A woman who was forced to shop in the maternity section because no other clothes fit her has lost more than six stone after giving up alcohol and overhauling her lifestyle.
Deidre Olsen, 35, was shopping for a new wardrobe when she found a pair of trousers she liked. Picking up a size XL, she went into the changing room to try them on, but they would not come up past her knees. The only clothes that fit her comfortably were in the maternity section.
Lightbulb moment in the changing room
Fed up with feeling like the world was 'no longer' built for her, the filmmaker began making gradual lifestyle changes. She is now 6st 2lbs lighter.
"Realising I was more comfortable shopping in the maternity section than in standard sizing was definitely a difficult moment," she said. "It made me notice how much my body had changed and how uncomfortable I had become in everyday life. I felt so embarrassed. Nobody asked if I was pregnant – nor did anybody appear to judge me – but how I felt internally wasn't great."
She also struggled with roller coaster seats. "There was one ride where my hips were too wide to sit comfortably in the seat, so I had to sit partly sideways. That really stayed with me, because it made me realise that ordinary parts of life were becoming physically harder for me."
From binge eating to a new lifestyle
Her weight battle began in January 2020, after a "depressive episode" led to bad eating habits. She relied heavily on calorie-dense convenience foods, larger portions and snacks. Binge eating was the major problem, along with alcohol consumption, with beer her drink of choice. She would often drink up to six in an hour, coupled with an entire share bag of crisps.
At her heaviest, she weighed 14st 9lbs. "I was deeply unwell. And it reflected outwards. I could see the culmination of my substance abuse and binge eating disorder in my physical appearance," she said.
She tried hot yoga and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, but neither became something she could stick with consistently. After walking more and tracking her calorie intake, she lost 25lbs, which encouraged her to keep going.
A new chapter in Berlin
The real change came in September 2020 when she moved to Berlin, Germany. By that point, she had quit alcohol for good and switched her diet completely. She focused her daily meals around protein and fibre, with staples including tofu, semolina pudding, cottage cheese, chickpeas and avocados. She also spent five days a week in the gym and aimed for 10,000 steps each day.
Within four years, Deidre was down 6st 2lbs, weighing 8st 6lbs. She is now an endurance athlete focused on running marathons and doing Hyrox competitions. She has also completed a master's degree in North American Studies and built a successful career.
"The discipline and consistency to do hard things has now transpired into everything in my life," she added. "I shifted from 'I don't want to do this' to 'I get to do this'. Be kind to yourself in this journey. Time will pass anyway. Don't expect overnight results. And remember you're building a new life – one that is full of strength and longevity."
