A mother-of-two has shed almost half her body weight after being coaxed back to the gym by the manager who noticed he hadn’t seen her for a while.
Lisa Parke, 51, from Beckenham in London, ballooned to 18 stone after developing an unhealthy relationship with food, regularly binging on hot cross buns and buttered toast.
But the teaching assistant was forced to overhaul her lifestyle after receiving a call out of the blue from Gary Nicholas, the manager of her gym, who asked why she had not visited the premises in so long.
The impromptu phone call inspired Lisa to turn her life around and start exercising once again, and she has since slimmed down to a healthy size 10.
Lisa Parke lost almost half her body weight after being coaxed into the gym by the manager. Before shedding the weight she was 18 stone (pictured)
Transformation: Lisa ballooned to 18 stone after developing an unhealthy relationship with food – but is now a healthy size 10
Lisa had struggled with her weight from a young age, hitting 9 stone at the age of nine, before going on to wear a size 12 aged 12.
Lisa eventually reached 18 stone, but her life was turned around in July 2016 after gym manager Gary warned her she faced years of health problems if she did not change her lifestyle.
Talking about the moment she decided to make the life change, she said: ‘This would never ever have happened without that phone call. I was in a vicious circle.
‘I had a very unhealthy relationship with food. I was eating because I was fed up and I would then starve myself thinking that would work only to find the next fix and put the weight back.
The phone call prompted the mother-of-two to turn her life around and start dropping weight
The teaching assistant received a call out of the blue from Gary Nicholas (pictured), the manager of her gym, who asked why she had not visited his gym
‘I was in a a bit of dark place and Gary told me I was at risk of diabetes, high blood pressure. He was very matter of fact, but it was what I needed to hear.
‘I had tried all the diets and would starve myself, so I wasn’t really learning anything about food and how to be healthy, she added.
‘Now I have a more healthy relationship with food, I can control it and no food groups are off limits. I drink gin and slimline tonic now, but I still enjoy a Prosecco sometimes at the weekend.
And her doctor was so impressed, she couldn’t believe it was the same person, with Lisa adding: ‘When my GP saw me she didn’t recognise me.’
Lisa had struggled with her weight from a young age, hitting 9 stone at the age of nine, before going on to wear a size 12 aged 12 and eventually hitting 18 stone
Lisa’s training plan started getting in a 5k run before moving on to daily visits to the gym
Lisa has attended her one to one every single week – only now she adds more classes and 10k runs into the mix
Lisa’s training plan started getting in a 5k run before moving on to daily visits to the gym.
Remembering her journey, trainer Gary said: ‘One day I asked her sister Paula where Lisa was because I had not seen her in a while. She told me her sister was not in a good place.
‘I told her I would ring. We had a good chat. I told Lisa if she was willing to give 100 per cent I would give 100 per cent back.
‘She did a couple of one to ones and the rest is history,’ he added triumphantly.
Since then Lisa has attended her one to one every single week – only now she adds more classes and 10k runs into the mix.
‘I had a very unhealthy relationship with food. I was eating because I was fed up and I would then starve myself thinking that would work only to find the next fix and put the weight back’
It has inspired by her husband Phil Parke (pictured) who has arthritis to join the gym
‘I am finally happy with myself. That makes me proud. It is all down to that phone call’ she said
Newly slimmed down Lisa and Phil pictured with their two children
At the start of the journey, Gary made Lisa update Facebook each week on how much weight she had lost.
Lisa from Beckenham, south east London, admitted: ‘That was the hardest thing I had to do in my life. The comments and the likes and the encouragement I got from it was unbelievable.
‘My friends and family are so proud of me. It has inspired by husband who has arthritis to join the gym and seven of my friends have joined Calso Slimming and Shape up Club (launched by Gary this year).
‘I am finally happy with myself. That makes me proud. It is all down to that phone call.
‘It is hard to believe I have actually done this. It has been a lifelong struggle of mine. Going into a shop and buying a size ten is incredible. This is not something I have experienced before,’ she concluded happily.