How it feels to be a - mypersonalstylist

Real life
How
it
feels
to
be a
‘perfect
10 ’
Being a size 10
holds an elusive
appeal, but what
does it really
mean to these
five women,
who all fit the
36–27–34 ideal? >
topsanté
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Real life
‘Being a size 10
makes me happy’
Veronica Parcou, 44, a mum of
one, refuses to let anything stop
her from fitting into her clothes
‘It’s given me back my confidence’
Karen Curtin, 44, a mum of two and singer, felt she’d lost her identity
when she put on weight, but has found a way to regain control
‘Being a size 10 is a huge achievement for me. It’s
not just about looking better; it’s about how I feel.
Losing weight has given me back my life – I’m
a brighter, better version of myself at this size.
‘Before I had children I was a singer and dancer,
performing for Elton John and on the West End
stage. It all went horribly wrong after my youngest
child was born in 2006. Jimmy’s birth was very
traumatic as the blood supply to his brain was
blocked for five minutes. Thankfully, he’s a
wonderful, healthy little boy now, but looking
back I can see how much that first year affected
me. I didn’t exercise, I stopped performing and
I comfort ate. By 2008, I weighed 13st and was
a size 18, and I’m only 5ft 3ins. I was depressed,
hated the way I looked and felt so worthless.
I couldn’t tell people I used to be a successful
performer as I thought they’d never believe me.
‘Then I joined my local Rosemary Conley Diet
and Fitness Club in July 2008, and by Christmas
I’d lost 3st through a combination of aerobics
classes and eating a low-fat diet. I’ve kept the
weight off for two years and now weigh 9st 8lbs.
I didn’t set a specific target for my loss, but as
soon as I hit a size 10 I knew it was perfect for
me. I’m 44 and I’d look drawn and old if I was
any smaller; it would also be hard to maintain.
‘Since reaching a size 10, I’ve begun singing
again at local gigs and I also work as a Rosemary
Conley instructor, helping other women lose
weight and rediscover themselves. Feeling
happier in myself makes me a better mum and
wife, too, and it’s given me a new zest for life.’
For more information about Rosemary Conley
Diet and Fitness Clubs, call 01509 620222 or
log onto www.rosemaryconley.com.
‘It’s not the bathroom scales that tell me
I look OK; it’s what I wear. When I put on
my size 10 skirt and cropped blazer –
and they fit perfectly – I’m content. When
the waistband digs in, my whole mood
changes. Last summer, I was getting
ready for a barbecue and planned to wear
white trousers with a strappy green top.
I’d put on a few pounds without noticing
and suddenly the top was riding up and
showing my love handles. I had to change
and wouldn’t eat at the party because
I felt fat and unattractive.
‘This might be an age known for size 0
celebrities, but I think a size 10 is most
women’s idea of perfection. I know my body
isn’t flawless – my tummy gets bloated,
causing a muffin top – but putting on
a size 10 outfit is a way of ignoring that.
For me it’s like wearing a label that says
I make the beauty grade.
‘Ironically, when I was younger I was
too skinny and wanted to be bigger. I drank
a disgusting weight-gain supplement and
downed pints of Guinness, as a friend told
me it would help me to bulk up. I even
began to eat more quickly, so that I could
take in more calories at each meal. Now
that I’m older I’ve naturally filled out, but
I do everything I can to make sure I’m not
shopping for a size 12. I do 100 sit-ups
and run on my treadmill at home for 30
minutes every day. I’ve worked out the
exact speed I need to run at to burn
enough fat to maintain my figure, but
not so much that I look skinny and old.
‘I’m also really careful with what I eat.
I have toast and Marmite for breakfast,
tuna with broccoli or spinach for lunch
and a small amount of pasta with a fresh
tomato sauce for dinner. For a snack,
I’ll chop up a banana and a pear in a
bowl. None of us is perfect, but if I can
be a size 10, then I’m happy.’ >
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Real life
‘Reaching this
weight saved my life’
Jane Parry, 47, a mum of one, was a size
28 and dangerously overweight, until she
took charge of her health
‘I’ve gone from
feeling lanky
to wonderfully
womanly’
Anna Dickson, 38, who has two
children, used to hate her body
– until she found a balance that
gave her a more curvaceous figure
‘I was 6ft by the age of 13, but I didn’t grow
out as I grew up. I spent my teens and early 20s
feeling lanky and awkward, as if my body didn’t
match my height. I was so thin I wore children’s
clothes as they didn’t fall off my waist, but the
arms were always too short and I could never
wear trousers. My parents would tell me I was
beautiful, but when you’re young you don’t want
to look different from everyone else. I was thinner
and taller than all of my friends and would literally
have to stoop to have conversations with them.
‘My breasts grew when I went on the Pill at
15 – my boyfriend called them my “marvellous
Marvelons”, after the contraceptive’s brand
name. Then, when I was 25, I began to fill out
all over. I think it was a combination of late
maturity, a healthier lifestyle and happiness
– I’d met my husband, given up smoking and
started eating better. I’d also taken up tae
kwon do and that helped me put on muscle,
so I felt strong instead of weedy. It gave me
a real sense of control over my body.
‘Today, I’m a happy size 10 at 10st 2lbs. If
a lump or bump appears, I eat carefully and get
rid of it. If I lose too much and my bones start to
stick out, I eat a bit more. I’ve found the balance
that works for me, and it only takes looking after
the kids and running my glove business, Mummy
Mitts (www.mummymitts.com), to maintain it
– I don’t have time for exercise any more!’
words: Andréa Childs. photography: Helen Marsden. STYLIST: Beth Dadswell (beth@mypersonalitylist.co.uk). HAIR AND MAKE-UP: Bea Burton and Rachel Jones. Karen wears: dress, Laura Ashley; shoes, Dorothy Perkins. Veronica wears:
dress, The White Company; shoes, Next; necklace, Topshop. Anna wears: dress, Awear; shoes, Matalan. Jane wears: dress, Laura Ashley; top, Marks & Spencer; shoes, Next; cuff, Topshop. Sian wears: dress, Next; shoes, Linzi Shoes; cuff, Topshop.
‘Three years ago I was morbidly obese. At 5ft 1in, I weighed
20st 11lbs, wore size 28 clothes and my unhealthy BMI
and high blood pressure put me at real risk of a stroke or
heart attack. I’d always been bigger than my friends, but as
a busy mum I relied on takeaways and convenience foods.
I ate sugary muffins on the way to work and snacked on
crisps. The weight piled on and by my early 40s I didn’t
have a social life, as I couldn’t walk more than two or
three minutes without feeling exhausted. I became
depressed and put my life on hold. I wouldn’t even marry
my partner because I couldn’t see I’d have a future.
‘I knew I was eating myself to death, but I didn’t want
to face up to things – it was only check-ups from the
nurse at work that made me realise what I was doing to
my body. She warned that if I didn’t lose weight, I might
not be around to watch my son graduate from university.
‘I joined Slimming World in 2007. I’m now a size 10
and weigh 9st 8lbs – less than I did at age 13. When
I reached a size 10, I got to a healthy BMI, my weight
stabilised and I felt I looked my best – it’s the right size
for me and it’s where I intend to stay.
‘Losing weight hasn’t just saved my life; it’s transformed
my lifestyle. I’ve walked to the top of Snowdon, I’m
planning my outfit for my son’s graduation, I’ve married
my partner and I’m looking forward to a long, happy life.’
To find your nearest Slimming World group, call 0844
897 8000 or visit www.slimmingworld.com.
‘I feel fat, despite being a size 10’
Sian Baker, 38, a TV presenter and mum of two, is unhappy
because she feels her size doesn’t suit her petite frame
‘When I’m a size 10, as I am now, I don’t
like my reflection in the mirror. People
say I look too thin when I’m a size 8,
but I’m only 5ft 3ins and as I’m now
8st 7lbs, there’s nowhere for my weight
to hide. I work in TV, and cameras and
casting agents are very unforgiving. Also,
I think our celebrity culture means we’re
conditioned to see thin people as more
beautiful. That’s why I can’t help but feel
unhappy and disappointed in myself
when my weight creeps up and I can
only fit into size 10 clothes.
‘I put on weight when I’m busy, snatching
biscuits and crisps on the go. And then it’s
a downward spiral; once I feel I’ve ruined
the day with poor eating, I decide I might as
well give up, and so I keep eating. To lose
weight, I focus my willpower and get into
“the zone”. I’ll have pu-erh tea for
breakfast, as it’s said to aid weight loss,
and just a cup of coffee at lunchtime.
Dinner will be fish and vegetables or
chicken salad. Once I hit my size 8
target, I eat really healthily, having fruit,
yoghurt and nuts mid-morning, homemade,
low-GI muffins or cookies in the
afternoon, and a good dinner. But my
weight inevitably goes back up again.
‘I know I’m naturally a size 10 and
losing weight to go down a dress size
is becoming harder as I get older.
I hope that in the next few years I’ll
find it easier to accept that I do look
good, but at the moment I have a
wardrobe full of beautiful size 8 dresses
that I can’t wear, and I’m not ready to
take them to the charity shop yet.’
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