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