Bo’ness mum is half the woman she used to be...

The 44-year-old single mum from Bo’ness lost 10 stone in 10 months.

And she is now working as a consultant for the weight plan which helped her finally take control of her life.

Jennifer said: “In October 2018, I felt so low it really was a crisis point.

“I’d lost a dear friend and decided I needed to start living. I seriously disliked myself and felt trapped in my own body so I had to do something.

“After some research I decided the one-to-one diet by Cambridge Weight Plan sounded like the way out of my misery.

“I started on the plan after a trip to Milan, where I had to ask for an extension to my seatbelt on the plane.

“After many years of feeling not worthy – I often felt that I took up too much space – it was the last straw.

“I was so embarrassed; I realised that it was make or break time.”

Jennifer piled on the pounds when she was just 23; newly divorced and with a two-year-old to look after, like many mums she found little time to look after herself.

“That was the beginning of my downward spiral into low self-esteem and negative self-image,” she recalled.

“I simply did what had to be done as a mum, all the while loathing how I looked.

“I put everyone else first and I think a lot of women will identify with that. But putting yourself first means you’re actually able to help other people more.”

Ten years ago, she retrained to become a fitness instructor – offering classes in yoga, zumba and aerobics in Brightons Community Hall, Bo’ness and Edinburgh.

Self-employed, she also works with Falkirk Community Trust providing instruction cover at classes in venues across the Falkirk district, including a weekly legs, bums and tums class in Grangemouth.

She thought her new job would help her lose weight. Initially it did, but she soon discovered that it wasn’t the answer either.

“I lost a little bit of weight but erratic eating times and a busy life meant I gained it back – and more,” she said.

“So my life of yo-yo dieting and hiding behind baggy dark clothes in the belief that I’d look thinner continued.”

However, her friend’s death was the wake-up call Jennifer needed and she signed up for the Cambridge diet - when she was one pound shy of 21 stone.

She has since lost 10 stone, dropping from a dress size 24 to a 10.

And that transformation ended up securing her the diet plan’s coveted Woman of the Year title.

Jennifer said: “I’m not a competitive person at all but I really wanted to win and to be recognised for something other than being big.

“I wanted it more than I’d ever wanted anything so I was delighted when I was announced as the winner. It felt absolutely fantastic to be recognised for all the hard work I’d done.

“I’m now an ambassador for the one to one diet on the Cambridge website.”

Jennifer also won an all-expenses paid holiday to Seville; she took her son Daniel Johnston (23) with her as a reward for his hard work as, inspired by his mum, he’s also lost five stone.

And Jennifer enjoyed a holiday to Australia last year which cemented just how far she’d come.

She said: “I had to actually pull the seatbelt in on the plane! I was also able to do so many things I’d never tried – water-skiing, paddle boarding, hiking, running and even a skinny dip!

“A year before, I wouldn’t have gone as I was too embarrassed and too big.

“I’m 44 now and have been overweight all of my life. Losing the weight is almost like being young again – getting a chance to do things I would never have considered before.”

Jennifer was supported by her consultant Marilyn Roden. who inspired her to become a consultant.

“It’s like having your own personal cheerleader who you see every week but is also there to support you through tough times,” said Jennifer.

“Weight loss is an emotive subject for many women, who don’t even want to talk to their husbands about it. So having someone they can confide in who knows how they feel can be just the motivation they need.

“I used to work in the beauty industry and some of my colleagues in the Gyle approached me about my weight loss. People in my classes were also asking me about it so I started getting clients before I even became a consultant last year!

“It’s now my passion, helping people who were in my position or who can’t seem to shift one or two stone, because I know how much of a difference it can make to their lives. You have to change your lifestyle a bit but the diet is easy to stick to if you want it hard enough – and you’re never hungry or I’d never have been able to do it.

“My life has been transformed; it’s taken a long time to feel like this and I don’t want it to end.”

To find out more, email [email protected] or visit www.one2onediet.com.

Please note, due to COVID-19, Jennifer has had to cancel her regular classes. However, she is looking forward to seeing regulars and newbies once the restrictions are lifted.