My story - Rebecca Harker

[girly728576399]

Nothing could prepare me for the 15th January 2008. I had to go to the doctors. I had a chest infection and was not feeling too good. The doctor had the scales out. I joked and said I was feeling bad enough and didn’t want to be weighed so that I could feel worse than I did. The doctor insisted, so I stepped on. I weighed 22 stone 4 pounds. My heart sank. The doctor told me to sit down. She pulled up my weight graph on the computer which showed me that over the last two years I had put on one stone a year. She told me that if I continued to put a stone on each year for the next five years I would probably not be here or if I did I would be bed bound. She asked if I wanted children (I do). She informed me that I could not get pregnant because of my weight and if I did fall pregnant that there would be massive complications in the last stages of pregnancy and giving birth. There would be too much of a strain on my heart. The doctor recommended remortgaging my house to pay for gastric bypass surgery but ultimately I had to do something about my weight.
Breaking the news to my husband was hard and so was living with that news over the next week but I remembered a friend of mine had done the Cambridge diet and had looked great after it. I searched the internet for the Cambridge diet and found a councilor quickly. I started the diet at the very end of January and have not looked back since.
At the start of the diet I doubted that it would work. I thought it would just be another diet that I would try and fail on, but I was wrong.
I truly can not believe the results. The diet has exceeded all of my expectations. I have tried all the diets out there and the different pills that the NHS has to offer but none of them had worked for me. Sure I had lost a little weight with them, but I would put it all back on and more afterwards. I am nearly at the end of the Cambridge diet now and I am on the weight maintenance program. I have lost 9 stone 7 lbs!! I was a size 28 (some of those clothes would be a little tight) but now I am a size 14/16 and I am learning how to eat again and how to control my portion sizes. My life is not over, far from it. I can look forward past five years and can now look at starting my family.
I have not found the diet hard; actually I found it quite the opposite. It was only when I was on ‘sole source’ and the food was taken away, that I realized how bad I actually ate before; a diet consisting of mainly take away foods, chocolate and cakes. Now I am on step three of the diet plan, I am learning to appreciate food more and am enjoying trying new foods and menus.
I would like to lose a little more, maybe another half a stone but if I am honest when I past fifteen stone, which was my original personal target. A target that I thought would be impossible, I was happy.
People say the doctor was in the wrong with what she said. I do not look at it like that. I needed that kick. Without it I would have continued each year to put weight on. When I heard the news I lost hope and I thought of ending it all. Everyone in my family has been so supportive, especially my husband and Candice Harrison, my Cambridge councilor. Without the help and support of Candice god only knows what the future would have held for me. At the moment it is bright and I look forward to it!

I want to encourage others who are in the same situation I was in. There is hope. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. I gave up and thought nothing would work. I seriously considered having surgery, thinking that it was the only way out. I was one of those people that others looked at and stared at. Try this diet. It works!

I have been shortlist for slimmer of the year. Excited, but dont mind if i dont win. We are all winners!

Rebecca Harker

[Serena A]

Wow what a journey - well done that is really inspirational. And good luck with slimmer of the year xx

[hopefulslimmer]

What a brilliant post, so inspirational!!

Well done you for listening to the doctor and doing something about it. I bet you will never look back now!

[Mini]

Congratulations and well done Rebecca on your wonderful achievement and all the best with Slimmer Of The Year competition!




Love Mini xxx

[girly728576399]

i look foward to a great life, healthier and hopefully with kids x thankyou for your kind words

Rebecca

[Serena A]

And just think when you do have kids you can pass onto them a healthy relationship with food plus that "anything is possible" attitude and truly believe it

[irishangel]

what a fantastic story Rebecca - very inspiring...congrats on being in the SOTY finals hun...you definately deserve it - I'll see you at the weekend!


All the very best of luck!



debs xx

[lillypop]

So amazing thanks for sharing your story, I can relate to the bit about not wanting to get weighed, it's an awful experience isnt it. You've done brilliantly all the best at the conference xxx

[girly728576399]

gonna meet a few ppl i have met off here and off facebook, it should be a great day xx

[trace72]

rebecca you are amazing hun thankyou for sharing your story

see you at the weekend for that hug

[girly728576399]

yeh deffo x

[girly728576399]

this was the story that was submitted,and the one Bella magazine want to print. I did add to it though and put in extra details x

[debz32]

WOW ! Rebecca - what a fantastic achievement - you rock

good luck with slimmer of the year !!

Debz xx

[girly728576399]

thanx dez and eveyone who has responded to this post x it means alot

[Bijoux]

Wow!! I am speechless. Well done and thanks for sharing the story. It is so inspirational. Good luck with SOTY competition.