A little girl took a sneaky photo of her overweight mother who was so shocked at the picture she lost over 126 pounds.
Mom of four Nikki Forbes, 35, didn’t know her daughter, now 8, had snapped her picture while she was sitting on the sofa two years ago.
Ms. Forbes, from Newmains, Lanarkshire, Scotland, says she couldn’t even recognize herself when she saw the photo. She knew she had to make a change and so began her life-changing weight loss journey.
She began calorie counting and checking nutritional information on what she ate, trying to make smaller, healthier changes at first. Despite not having a strict exercise regime, Ms. Forbes was able to make progress by doing her daily errands alongside a lowered calorie intake.
Over the course of two years, she lost 130 pounds, taking her from a size 22 to a size 8 to 10. Now comfortable with her weight, Ms. Forbes is able to spend more time being active with her children, a benefit she’s incredibly proud of.
“I’d been looking through my pictures, and I realized that there was a picture in my photos of me sitting drinking a cup of coffee,” she said. “It was one of those moments where it hit me. I thought, ‘Is that really me? Am I really that size?’
“I asked the kids who’d taken the picture and my wee girl said it was her. I asked my husband if that was how I really looked—he said that I looked a bit different because I was sitting down, but yes.
“That was it. I quickly realized after seeing that picture that I needed to do something about it, otherwise, I wouldn’t be around long enough for my children.”
Ms. Forbes began her journey with calorie counting. A fan of takeaways and crisps, she was able to keep her favorite treats in her diet by having treats on Sundays and making sure that she didn’t consume over a set daily calorie intake.
“I never had any hesitation with food,” she said. “If I wanted chocolate or crisps or a takeaway, I’d just have it. I never really looked at the nutritional value of food. “Now, if everyone’s getting a takeaway, I’ll get something similar, but slightly healthier. ‘Grilled chicken instead of fried, that kind of thing. I can still be involved but make little tweaks to be healthier.
“I never cut out all the rubbish. I still have my takeaway on Sunday evening, or some chocolate or crisps, but I stay within my calorie allowance. Being that heavy, just walking or doing everyday tasks burns a lot of calories, so by taking in less, I lost weight.”
Ms. Forbes is incredibly proud of her achievement—but mainly for the difference it has made to her children’s lives.
“I can run after my kids now; I can go on a swing set. I can walk up a flight of stairs without getting out of breath,” she said. “I can just do so much more. I never thought about it before, but I used to avoid doing certain things because I knew I’d be out of breath. It was little things, like kicking a ball around the park with my children—now, it’s me who starts the running around!”
“My daughter, the one who took the picture, wrapped her arms around my waist the other day and could put her arms right around me. That was lovely.”
Now feeling healthier and happier, Ms. Forbes has key advice for anyone in a similar position.
“Once you start, go for it. If you have a day where you fall off the wagon, don’t waste the whole week,“ she said. “One day can sometimes turn into seven—get back on that horse the next day. One day off is better than seven days off. Keep on going.”
