Why going into lockdown inspired Bedfordshire's Lisa Hussain to transform her life (and lose nine stone in the process)
Growing up as a bigger child was hard. I got bullied a lot at school, and was always having adults tell me to lose weight, but all that ever did was make me want to binge eat more. In adulthood I've done the normal – got married, had three children and just eaten my way through my emotions.
When my nephew was christened in 2016, I felt so uncomfortable at a whopping 23 stone 4lb that I kept my coat on the whole time. I was too embarrassed to take it off – it was like a security blanket. I knew this had to change so I eventually plucked up the courage and started going to my local slimming group. It started off well – I lost 8lb in the first week – but eventually I stopped going, as the looks of disappointment on the faces of people around me when I didn't lose enough weight was soul destroying.
When we went into lockdown in 2020 I knew I had two choices – regain the weight I had lost or actually take this opportunity to concentrate on myself and my lifestyle, which is exactly what I did. At the time I couldn't climb the stairs without being out of breath, but I started walking for 30 minutes a day and the difference it was making was amazing. I lost three stone in three months by counting calories and walking more and more. By the end of 2020 I was absolutely addicted to walking.
I stumbled across Country Walking magazine on Facebook, joined the virtual mission on 10th January, and haven't looked back. To date, I've lost nine stone. I've still got another two, maybe three to go and will hopefully have lost it by the end of the year.
Doing #walk1000miles has been one of the best decisions I've ever made. I've made some wonderful friends through it and it makes me so determined to keep walking every day, getting healthier and improving the distance I can walk. The #walk1000miles community has been absolutely amazing. Everyone is so positive and encouraging, it's really lovely to be part of it.
In addition to this challenge I took part in the 500,000 Steps in March Challenge for CLIC Sargent, raising money for Young Lives vs Cancer. I'm also training to climb Snowdon in July, raising money for Children with Cancer UK. I wouldn't have done any of this had I not lost weight and found my love for walking. And I'd say to anyone who identifies with the situation I was in to believe in yourself and don't give up. Perseverance is the key.
