I've spent years helping other people lose weight, get stronger and feel better about themselves. But this time, it was my turn!
I've decided to share my own weight-loss journey in a three-part series. Not just how I lost two stone, but what led me to gain the weight in the first place, what I did to change things and, perhaps most importantly, how I've managed to maintain it.
PART ONE: THE WAKE-UP CALL
The photo that made me realise something needed to change, and how I'd ended up feeling so uncomfortable in my own skin.
PART TWO: I BECAME THE CLIENT
Putting my own advice into practice, getting support from my team and losing two stone by August 2025.
PART THREE: ONE YEAR OF MAINTENANCE
Life after weight loss, recovering from major surgery, and finding a balance that lets me maintain my results while still enjoying life.
I'm sharing the good bits, the difficult bits and everything in between. Because even after all my years in health and fitness, life doesn't always go to plan!
I’m 51. No spring chicken. And yes, I got fat.
The arms people used to compliment years ago were still there. They were just covered by a layer of body fat.
I was still training, but you can’t see muscle definition if it’s covered.
Putting yourself out there isn’t easy. People judge. People have opinions.
But I want to share the whole story because I know someone reading it will recognise a little bit of themselves in mine.
THE PHOTO THAT WOKE ME UP
Sri Lanka, December 2024. THE Photo!
My 30s: Running and HIIT Peak Fitness
My 40s: Lifting Strong and entering a new Phase
Christmas 2024. Mr G and I were in Sri Lanka. I saw this photo, and it was a real OMG moment. In less than three months, I would turn 50.
We had Barbados booked.
And I realised I couldn’t keep burying my head in the sand. This wasn’t about needing to be skinny. I just didn’t feel like me.
I’d stopped taking videos of myself for work. I took 20 photos just to get one that looked half decent! My confidence had gone.
I spent my working life helping other people become stronger, healthier and more confident, yet somewhere along the way I had stopped doing the same for myself.
I needed to practise what I preach. I know it's cliché, but true. I knew exactly what needed to be done, so Barbados was my kickstart.
SO HOW DID I GET FLUFFY?
There wasn’t one single reason my weight changed. Looking back, it was a combination of life events, changes to my health, and probably becoming a little too comfortable along the way.
And yes, I was avoiding the scales! Something I know so many women do when they suspect they've gained weight. It's almost as though if we don't see the number, we don't have to face it! I knew I'd gained weight, but it took that photo in Sri Lanka to finally make me face it.
After having the girls, I’d maintained my weight for around 15 years, so this wasn’t something that happened overnight. It was a gradual change over several years, with lots of little things adding up.
OSTEOARTHRITIS AND MY BACK
Just as I opened the gym in 2018, I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in my knees. Running and HIIT had always been a big part of how I kept fit and coached my clients - but suddenly I had to rethink how I trained.
An old back injury also still likes to remind me it’s there, usually flaring up once or twice a year. And when it goes, it really goes. The muscle spasms are unreal.
I’ll be honest, it’s never stopped me from training. In fact, daily movement helps me manage it, but I’ve had to adapt what I do.
Between my back and my knees, the way I trained had changed and, without really noticing it at the time, my overall activity levels gradually dropped too.
THEN I MET GRAHAM
Mr G wined and dined me, and food is definitely one of his love languages. He’s a trained chef, so you can probably see where this is going!
We had more meals out, lovely meals at home, weekends away, and plenty of good food.
We were happy, and, if I’m honest, I probably got a little too comfortable. The treats became more frequent, the portions got bigger, and so did I!
THEN COVID HIT
Like so many small business owners, I went into survival mode trying to keep the gym afloat.
There was a lot to carry, but I definitely wasn’t sitting still! I spent lockdown jumping around like a headless chicken, teaching Zoom classes and online PT.
I got fitter, my knees improved, and so did my waistline. However, once life returned to normal, the weight gradually started to creep back on.
THEN MY DAD GOT POORLY
This was one of the hardest periods of my life. My dad was my number one fan, my hero and when he became ill, life changed again. I cared for him and eventually had to say goodbye. I was broken inside, but I tried to hide it on the outside.
Grief changes you. During that time, getting my steps in, planning my meals or worrying about my own fitness goals simply wasn’t important. My time and energy were focused on getting through the loss, showing up for my members and team at the same time as adjusting to life without my wonderful Dad.
THEN CAME PERIMENOPAUSE with a bang!
I don’t blame perimenopause for my weight gain, but I can absolutely recognise how the symptoms affected the habits that had previously helped me manage my weight.
Irregular meals, crippling anxiety, broken sleep, low motivation, and irregular meals all made me want to hide and not face the facts that I needed to look after myself. This weight wouldn’t come off without focus.
To top it off came 18 months of gynaecology problems caused by fibroids.
Continuous bleeding, anaemia, tiredness and daily discomfort.
Unsurprisingly, I’d genuinely lost my mojo!
WHEN YOU SEE THE TIMELINE TOGETHER, IT ALL MAKES SENSE
There wasn’t one reason for my weight gain. It was years of life changes, health changes and small habits gradually adding up.
Looking back, I can see how I got there, and I know some of you will relate.
Understanding WHY wasn’t about making excuses. It helped me recognise what had changed and, more importantly, what I needed to change.
At 40, I looked pretty good call it the divorce diet!. And in true Kate fashion, give me a deadline, and I become very focused on getting the job done.
I had less than 10 weeks until my 50th birthday. It felt like Mission Impossible, but I knew exactly what needed to be done, so here’s exactly what I did.
I started with a 14-day reset. Download resource here
Three meals a day - No in-between snacking - Protein with every meal - Increased fibre
Then for four weeks I used quite an aggressive calorie deficit of around 1300 to 1500 calories a day.
That's not a calorie target I'm recommending for everybody. I'd spent years tracking food and nearly 20 years working in fitness, so I already knew what those calories looked like without logging every mouthful.
In reality, before I started, I was probably eating well over 2,300 calories most days, and definitely more at weekends, so bringing my intake down for a short period gave me the calorie deficit I needed to start seeing results.
I made my meals basic. Simple breakfasts. Simple lunches. Simple dinners. Lots of meals on repeat.
And I had a word with Mr G! No more enormous portions just for two of us. Luckily, he was completely on board. He'd gained weight too, so we did it together.
THE FIRST 8 WEEKS
In eight weeks, I lost 10lb and turned 50 in Barbados, feeling happier and much more comfortable in my skin.
I felt like ME again!
I was made up (Liverpool slang), and something had changed. I didn't want to get to Barbados, feel good for a holiday and then slowly slip back into the habits that had got me here in the first place.
For the first time in a long time, I had my focus back, and I wanted to see what else I could achieve.
So Barbados wasn't the finish line. It became the starting point for the next stage.
“Did I put weight on while away? YES, about 3 lb, but my drive to see further results meant I went straight back to my regular eating pattern and lost it pretty quickly.”
And this is where things got interesting.
Because losing the first 10lb was one thing. Getting leaner, stronger and changing my body composition at 50 was going to take a different level of commitment.
So I decided to put myself through exactly what I ask our members to do.
I tracked my food properly.
I followed a structured strength programme.
I set myself daily habits and step targets.
And on the days when sitting at my desk meant I'd barely moved, I found myself on the treadmill at 10 pm getting my steps done!
I also learned very quickly that knowing what to do and actually doing it every day are two very different things.
And the results surprised me.
PART TWO: APRIL TO AUGUST 2025
I'll share exactly what I ate, how I trained, what I changed, the results I achieved and the one measurement that really surprised me.
I Became the Client | Part Two Coming Soon
If any of this feels familiar and you are ready to make a change yourself, you can schedule a FREE call with me. We’ll chat about where you are now, what you want to achieve, and which of our programmes would suit you best.
Kate