Woman, 75, turns life around after dropping from a size 32 to a size 10
Ann Barrowman, from Clydebank, says she lost control of her size, choosing convenient foods and takeaways over diet and exercise after she became a mum when she was in her 30s.
Then followed 40 years where her life revolved around her family and work as health choices "slowly slipped away".
Woman, 75, turns life around after dropping from a size 32 to a size 10 (Image: Supplied)
Woman, 75, turns life around after dropping from a size 32 to a size 10 (Image: Supplied)
Ann suffered from a severe heart attack whilst out shopping in 2016, just months after losing her husband the previous September.
She said: "For more than half my life I struggled with my weight. Looking back, it really started after I had my son in my 30s. Like so many mums, I put everyone else first.
"Food was a big part of it. Large breakfasts, fry-ups, takeaways most days, night-time snacking on bread and biscuits, alcohol most evenings and weekends. Exercise was almost non-existent.
"I lost my wonderful husband and suddenly my world felt very small.
"Then, while out shopping, I collapsed and suffered a major heart attack. My heart stopped. I later found out I was clinically dead while surgeons worked for over an hour to save my life during a double bypass."
After months of recovery, Ann became frightened to leave the house as her mental health declined.
However, in 2021, her son introduced her to the 1:1 Diet by Cambridge Weight Plan after finding success himself and wanted to share the effects.
She attended Martin Bryan, a weight loss coach in Clydebank and Dumbarton who provides one to one coaching for the Cambridge diet.
When she first started Ann weighed 18 stone and 7 pounds. A year later in May 2022, she reached her goal of losing 7 stone and 7 pounds.
Ann added: "The first few weeks were hard. I was trying to undo more than 40 years of bad habits. But the routine really helped. There was no thinking involved, which I loved.
"The weight losses gave me motivation, and the one-to-one support made all the difference. I could be honest about bad weeks without fear of judgement."
Since then, she has worked hard to maintain her size and has now been recognised at a national level for her achievements.
Woman, 75, turns life around after dropping from a size 32 to a size 10 (Image: Supplied)
Woman, 75, turns life around after dropping from a size 32 to a size 10 (Image: Supplied)
At 75-year-old, Ann won Maintainer of the Year for the whole of the UK at the National Slimmer Awards proving "it's never too late."
She said: "I feel years younger. It’s taken me over 40 years to reach this point, but I’ve finally arrived. I’m grabbing every opportunity life gives me with both hands.
"I’ve gone from a size 32 to a size 10 or 12. I can shop anywhere now. Marks and Spencer is a favourite. I feel confident, happier, and more alive.
"Group settings never worked for me. I didn’t feel comfortable opening up. With one-to-one support, I could be honest, supported, and held accountable.
"It is never too late. I’m living proof of that. No matter your age, your past, or what you’ve been through, change is possible.
"If I can do this at 71, and maintain it into my mid-70s, anyone can."
