11/01/2026
The photo on the left⌠that was me living in a body I didnât feel at home in. Smiling for the camera, but carrying a heavy kind of pain that most people never saw. And it wasnât just âa bit of extra weightâ⌠it was the shame that came with it.
It was the moments that still make my stomach drop when I think about them, the chair that creaked⌠then crackedâŚâŚthe trousers that split at the worst possible timeâŚ..the constant tugging at tops, pulling them down, hiding my stomachâŚ.avoiding photos, mirrors, certain places, certain peopleâŚ..pretending I was âfineâ while quietly feeling embarrassed just to exist in a room
The worst part? I honestly thought it was a me problem. Like I was the only one who couldnât just âsort it outâ. Like I lacked willpower. Like I should be ashamed.
But hereâs the truth I wish someone had told me earlierâŚ
If youâre feeling like that right now â I get it. Properly. Not in a âIâve read about itâ way. In a lived it, cried about it, hated shopping, dreaded nights out, dreaded seats with arms, dreaded being the biggest person in the photo kind of way.
And the photo on the right?
That isnât just weight loss.
Thatâs freedom.
Itâs walking into places without scanning for the âsafeâ chair. Itâs getting dressed without that horrible battle in your head. Itâs not feeling like you have to apologise for taking up space. Itâs confidence coming back⌠bit by bit⌠until one day you realise youâre smiling and you actually mean it.
If youâre reading this and youâre thinking âSteve⌠thatâs meâ please hear me:
You are not disgusting. You are not a lost cause. You are not too far gone. You are someone who deserves support that actually works in real life especially on the hard days. And if you do decide to come to group, you wonât be judged, you wonât be singled out, and you wonât be made to feel stupid for âstarting againâ.
Youâll be understood. Youâll be welcomed. Youâll have a plan. And youâll have me in your corner, every step of the way.
If this post has hit you in the chest a bit⌠send me a message with the word âHELPâ and Iâll reply. No pressure. No lecture. Just a starting point. đ
