in and out of hospital before he died in 2022.
"I tried to be the rock for my family, caring for them all until his passing that year," Grimwood recalls.
"While I was grieving, the weight continued to pile on. I was eating to feel in control over something in my life."
Grimwood believes depression and anxiety had impacted her relationship with food and she struggled with bingeing and overeating.
"I would order a large Domino’s literally every night all for myself, but then hide the box so my husband wouldn’t find it," she explains.
"I would also often eat a whole packet of sugar waffles every day, still hiding the evidence out of shame."
But the weight gain was starting to have an impact on her health - she’d been told by a practice nurse that she was clinically obese and needed to lose weight.
And with her blood pressure soaring she also noticed how her uniforms were getting too tight and the job was getting physically harder.
Her size was affecting her home life too; she couldn’t play with her two children at the park as she got out of breath and was unable to run.
When she did the school run, Grimwood describes how she would keep her head down and avoid eye contact with the other parents, and whenever she caught her reflection in a window or mirror, she felt ashamed.
"I was beyond disgusted with myself and ashamed of my body, and my actions as I’m an NHS registered nurse and knew the implications this lifestyle would have, but it didn’t stop me," she explains.
By September 2022, Grimwood was signed off work.
"I couldn’t cope with the emotional stress of Dad being in and out of hospital ," she explains.
"It was having a huge impact on my depression and anxiety which is why I was signed off work. I never told them I was also struggling to physically do the job itself due to my weight."
The catalyst for change came in 2023 when she was picking up her children from school and a seven-year-old approached Debbie, telling her she was "really podgy, fat and very round" in front of her son.
Mortified, she burst into tears and rushed home.
"I couldn’t believe I’d been fat-shamed by a child," she explains. "I still remember the feeling. I was humiliated, and I felt physically sick.
"But it proved to be very much the kick I needed to make a change."
Research online led Debbie to a programme called the 1:1 diet by Cambridge Weight Plan, which uses meal replacements and personalised support to help dieters reach their target weight.
"The diet changed my life," she says. "Not only are the products lush, but having my consultant, Heather, right by my side was a game changer for me. I honestly could not have stuck to it without her support and guidance."
Grimwood started the plan in March last year and now weighs 10 stone 11lbs and - more importantly - feels much better.
She is in a healthy weight bracket and BMI, with her blood pressure at a healthy level and her breathing issues have gone.
Following her weight loss Grimwood says her engagement and wedding rings fit again.
"I feel amazing," she says. "I haven’t been this slim since I was in my twenties. The difference is insane, not just with how I look, but how I feel and the things I can now do, like fitting down a slide with my kids, climbing stairs without stopping halfway, and being able to do my job without worrying I will knock over my patient’s bedside table or split my trousers."
But the most important impact is the change it has had on her wellbeing.
"I am so damn happy," she says. "I love life again, and I know my Dad would be proud of me."
Additional reporting Cover Images.
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