As a third Christmas dinner was placed in front of me, a wave of nausea swept up my body. 'I don't know if I can manage it,' I said, pushing it away.
It was Christmas 2016 and, like every year, my family had piled into my house on Christmas Eve morning for a fry-up breakfast, followed by Christmas dinner and leftovers in the evening, snacking on chocolates throughout the day. We'd washed it all down with wine and beer, then repeated it at my sister Sarah's house on Christmas Day, and now at my Mum's for Boxing Day.
We all laughed at how much food we'd consumed but pushed past the nausea, eventually clearing plates that were piled high with turkey, pigs in blankets, sprouts, cabbage, Yorkshire puds, and gravy. We joked that if we weren't in a food coma by the end of each day, we weren't doing Christmas properly.
But my bingeing didn't stop there.
Throughout the year, I ate whatever I wanted. I was a single mum and socialising rotated around food. I'd go for a fry-up at a cafe with friends or take my daughter Tianni, then nine, and her friends for ice cream. Every few months, my waistband grew tighter, and I'd go up another size. I didn't dwell on my body, instead focusing on the good things in my life like Tianni and the rest of my family.
In December 2017, Sarah and two of our friends booked a meal at the local carvery to kick off the festive season. Tianni sat on my bed and we sang along to Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You as I applied my make-up and tied my hair into a sleek ponytail. I kissed Tianni goodbye and headed out feeling good.
This story is from the November 07, 2022 edition of WOMAN'S OWN.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the November 07, 2022 edition of WOMAN'S OWN.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Is it ever OK to lie about your age?
Kaye Adams has done it, and even Mel B jokes that she doesn't believe friend Geri Horner is 51. We ask...
‘I DIDN'T THINK.I'D SEE MUM AGAIN'int ICAT AFAR
MelB on rebuilding her life rebuilding her life after her abusive’ marriage
8 WAYS TO BECOME A MORNING PERSON
Improve body and mind with just a few simple tweaks to your daily routine
WHY YOU NEVER FORGET YOUR FIRST LOVE
(laire Dore, 50, learnt a lot from her first serious relationship
WHAT'S THE NAKED ATTRACTION ?
After a host of celebrities admitted to stripping off behind closed doors, Natalie Brown, 43, decided to bare all to find out just what all the fuss was about
MY FURY AT BEING A GRAN AT 52
Shona Sibary was far from excited when her eldest daughter welcomed her first child
A YEAR IN THE MAKING
Many of us shy away from drastic change but for these three women, it was just what they needed
I LOST 6ST AND FOUND THE REAL ME!
Shay Al-Ajami May, 32, was fed up pretending to be happy, so she decided to make it a reality
WHAT DO YOUR FEET SAY ABOUT YOUR HEALTH?
From heart disease to arthritis, here’s what they might be trying to tell you…
HOW CAN WE HELP OUR CHILDREN?
With more young people facing mental-health crises, we investigate what needs to be done