When constant snacking pushed Anna
Maw, 38, from Brighton, towards a size 20, she slipped on her trainers and
transformed more than just her weight
My challenge
‘I was already big – a size 18 at just 5ft
4in – when I stopped smoking but it was ditching the cigarettes which really
tipped the scales. I started snacking to cope with the cravings and, just three
weeks after quitting, I was two sizes bigger. Horrified, I realised I had to
ditch the weight along with the cigarettes.’
Anna
Maw – before
How I changed
‘It was actually my smoking counselor who
suggested I should take up running. At first I thought I’d never have the times
as I’m a full-time mum, plus I was desperately unfit. But then I found a free
online programme that promised to transform a couch potato into a 5K runner in
just 12 weeks, and decided I had nothing to lose.
‘In my first session, I ran for just a
minute on Brighton beach and thought my heart was going to explode. But by the
time I’d finished that first half hour of gentle interval training –walking
interspersed with 60-second bursts of running – I was really proud of myself.
And the results were astonishing, I could feel and see my body changing after
just a week.
‘Over the next three months, I increased my
running time during each session and overhauled my diet. Instead of eating two
big meals, I had small, regular meals throughout the day to maintain my energy
for running and swapped sweet snacks for fruit and yogurt. The first time I ran
a full 5K – only 12 weeks later – I felt on top of the world. Buoyed by my paid
progress, I joined my local Sweatshop Running Community.
‘Exercising in a group is such fun and so
motivating. We run 5km every Monday night – on my first visit I came in at 43
minutes; now my time is under half an hour. Just seven months after joining the
club I ran my first half marathon – a goal I never thought I’d be capable of
achieving. Plus, I was three and a half stone lighter – and all from doing an
exercise I’d fallen in love with.’
The new me
Anna
Maw – Now
‘My body has completely changed. I’ve gone
from overweight and flabby to toned from top to toe. I feel healthier and more
energetic than ever before and I’ve discovered a real passion – I run three
times a week now, whatever the weather. And, to top it all off, everyone says
that I look ten years younger – I’m not going to argue with a compliment like
that!’
