Lisa Fitzpatrick - Diet SOS: Life changing tips for long-term weight loss success

From the very moment I decided to lose weight my life changed. Not dramatically, but it did change. I had reached a point where I could no longer pretend that my weight wasnt an issue. Having Sophie, my first child, gave me the courage I needed to make that change. In her I found my motivation and my incentive to be healthy, and from that point onwards I took control of something that had haunted me for years.

First and foremost, I learned that I was the only person who had the power to do something about my situation. Before that an alien could have dropped down from Mars and said, Lisa, for the sake of planet Earth, please lose weight, and I would still have carried on with my chocolate, chips and bad habits. The point is that the life-changing decision had to come from me otherwise it would never have worked.

At my heaviest, I was a size 20, weighing around 15 stone. I want to share my personal weight-loss journey with you, as I really believe that what worked for me could work for you. However, before you read any further here are a few home truths I think you should know:

1. Losing weight is not rocket science.

2. There is no quick fix.

3. You are what you consume.

4. Feeling sorry for yourself is a waste of time and will not make you slim.

5. Only you have the power to change.

Let me put my cards firmly on the table: Im not a diet expert, Im not a fitness guru, and Im not a psychologist. Im a real woman, who was really overweight and who managed to lose those pounds without losing her sanity! Im a positive thinker and I pride myself on being a good wife, mum and friend.

I love my job as a fashion stylist. However, while I have discovered every trick of the trade when it comes to covering up lumps and bumps, I also recognise that hiding never solved anything I should know, I owned more oversized cardigans than youd ever think possible! Covering up might be helpful in the short term, but it certainly isnt the answer.

Deep down, if you know you are truly overweight, there comes a time when you have to take control. Believe me when I say I stumbled more than once, but also believe in yourself and recognise that you are capable of doing this. Just go for it!

Lisa xxx

I was brought up in a typical Irish household on big dinners.

I was brought up in a typical Irish household on big dinners consisting of meat and two veg stews, mince, roasts, that sort of thing. If it was traditional we ate it! And when I say ate I really mean ate. You didnt put your knife and fork down until your plate was empty and only then could you go outside to play. I usually ate fast. It was hearty food and we had regular meals, three times a day. We had cereal for breakfast and the bread was white. Lunch was sandwiches and a packet of crisps. It wasnt always healthy, but it was certainly consistent. When dinner was made at home we used a full bag of potatoes and thought nothing of it. In those days, food was more about fuel and habit than anything else.

Like most children I never really listened to my body when I was younger. I just kept on eating until the food was gone. I didnt really know when I was full because I never gave myself the chance to find out. I certainly never gave any thought to the choices I made in relation to food and that probably paved the way for eating the wrong things as I got older.

Luckily for me I was very sporty, so even though I wasnt eating particularly well my weight was never an issue. I enjoyed exercise and I loved being active. It was something I focused on and I liked the feeling of being fit. I was slim, outgoing and I had a big personality. I always made sure I got my point across! I definitely ate a lot more than I should have done I found it hard to resist a sugar craving and I rarely deprived myself but I was so energetic it never seemed to matter. If I wanted it, I ate it! Back then my life was quite simple it was all about fresh air and fitness.

As a teenager I was tall and slim, with brown curly hair and freckles I wished would disappear. In spite of that I was a happy, outgoing and upbeat girl. I was always on the go and I loved a challenge. When I was in school I did a milk and paper round. At 16 I got my first job in retail, working in our local supermarket. At 17 I worked in a coffee shop and at 18 I went to the United States to be a lifeguard for the summer. I was always independent and enjoyed the responsibilty I had, working from a young age.

I was aware of the importance of good posture and always held myself well it just seemed natural to me but I never remember being conscious of my weight at that time. I knew that looks were important to some people, and I seemed to realise quite early on that making the most of your assets was an art form, but while I didnt like my brown hair and wished for bigger boobs I learnt to be content with what I had been given. To me, I dressed well, looked the part and talked the talk. The 80s was a time to have fun with fashion and there was definitely more of an anything goes attitude back then than there is now. There simply wasnt the emphasis on looks and appearance we see today in the media. We didnt have the same culture of being fascinated by celebrities, how they looked and how thin they were. As far as I was concerned, people came in all different shapes and sizes and the most glamorous thing on TV was the annual Rose of Tralee competition, which was all about finding a young woman with a great personality who could become a good ambassador for Ireland around the world. The girls spent some time chatting to the host and then often performed an Irish song or dance as a party piece. I loved it! It just seemed to be a far more innocent time and I dont think women compared themselves to others in the way they do now.

Its fair to say I have always been a people watcher I could sit all day in a coffee shop and watch those around me but even though I spent hours doing it, I never found myself being jealous or envious of other women. It just wasnt something that ever occurred to me I was brought up to be proud of who I was and to believe in myself.

I didnt go to college after I left school. Instead, I went on to do a fitness course and train as an instructor for a year. Somewhere in the back of my mind I didnt consider this to be real study as such and therefore I often felt inadequate when the conversation turned to education in a social situation. Im not sure why I thought like that because in every other way I had an inner strength I was proud of. It never stopped me from wanting to be successful; it was just something that made me slightly uncomfortable. As time went on that inadequate feeling did stay with me and it was certainly a factor in my weight gain. It stands to reason that our insecurities can sometimes get the better of us. Food has always been a source of comfort for me, even if the ill-effects of overindulging didnt show straight away.