A mum with a food phobia which meant she largely ate chips, meat and garlic bread has lost seven stone after finally overcoming her fear.
Jade Simmonds, 42, was wearing a size 20 and weighed over 17 stone as a result of takeaway binges after struggling to find foods she felt comfortable eating.
The mum-of-three, from London, had struggled with “fussy” eating since childhood and found herself only eating limited – and often calorific – foods.
She would often skip meals, only to binge on crisps, plain slices of bread, and salty takeaways when the hunger became too much.
Jade, who works in social housing, was particularly struggling with her self-esteem at this time and struggling to accept how overweight she had become as a result of the unhealthy food choices.
“I hated the way I looked and felt about myself, I just couldn’t bear the reality of my reflection so I turned my bedroom mirror around to face the wall,” she told Jam Press.
“For as far back as I can remember I’d been ‘fussy’. As a child when friends were having parties at pizza places, I couldn’t go.
“But when I moved out into a home of my own at 21 where I was responsible for buying and making food, it became something more.
“The food I was eating became even more narrow in choice.
“If someone suggested trying a sauce or something from their plate, the thought alone would put me off my food.
“One time, someone had cut off a piece of their chicken dish and held the fork close to my face. I had a full-blown panic attack and couldn’t breathe.
“I’d avoid anything that wasn’t ‘neat’ – a therapist suggested I had subconsciously classified food into ‘dirty’ and ‘clean’.
“Pineapple for example was dirty because of the texture, anything that’s messy, like a curry, or that isn’t smooth in texture, like scrambled eggs or that smells particularly strong, like fish couldn’t be near me.
“Even things that I did eat, like spaghetti hoops, had to be in a separate bowl so not to contaminate the dry food.
“The foods I was eating were in no way giving me the nutrients I needed and my life became convenience eating.”
Finding it “embarrassing” and having steadily gained weight, Jade had tried a host of alternative therapies over the years including cognitive therapy and hypnotism to unpack her issues with food, but nothing ever stuck.
In April 2020, determined to make a real change and finally face her fear, encouraging herself to be more open to trying foods she had previously blacklisted.
In a bid to learn more about nutrition, she decided to join the Team RH fat loss programme – which involved eating in a calorie deficit with healthy meals, as well as kickstarting her fitness journey by going on long walks on 10-15,000 steps.
Committing herself fully to the plan, Jade felt more focused on her health than ever before.
She said: “I felt like if it didn’t work, I was going to stay fat forever – but I was determined and didn’t want to fail.”
Jade tried foods like brown seeded bread and sweet potato for the first time and incorporated fruits and vegetables into her daily diet.
She didn’t need a gym to get fit, making small changes like working out in her kitchen, parking further away from places to ensure she got her steps in, and walking her children to school rather than driving.
The small changes became a lifestyle – and a sustainable one, with Jade still able to indulge in the odd takeaway and treat thanks to the non-restrictive nature of the programme.
Over the course of 18 months, she managed to shed seven stone and can now comfortably fit into a size 10.
Most importantly, her mental and physical health was better than ever – with the mum finally feeling confident thanks to her new balanced approach.
She said: “I reached a point where my physical health, appearance, fitness and self-esteem were finally more important than being too stubborn or stuck in my ways to try new things.”
Now, the mum says she is more confident than ever and is finally happy with her healthier approach to life.
Jade added: “I feel relief and confident about the future. When I was that big everything was a worry – what will I wear, will I be comfortable, who will see me, what will they think.
“I don’t have a worry anymore, and feel I can be myself now without additional anxiety every time have to do anything or see anyone.
“I enjoy making meals that are full of flavour and good for me – and I know I’m making good choices, and setting better example for my kids.
“And of course, I’m healthier now so that’s better for the future.
“[I feel] kind of like I need to pinch self every day – it’s like a dream.”
EXAMPLE DIET: BEFORE
BREAKFAST: White bread / toast
LUNCH: Cheese sandwich with salt, plain /salt & vinegar crisps, a can of full fat coke.
DINNER: plain chicken or steak, deep fried chips or takeaway (around 3 takeaways every week such as McDonald’s and KFC, chicken & chips from local fish shop
SNACKS: Crisps, Twiglets and full fat coke. Cookies & cream ice cream.
Jade said: “I rarely had three meals a day but ate snacks late because I was so hungry.”
DIET: NOW
BREAKFAST: Wholemeal seeded toast, fruit, yoghurt with seeds
LUNCH: chicken salad or sandwich with onions and cucumber. Or scrambled eggs on toast with bacon.
DINNER: Homemade curry or cajun chicken pasta, or chicken tray bake with sweet potatoes & vegetables.
SNACKS: Popcorn and biscuits but it depends on how many calories she has already consumed that day.
Jade also drinks more water now.
In other news, woman, 26, loses six stone with lifestyle overhaul after terrifying ‘stroke’ left her unable to speak
