Growing up in Australia I was always at the beach and active. But at 17 I went to France as an exchange student, discovered pain au chocolat and gained 14kg (over 2st) in one year. When I was a student in Sydney I ate cheap junk food and started drinking. By my early 20s, at 5ft 7ins, I weighed 75kg (11st 11lb). I didn't exercise at all and the diet always started "tomorrow".
My late 20s and 30s were focused on my career in HR, 17 years in Hong Kong and Singapore. I worked hard, played hard and enjoyed cocktails with my gay friends and girlfriends.
Even though I had a boyfriend who was super healthy, it never rubbed off on me. Waiters always assumed the salad was for me and the burger was for him. I would smile as if I was stubbornly trying to prove that I was a cheerful woman who didn't care about calories.
At 43 I was a size 16 and weighed 82kg (12st 12lb) when I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer after becoming increasingly ill. I was lucky that it was caught at stage one so I didn't need chemo or radiotherapy but I did have my entire thyroid removed. My surgeon said "it's going to be much harder to lose weight without a thyroid which will change your metabolism".
Luckily I recovered well. I knew I had to take better care of myself, but that doctor's comment made me accept that I would always be overweight.
I bought gym memberships and never went, or half-heartedly counted calories but ate comfort food on the side. Now I wish I had made my health a priority.
Heartbroken after another breakup, I took a job as head of HR for a private equity firm in London. I gratefully accepted dinner invitations to make new friends. I fell in love with the very traditional British food: Waitrose chicken and leek pasties, egg and bacon sandwiches, and roast dinners followed by sticky toffee pudding were all delicious novelties. A Deliveroo takeaway also became a weekly habit.
While shopping in M&S in 2019 I slipped on the floor and fell on my left elbow, dislocating it and shattering the radial head, radius and ulna bones. I also tore several ligaments and the nerves in my hand. Drastic injuries for just a fall on a shop floor, right? But because I was so overweight, the doctor compared the impact to falling off a motorbike at high speed. For 12 months my arm was useless - my friends even had to wash me at first and I needed a lot of physiotherapy. Once again, food was my solace.
Then in 2021 my mother passed away. There was more emotional eating as I grieved.
In 2022 I weighed 94kg (about 15st) and wore size 18. At my annual health check I was told I had high blood pressure and diabetes.
There I was, 51, my ankles hurt when I walked up the stairs and I had a serious health condition. Menopause had brought brain fog, sleepless nights and hot flashes. Was this my life?
I was extremely disappointed in myself.
The doctors gave me two months to lose some weight or I would have to take medication, probably forever. That was the push I needed to finally take responsibility for the life I wanted to live.
I signed up with fitness company Ultimate Performance in November 2022 after colleagues recommended it. It wasn't cheap, but I got a trainer who supported me 24/7, monitoring everything from my workouts and diet to my daily step count. And most importantly, he helped me understand my behavior.
The first time I walked into that gym was intimidating, made worse by my old shorts and 10-year-old sports bra. But with 35kg (over 5st) to lose, I had to start somewhere. It wasn't going to be an overnight transformation, my trainer explained. I often got grumpy and said, "I can't do this," but his belief in me made all the difference, and a routine makes all the difference.
The first year we didn't do any cardio. Instead I focused on lifting weights three times a week, starting with just 4kg for a dumbbell shoulder press (I can now lift 13kg).
Of course, drastic changes were needed in my diet as well. Bacon butties and decadent sauces disappeared, and I started eating a lot more fruits and vegetables. Lunches became salads with protein; dinners were things like steak and vegetables. I reduced the carbs, so they made up only 30 percent of my diet, and rarely ate potatoes or pasta, opting instead for brown rice. Milky lattes were replaced by black coffee. Instead of wine, my treat became vodka, soda, and fresh lime. I started cooking for myself to control the ingredients.
After three months I had lost 12 inches and weighed 190 pounds; after six months I had lost 23 inches and weighed 160 pounds and was a size 12. After a year I was 140 pounds and a size 12 and started running in Hyde Park.
Every two weeks I was weighed, measured and photographed, seeing visible progress really gave me a boost.
I reached my goal weight of 59kg in June 2024 and my god did it feel good. I now wear a size 8-10 and don't dress like a sloppy middle aged woman.
Shopping knowing they have my size is pure pleasure.
I'm still single (I hate dating apps, unfortunately, and would rather meet someone naturally), but I can't lie - getting compliments on my appearance feels really good, thank you. The best compliment is definitely that I look 10 years younger.
I was nervous to share my story, I don't like to brag but I felt so strongly that as women in our 50's we can feel like life is over. We are told that after menopause we can expect a roll in the stomach and that mobility becomes more difficult. I was determined that I was not going to spend the rest of my life on the couch, watching TV and gaining weight. I wanted to be active, attractive and my authentic, happy self again.
I haven't touched wine - or even a chicken and leek pie for that matter - for 18 months and I don't miss it. I do have the occasional glass of champagne because it's low in calories. And I'm doing my first Hyrox race in December, at 53! I'm so proud of my achievements, I finally feel like I can celebrate myself.
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Pre-meals
Breakfast: Bacon and egg sandwich, latte
Lunch: Sandwiches, such as chicken schnitzel with mayo and lettuce
Dinner: Creamy pasta and sticky toffee pudding
Snacks: Cake, chips, chocolate chip cookies
Meals after
Breakfast: Fruit, yoghurt, poached eggs
Lunch: Chicken and salad, or tuna with whole wheat pita bread and salad
Dinner: Beef, vegetables, brown rice
Snacks: Fruit, nuts, homemade protein cake, rice cakes, hummus
Rani's Weight Loss Tips
Think positive
Baby steps are key: find a way to celebrate what you've accomplished-even if it's just showing up-rather than what you haven't done yet. The small victories all add up to a big result.
Give something tasty
A small piece of dark chocolate or a bite of a friend's pudding will satisfy your hunger. Once you start seeing results, you won't want to undo them by eating the whole thing.
Drink less alcohol
You don't have to give it up completely, but find a drink you like and go easy on it. Now all my friends know to order me a vodka and soda and I won't have more than two.
Keep a food diary
When you see it all written down, on an app like MyFitnessPal, you can really see where the hidden calories are-and how to avoid them. And no matter how unflattering the photos are (mine are bad), save them to keep you motivated.
Get moving
Even if you can't go to the gym, just walk. I walk everywhere now.
As told to Susanna Galton
