Woman loses 10 stone in weight after beating addiction to mayonnaise
A woman has revealed how she managed to lose an incredible 10st in weight after overhauling her diet and ditching her addiction to foods covered in mayonnaise.
At her heaviest, mum-of-four Charlotte Jones, 33, from Gloucester, weighed 20st 4lb and wore a dress size 24, having seen her weight creep up since childhood.
Her processed diet, which included kebabs, Chinese takeaways and chocolate as well as spoonfuls of her favourite condiment, left her confidence at an all-time low.
“I would eat spoonfuls of full-fat mayonnaise with every meal as I just loved the taste so much," she says.
“I would easily eat three takeaways every week as it was quick and easy around my busy schedule."
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But her weight took its toll on her emotionally.
"I used to have to buy a lot of clothes online because I couldn’t go to high street stores – they didn’t stock the sizes I needed," she continues.
"Clothes didn’t look right on me and I was aware that my friends were a lot smaller than me."
As well as impacting her self-confidence, Jones' weight severely affected her physical health.
"I used to get out of breath easily," she says. "I also used to get bad heartburn after eating, and climbing the stairs would give me bad knees."
Watch: Simple steps to a healthier life
The turning point came after Jones, a full-time mum and student, tragically lost a close friend.
"My lightbulb moment came when one of my very close friends passed away," she explains.
"She was young, fit and healthy and then she was gone.
"It really played on my mind and made me think about my own health.
"I had two kids at that point and I wanted to see them grow up."
Jones decided she needed to take action to change her diet and embark on a new fitness regime.
While she was determined to lose the weight, there were a few obstacles to overcome, including getting used to exercising.
"I think going to the gym takes bravery and I was so nervous," she says.
Finding an exercise buddy helped her get over her gym fear.
"I started going with my cousin and we both supported each other," she explains.
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When she started losing weight, Jones says she saw her confidence grow.
"Once I saw the weight coming off, I got more and more confident about knowing what I was doing," she explains.
"I also became friends with some people at the gym, which helped me forget about whether anyone was looking at me."
By eating more healthily and exercising regularly Jones managed to lose an incredible eight stone in 16 months. She then went on to have her son and lost an additional two stone between Nov 2020-January 2022.
“I get asked a lot if I’ve had a stomach operation," she says.
"But I've lost the weight purely through diet and exercise. I haven’t taken any pills or done any fad diets, I've just done it the old-fashioned way."
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Jones says transforming her health and fitness regime has had an incredible impact on her life, both physically and mentally.
She is now able to chase after her four children, Oakley, 18 months, Henry, three, Logan, eight and Lacey, 10, something she couldn’t do before without being extremely breathless.
"I’m a lot fitter so I can take the kids out for walks," she adds. "I also recently climbed a mountain with friends from the gym and I've trained as a PT."
She also feels a lot happier and more confident in herself.
"I love going shopping now. It's completely changed me."
Another positive side effect of her incredible weight loss has been the change to her tastebuds.
"Black olives and bananas are now some of my favourite foods, whereas before I would turn my nose up at them," she explains.
"I also eat a lot of chicken, rice and mainly protein-based meals.
“I used to eat loads of chocolate too, but now I won’t eat the whole bar, I will have it in moderation."
And as for the mayonnaise, Jones says she never eats it anymore.
“I prefer my low-fat salad cream these days,” she says.
For people who are looking to transform their health and fitness routine, like Jones, she has some words of advice.
"Small and steady is the the best way to do it," she recommends. "You have to do it in small bits and celebrate each milestone."
She also suggests using your imagination as your motivation.
"You have to imagine what you could look like if you lose that weight and that has to be your end goal," she says.
"It comes down to how much you want it, and I did."
Read more: Woman loses 16 stone after psychic predicted she might die
Jones' diet before
Breakfast: skipped, energy drink instead
Lunch: sandwich, crisps with mayonnaise and two chocolate bars
Dinner: mashed potato, turkey dinosaurs and baked beans with mayonnaise
Jones' diet after
Breakfast: oats, almond milk
Lunch: salad wrap
Dinner: rice, mince, veg
Additional reporting Caters.
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