A weight loss coach from the West Midlands who spent years struggling with her own diet has revealed how she finally shed more than six stone, transforming her health and confidence without resorting to weight loss injections.
The Turning Point: A Mother's Motivation
Despite professionally guiding others to shed pounds, Lisa Maidment, 52, found herself trapped in a cycle of yo-yo dieting and frequent takeaways. The pressures of becoming a single parent and caring for her mother, Christine, who had Alzheimer's, took a severe toll on her mental health. She attempted to fill the emotional void with food, even secretly eating her children's sweets at night. By her late 40s, she weighed 16 stone, wore a UK size 20, and felt she had lost her identity.
The pivotal moment came when she considered her future with her two children. "I am an older mum, when I am 60, they'll be 20 and 17," she said. Fearing major health problems that could rob her of precious time with them, she decided in July 2022 to finally follow the same 1:1 diet plan she recommended to her clients.
The Transformation: Diet, Discipline and Surgery
Lisa began her slimming journey by consuming four meal replacement products daily to eliminate temptation while ensuring nutritional intake. After losing a stone in the first month, she reintroduced a small, 200-calorie meal. She diligently navigated holidays and celebrations, learning to manage her diet through these events.
Her old diet consisted of biscuits, cheese, or anything to hand for breakfast and lunch, followed by takeaway dinners and copious sweets. Now, she follows an 80-20 rule: 80% clean, healthy foods like lean meat and vegetables, and 20% more indulgent choices. A typical day now involves skipping breakfast, a high-protein egg bagel for lunch, and a budget-friendly high-protein ready meal for dinner, with snacks like chocolate rice cakes.
Her efforts resulted in a dramatic weight loss, bringing her down to 9 stone 9lbs and a UK size 6 to 8. She took up strength training, achieving a 65kg deadlift. The new confidence led her to book a dream holiday to Disney World Florida with her children, something she felt would have been impossible before.
However, after reaching her goal weight, loose skin left her not feeling "womanly." A year later, she opted for a £8,000 surgical package at a clinic in Lithuania, undergoing a 360-degree tummy tuck, breast lift, implants, and an eyelift. "It just made my skin fit better," she clarified, stating she didn't lose additional weight from the surgery.
A New Lease on Life: Confidence and Liberation
The physical change has been profound. Her daughter remarked she had "the body of a 25-year-old," and old friends often fail to recognise her. More importantly, Lisa's mental shift is significant. She now enjoys beach holidays in a bikini, actively uses changing rooms, and has even found love.
"The weight traps you, in my opinion," Lisa reflected. "It trapped me. [Losing it] has liberated my life." She notes people are friendlier, though she attributes this partly to her own flourishing confidence. She feels less need to conform or overthink, embracing a more authentic and assertive self.
Lisa's story is one of overcoming personal and professional contradiction, proving that even experts sometimes need to take their own advice to achieve a life-changing transformation.
