A Journey of Transformation
Standing in the woods after tearing my hamstring while walking my dogs in early 2024, I felt completely helpless. I’d fallen badly, heard a loud pop and was left stranded in the mud, eventually needing to be rescued by a quad bike. I was mortified. But more than that, I was shaken. At 55, I felt old, broken and completely out of control of my own body.
Years of yo-yo dieting, menopause symptoms and creeping weight gain had all caught up with me – and in that moment, I knew something had to change. Just a year earlier, I’d been heavier than I’d ever been. Like many women, I’d always struggled with my weight. Even at school, I was on the bigger side, usually a size 14 or 16, and it felt like I was constantly trying to slim down.
When I married my husband Jim in 1993, I was a comfortable size 14 and felt relatively confident. But after having our daughters and juggling family life with long shifts as a nurse, the weight gradually crept on. At first, it was only a few pounds here and there. But over time, those pounds turned into stones.
I tried everything to lose it. I joined slimming groups, followed structured plans and managed to lose a couple of stone on more than one occasion. But the pattern was always the same – the weight would slowly creep back on again. There was never a long-term solution.
Looking back, I can see that my lifestyle made things incredibly difficult. Nursing is a demanding job, and I was often exhausted from long shifts, switching between days and nights. Food became fuel – and comfort. Chocolate was my absolute weakness. I wasn’t someone who could just have one square. Once I started, I couldn’t stop.
Hospitals are full of temptation. There are always coffee shops, cakes, biscuits and chocolates brought in by grateful patients and their families. When you’re tired, it’s almost impossible to resist. At home, things weren’t much better. I’ve always loved cooking and entertaining, and that often meant generous portions of comforting, carb-heavy meals – pasta, potatoes, pizzas, and puddings.
We also live near the coast, so fish and chips on the beach or meals out at pubs and Italian restaurants were a regular treat. Although I walked my dogs regularly, I now realise it simply wasn’t enough to offset what I was eating.
Then menopause hit – and everything became even harder. In early 2024, I started suffering badly with night sweats and insomnia. I was waking up drenched, exhausted and emotional. I remember sitting in my GP’s office in tears, which is very unlike me. I just felt completely overwhelmed.
My mood was all over the place, my energy levels were low and, despite my efforts, my weight kept increasing. When blood tests showed I was pre-diabetic, it really frightened me. Obesity runs in my family – my dad was a big man – and I could see myself heading down the same path.
Starting HRT helped with some of the symptoms, but it didn’t solve everything. I still felt heavy, sluggish and far older than I should have. Then came the accident that changed everything. I was out walking the dogs with my husband when my foot got caught in some brambles. I fell awkwardly and heard a loud pop – my hamstring tearing.
The pain was unbearable. I actually passed out several times. I had to be rescued and driven to hospital, and I remember feeling deeply embarrassed as well as in agony. The bruising ran from my hip to my knee and I was out of action for weeks. Recovery took months, and we even had to cancel a special trip to Lapland to see the Northern Lights for our 30th wedding anniversary. That was heartbreaking.
As I sat at home recovering, I felt incredibly vulnerable. My body didn’t feel strong or reliable anymore. A few months later, I tried to get back to normal life by taking up golf with friends, but I pushed myself too hard and ended up injuring my shoulder as well. Everything hurt. I remember thinking: ‘I feel old. I feel broken. And I feel fat.’ That was my lowest point.
The turning point came in a surprisingly simple way. My workplace launched a step challenge called Steptember, and my competitive streak kicked in immediately. When I checked my step count, I was shocked to see I was only doing around 2,000 to 3,000 steps a day. So I made a decision. I would start walking more – every single day.
At first, it wasn’t easy, especially with my injuries, but I built up gradually until I was consistently hitting 10,000 steps a day. That alone made a noticeable difference. I started to feel a little fitter, a little more energised. But the real change came when I tackled my diet. This time, instead of following another complicated plan, I went back to basics.
I adopted a simple, low-carb way of eating like the retro Atkins diet, a low-carb, high-fat, and high-protein eating plan developed in the 1960s by heart specialist Robert C. Atkins – and I cut right back on bread, pasta, rice and potatoes. For years, those foods had been staples in my diet. But I began to realise they were also a major reason I was struggling to lose weight.
I didn’t overcomplicate things. I just focused on protein, healthy fats and vegetables. Liz’s diet before and after weight loss…
BEFORE
– Breakfast: Two to three slices of toast with butter and jam, coffee
– Snacks: Biscuits, cake and chocolate throughout the day
– Lunch: Sandwich, crisps and fruit
– Afternoon: Often nothing due to busy shifts
– Dinner: Large portions – spaghetti bolognese, pizzas, baked potatoes or convenience foods
– Puddings: Yoghurts or ice cream
– Alcohol: Wine after night shifts
NOW
– Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with cherry tomatoes and grated cheese
– Lunch: Salad with pastrami, boiled egg and mustard mayo
– Dinner: Chicken fillet with vegetables
– Dessert: Chocolate chia seed pudding with sugar substitute
– Drinks: Lots of water plus decaf tea and coffee
Breakfast became scrambled eggs instead of toast. Lunch was usually a salad with meat, fish or eggs. Dinner was something simple like chicken with vegetables. I wasn’t starving myself. In fact, I often felt fuller than I had before.
I also started tracking everything I ate using MyFitnessPal (myfitnesspal.com). That was a real eye-opener. For the first time, I could clearly see what I was putting into my body, and it helped me stay accountable. One of the biggest surprises was how much my cravings changed. By cutting down on carbs and sugar, I stopped experiencing the same energy crashes. I wasn’t constantly reaching for snacks.
I felt more balanced, more in control. The weight started to come off steadily – and, crucially, it stayed off. This wasn’t like the diets I’d tried before. It didn’t feel temporary. It felt sustainable. If I went out for a meal or had a dessert, I enjoyed it without guilt. But instead of letting that turn into a downward spiral, I simply got back on track at the next meal. That consistency made all the difference.
As the weight dropped, everything else improved too. I had more energy. I slept better. My mood became more stable. For the first time in years, I felt like my body was working with me rather than against me.
By October 2025, I felt confident enough to join a gym – something I never thought I’d do. At first, I was intimidated. I even joked to my coach that they shouldn’t expect to see me very often. But now I go four times a week, focusing mainly on strength training. Building muscle has been incredible, especially during menopause when muscle mass naturally declines.
I’ve become stronger week by week, and I even have visible muscle definition now – something I never thought I’d achieve. Combined with my daily walking, it’s completely transformed how I feel. People often ask me if I considered weight-loss injections, but I chose not to go down that route. For me, it was important to make changes that I could maintain for life.
This ‘retro’ approach – cutting carbs, focusing on simple foods and moving more – has given me exactly that. My husband Jim has been incredibly supportive throughout the journey, and he’s even started cutting back on carbs himself. For the first time in decades, I actually weigh less than him. I’ve dropped 7st 7lb, going from a size 22 and weighing 18st 1lb to a 12, and tipping the scales at 10st 5lb.
These days, my focus isn’t on getting any smaller. It’s about being strong, healthy and confident. Menopause can make you feel like you’re losing control of your body. But I’ve learned that it can also be an opportunity to take that control back. After everything I’ve been through, I finally feel like myself again – and stronger than ever.
