A woman who had to shop for clothes in the maternity section as nothing else would fit has revealed what she ditched in order to become unrecognisable.
Deidre Olsen had been out shopping to refresh her wardrobe when she came across a pair of trousers she liked.
Picking up a size XL, she waltzed into the changing room to try them on – but was met with teary eyes when the garment wouldn’t budge past her knees.
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The 35-year-old had no choice but to shop in the maternity section as they were the only clothes that fit her comfortably.
Fed up with feeling like the world was ‘no longer’ built for her, the filmmaker began making gradual lifestyle changes.
And, later that year, she packed up her life and moved over 4,000 miles away from everything she knew to begin a new chapter abroad.
Now, Deidre is 6st 2lbs lighter and no longer has to shop for clothes made for expectant mothers.
“Realising I was more comfortable shopping in the maternity section than in standard sizing was definitely a difficult moment,” she told What’s The Jam.
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“It made me notice how much my body had changed and how uncomfortable I had become in everyday life.
“I felt so embarrassed.
“Nobody asked if I was pregnant – nor did anybody appear to judge me – but how I felt internally wasn’t great.
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“I could hardly fit into roller coaster seats, either.
“There was one ride where my hips were too wide to sit comfortably in the seat, so I had to sit partly sideways.
“That really stayed with me, because it made me realise that ordinary parts of life were becoming physically harder for me.
“I had reached a point where my size was making everyday spaces, clothing and activities difficult.
“The world was no longer built for me.
“I felt like I didn’t belong no matter where I went.
“I was constantly lethargic, even when walking up a few short stairs.
“Or across the street from my home to the bus stop.
“At the weekend, I would sleep for the entire two days as I was so exhausted after work.
“I didn’t like how I looked; mostly because the light in my eyes had vanished.
“I was totally fed up with myself.”
Deidre’s battle with her weight began in January 2020.
She recalls suffering a “depressive episode” which plunged her into bad eating habits.
While there weren’t specific foods which contributed to her weight gain, Deidre says she relied heavily on more calorie-dense convenience foods, larger portions and snacks.
For her, binge eating was the major problem.
And so was her alcohol consumption, with beer her poison of choice.
Deidre would often drink up to six in an hour, coupled with an entire share bag of crisps.
It left her weighing 14st 9lbs at her heaviest.
She said: “I was deeply unwell.
“And it reflected outwards.
“I could see the culmination of my substance abuse and binge eating disorder in my physical appearance.
“After eating or drinking, there was a cycle of feeling physically and emotionally worse.
“More than anything, I felt stuck in a pattern I didn’t know how to get out of.
“It affected my confidence across almost every part of my life.
“I had less energy to socialise, exercise or pursue the things I wanted to do.
“I felt very disconnected from myself.”
Deidre tried her hand at hot yoga and Brazilian jiu-jitsu in a bid to shift the weight.
Neither became something she was able to stick with consistently, though.
After walking more and tracking her calorie intake, however, she lost 25lbs.
It encouraged her to keep going.
But the real change came in September 2020 when she moved from Toronto, Canada, to Berlin, Germany.
While the move wasn’t about losing weight, it was the start of a new chapter for Deidre.
By this point, she had quit alcohol for good and had switched her diet completely.
She focused her daily meals around protein and fibre, with daily staples including tofu, semolina pudding, cottage cheese, chickpeas and avocados.
She also spent five days a week in the gym and aimed for 10,000 steps each day.
Within four years, Deidre was down 6st 2lbs, now weighing 8st 6lbs.
She said: “I am way more confident and at home in my body than ever before.
“It feels great to feel strong and agile, whereas I once felt tired and weak.
“I can take up space in society as a woman like I never felt able to do before.”
Since then, Deidre has had a complete lifestyle revamp.
She’s now an endurance athlete focused on running marathons and doing Hyrox competitions.
Not only that, a master’s degree has been achieved in North American Studies, and she’s built a successful career.
Deidre added: “The discipline and consistency to do hard things has now transpired into everything in my life.
“I’ve made countless achievements that I never thought were possible.
“I shifted from ‘I don’t want to do this’ to ‘I get to do this’.
“I am the most secure and confident I’ve ever been in myself.
“Be kind to yourself in this journey.
“Time will pass anyway.
“Don’t expect overnight results.
“And remember you’re building a new life – one that is full of strength and longevity.”
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