The Feed My Health Podcast
Welcome to the Feed My Health Podcast, where we redefine what it means to thrive as a modern woman over 30.
This is your space to explore sustainable health, balanced nutrition, mindset shifts, and habits that actually fit into real life—kids, careers, and all.
Hosted by Rosalind Tapper, a high-level coach and mentor for women ready to take the lead in their own lives, each episode is packed with expert insights, practical strategies, and inspiring stories to help you feel unstoppable💫
Whether you're navigating perimenopause, balancing family and work, or simply trying to find you again, this podcast will empower you to:
✨ Build a body and mindset you’re proud of
✨ Break free from yo-yo dieting and quick fixes
✨ Balance health with the joys of life, guilt-free
It's time to make yourself a priority without sacrificing what you love. Let's do this together. 💪
🎧 New episodes every week—tune in and take that first step to becoming the leading lady in your life!💫
The Feed My Health Podcast
The Gift of Life: How Weight Loss Made a Kidney Donation Possible
A mother's love knows no bounds – but for Adrienne, that love meant transforming her entire health to save her daughter's life. In this deeply moving conversation, we hear how one woman's determination to become a kidney donor led to an extraordinary health journey that changed multiple lives forever.
When Adrienne first approached Feed my Health, she wasn't seeking a typical body transformation. With her daughter Lauren's kidney function deteriorating to just above 10%, Adrienne needed to lose significant weight to qualify as a donor. Starting at a BMI of 39, she had to reach 30 before surgeons would consider her – no small task for someone who described herself as having tried "everything" without lasting success.
What unfolds is a story of remarkable resilience. Adrienne shares her journey from feeling like "a freak of nature" whose body refused to lose weight, to losing four stone and developing muscle definition she hadn't seen in decades. Beyond the physical transformation, we witness how she developed sustainable habits, nutritional knowledge, and most importantly, belief in herself. Small victories became significant milestones – from no longer needing blood pressure medication to completing vacation walks without stopping that once left her breathless and defeated.
The emotional highlight comes as Lauren joins the conversation, revealing how her mother's sacrifice enabled her to receive a kidney through a sharing scheme that ultimately helped three people. Lauren's kidney function has improved from critically low levels to 46%, allowing her and her husband to "start living again" after years in limbo. The mother-daughter bond shines throughout their exchange, with Lauren expressing that while a kidney transplant isn't a cure, it's given her quality of life she'd lost hope of experiencing.
This episode isn't just about weight loss – it's about discovering our capacity to change when someone we love depends on it, and then realizing that the same determination can transform our relationship with ourselves. As Adrienne says in her three-word summary of the experience: "Just do it."
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Welcome to this very special episode of the Feed my Health podcast. In today's episode, I'm actually having a conversation with one of our current clients and several of our current clients at Feed my Health, plus our coach, hazel, and one of the most special visitors, I guess you might say, to the call, which was the daughter of Adrienne, who I am bringing on to have a conversation with today. This is a very special podcast episode because we're talking all about Adrienne's journey and, whilst it is, of course, always about transforming your body and feeling the best version of yourself, this episode is particularly special because what she's been able to achieve in her time at Feed my Health has been incredible. She came into this program with one very, very potent and important goal, which was to be able to donate a kidney and get into optimal health to be able to do that, and as a result of her time at Feed my Health, she was able to do that. So in this episode, we're going to be talking all about her journey. She's going to be sharing lots of insights and the trials and tribulations along the way, because, of course, in real life there will be some, but her journey and her story is incredibly inspiring and I hope that you enjoy this, and I also hope that it shows you that you are also capable of achieving not only what you think is possible, but probably more so if you're being held back at all right now by limiting beliefs, fears of failure or previous experiences that maybe didn't go how you wanted. Let this episode be a reminder that you have control. You are capable of so much more than you know, and there's a lot of life left to live, and so life is short and it's time to embrace it and jump in with two feet and achieve all the things that you have always wanted to achieve. Grab your walking shoes, grab your hair pods, ear pods, and enjoy the episode.
Speaker 1:Welcome, lovely faces. Are you okay? Yeah, good, thank you, I'm so glad I will. I will explain to hazel and diane why I'm buzzing the fact that I can see your face. Um, in fact, actually I won't. I'll let. I'll let your mom. Thank you guys so much for joining this. I know that obviously, doing things like this can be quite scary when you've never done anything before, so it's so nice that you've come just to support and have a listen.
Speaker 1:I was just talking, before you guys joined, about why this conversation is so special for me and this is not about me at all, by the way but I just want to kind of emphasize the fact that when I first spoke to both Adrienne and Lauren, their stories literally cut me very, very deep, because what they have experienced in their life is pretty much my entire story, and you imagine going through that as a teenager and also still trying to navigate being a teenager. It was quite a challenging time in my life. So when they both had a conversation with me and wanted to to join and to change their lives, honestly it was like you. You know, I really want to be a part of their story. So to both of you, thank you so much for trusting us with your health and your lives and all the rest of it, and also for joining and sharing your story. So I've got a lot of questions. You know the drill, um, and I want to kind of start by asking you, adrienne, if you could please introduce yourself, yes.
Speaker 3:So hello everyone, thank you for having me, thank you for joining, appreciate it. A little bit about me. I don't know how much you want to know. I am a married mum of two and my children are grown up. Lauren is is here and I have a son. I have a four-year-old grandson too, and still working full-time, working crazy busy hours. Um, and, believe it or not, I kind of I'm a training manager. I do this my job and I'm not really really nervous, um, but yeah, so a little bit about me, um, and in terms of well, I'm sure, rose, you're gonna ask questions that will kind of take you on a journey, but, um, I guess, if you've got questions as well, I would love to answer those as we, as we either go through or are at the end as well.
Speaker 1:Fabulous. My first question, because I think that this this is not typically the question I would ask at the beginning, but I think it's important to kind of understand your key motivations. So I'm going to start with the juicy bit, which is what results have you experienced since joining the programme?
Speaker 3:Oh, the biggest result and the main reason for this was in January of this year I was able to donate one of my kidneys, and so that was the result of being with being on the journey with Feed my Health, you know kind of doing the programme, and ultimately that was my main driver and that was my. I was super laser focused on it. I couldn't see anything else outside of you know, hitting that target, if you like. Um, ultimately it came above anything for myself, any kind of health benefits, um, so it was. It was literally to donate, to give one of my kidneys away. I couldn't give it away quick enough and the hospital wouldn't take it.
Speaker 1:What did they say to you?
Speaker 3:I needed to lose. In a very polite way, I needed to lose a lot of weight. They had very strict rules, and understandably so, because obviously any operation is risky. So they wanted to make sure that, obviously, if I was going to be undergoing an operation like that and giving an organ away that for an operation that I personally didn't need that, I was going to be in good condition for them to be able to do that. So, yeah, bmi had to be down to do that um so. So yeah, bmi had to be um down to 30, and when I started my BMI was at 39. So a lot of weight.
Speaker 1:Diane's got a very good question.
Speaker 3:Who was the kidney for?
Speaker 3:Yeah do you know, I don't know where my kidney went. It's a surprise, um, but as a result of me giving a kidney away, it means that Lauren um got one. So we, it was a kidney sharing scheme, um, and it meant that, you know, for couples where perhaps there is not a direct match, I was a direct match to Lauren but unfortunately there were a few um complications and antibodies that got in the way. So we went into the kidney sharing scheme, which meant kind of we, it all goes in a big pot, so to speak, and um, it meant that as a result of doing this run and the big algorithm that they run, they find matches, and Lauren and I were put into a three-way match. So three people had operations that day and received new kidneys.
Speaker 1:That's amazing. How do you feel now, Lauren?
Speaker 5:that's amazing. How do you feel now, lauren, sorry, trying to meet myself um, I mean, yeah, compared to what I was feeling like, um, yeah, I feel like a million dollars, um, before I had my um my transplant in January, and my kidney function was down to just above 10%, so I was probably only I don't know six, between six and twelve months away from needing dialysis again. So, yeah, unbelievable really. I mean it's, you know, it's been its own challenges and it's definitely not.
Speaker 5:I think the really important thing that I suppose that we've learned on this journey and that I'm really keen to spread awareness of, is that a kidney transplant is not a cure, it's just a treatment. Um, so I'm not, I'm not cured of my kidney disease. Um, you know, you just replace some bad symptoms with other sort of side effects and complications, but what it does mean is what my mum's done for me, you know, is my quality of life has improved, my energy's improved, my physical health, my mental health. You know it means that, yeah, me and my husband, we can just start living again, because we haven't been, we've just been in limbo for lots of years now. Really, probably, um, not making plans, not looking forward to anything, putting things on hold and you know, that can, that can all change now, so yeah, that's amazing, I mean it is.
Speaker 1:You're so right when you say like it's not a cure, it will stay with you forever, but the fact that you've managed to get the transplant is. I mean, my stepdad waited 10 years for a transplant. He was on a dialysis for a lot of those years and every single person that was in our family got tested and wasn't a match. And then I stepped forward. I think I think I must have been about 13 and I said I'm going to get tested because I'd watched him every day like scrubbing his hands, like for hours, you know, sitting at the dialysis machine all day. You know he was having to boil his potatoes until they basically were obliterated. You know it wasn't a quality of life for the people around him, let alone him. And I remember my mum just going, oh gosh, like if you're going to donate or if you're prepared to donate, then I need to step forward. And so she stepped forward and it turns out she was a match. And then on the day that she was due to have this operation Brendan Maddy has been on dialysis for 10 years she was a match.
Speaker 1:And then, on the day that she was due to have this operation, brenda man. He's been been on dialysis for 10 years. On the day that he is due to go in for his operation, he gets back in the day. This is how old you know. This is how old I am. Potentially. He had a little pager and so they paid you. Did they still do that, or not?
Speaker 1:no, they're in your down, but they'll swing you so he had a pager and this page was like, was like stuck to him every single day, because as soon as they paged him, it meant that there was a donor. Like there was somebody there, and on the morning of her operation they'd found a donor for him After 10 years. Like, can you imagine? You couldn't make that up, it's absolutely crazy.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's absolutely crazy. So yeah, but obviously, just like you, lauren, you know we are now living with the situation that it isn't a cure. It's just, you know, it's an amazing, amazing thing, but it isn't a cure. So I totally relate to that. Going back to you, you, aside from that, what kind of, what kind of wins or things or big, noticeable changes have you felt in yourself in this time?
Speaker 3:so I mean, I think there are some very obvious ones. Um, I mean, you know, to lose kind of four stone it. It's very visual to you know, to yourself and to other people. But I was thinking about this on the on the walk home tonight from work and, um, I think a really meaningful thing for me was when I joined Feed my Health. It was the beginning of September 2023. And in June the following year.
Speaker 3:So last year about this time we went on holiday to Greece and where we go is and where we stay is not at the beach, it's in the hills. It's around about a 25 minute, 30 minute walk, depending on how fast you walk. Um, downhill, no problem, uphill I was. I had to stop. I remember this particular. I was stopping the last time we went.
Speaker 3:My heart rate was up at like 153, nearly 160. I kept having to stop to let my heart rate go down at like 153, nearly 160. I kept having to stop to let my heart rate go down so we could walk a little bit further. And I must have stopped 10 times on the way up the hill in that walk Last year when we went. Never stopped once, never stopped once. My heart rate was like you know, way down there, the highest it got was something like 130 and that was when I was really puffing, but I just never, never stopped and I thought that was incredible for me and it was a real big sign that, um, yes, you can look different to yourself and to other people. And people were lovely and they kept saying, oh, you look, you're looking so well, you, everything you're doing so well. That was great, but on the inside, that's when I felt it the most, if that makes sense yeah, take us back then to before we spoke.
Speaker 1:What was life like for you? How did you feel? Oh, I know you've got your notebook what was it like?
Speaker 3:um, I was I'm going to use the word desperate um, in a sense of I was that person who you know, in my adult life had been very slim at the start. Then you get married and you get content and you know the weight does go on a little bit. I had my kids Best thing I ever did apart from giving a kidney, best thing I ever did apart from giving a kidney. So but then it creeps on, doesn't it? It just creeps on and I was that person that I've done. Weight Watchers did very well there when I went there. I've done Slimming World countless times. Lauren and I have been multiple times, always done well, but it's never it's just never stayed off, it's never been sustainable.
Speaker 3:Um, and I just kind of got bigger and got to the heaviest that I'd ever been. I had, um, not a great experience with menopause. It wasn't a very um, pleasant time. Um probably had every symptom going and there are a lot of them, and I think I was that person I used to. I think I used to say to you, lauren, didn't? I feel like I'm a freak of nature. The weight doesn't want to come off, my body doesn't want to get rid of it. I'm trying, I'm trying, I'm trying and nothing's working. So I did feel desperate. And then, when Lauren needed me, I couldn't be there for her straight away because I was too big and not fit enough. So, whilst her dad went into testing and her husband went into testing, they wouldn't. They wouldn't take me. So that's why I use the word desperate, um, because I just didn't know. I think I felt like I'd tried everything and it just wasn't working.
Speaker 1:And then Lauren introduced me to you what do you feel that you were struggling with the most at that time?
Speaker 3:I think, a purpose, a reason, and, it's the weirdest thing, because I knew that my health wasn't great. I was on blood pressure medication, I um, I was struggling fitness wise, my knees were bad, so I had every reason in the world to do something about it, but something just wasn't clicking at all, even knowing that, like you know what Lauren was going to need eventually, lauren's kind of health was, you know, deteriorating over time. But it was that uncertainty and there was no time limit to it. It was a case of, um, you know when, when she got to a certain kind of kidney function, wasn't it Lauren? And we didn't kind of know when that was, and you shouldn't need that reason, um, to give you that jolt. But ultimately, I think that's what it was. The minute they said we need to start planning for this, I was like that was it. It all clicked into place and that was the motivation that I needed and the purpose that I needed.
Speaker 1:Yeah, don't you find as well that that is such a strange concept? Because weirdly, I don't know what this is trying to tell me. In my life but I married a man who has polycystic kidney disease, which is genetic, so the chances of my kids having it is I mean, I don't really know the stats, but I believe it's like 50, 50. Um, and so he gets, he has to go and see his doctor every year and stuff, stuff, and they test all of his kidney function and all the rest of it.
Speaker 1:And I feel frustrated in that me and my husband are very different kinds of people.
Speaker 1:He's very tall, he's very slim and sits in an office and he's not particularly motivated to really be optimally healthy. It's in an office and he's not particularly motivated to really be optimally healthy. And I find it frustrating because, as far as I'm aware, touch wood, I don't have any conditions, but he has this condition and I think it almost feels like it's a bit of a ticking time bomb with kidneys, because it's like we kidney function can be one thing one year, but next year it can be completely different and it can be triggered by all sorts of things like your blood pressure and all the rest of it, but until somebody says to you it's time to get serious. Now seems to happen, and that for me I'm very much like. Prevention is better than cure, and I'm not saying that to say you know how you behaved was not right, but it's just interesting what your thought process was at that time and what was it for you that made you think right now we need to do something.
Speaker 3:I guess it's it's. It's a difficult one because I put myself back in that situation and it does sound ridiculous, but it took. It took something like that to spur me into action. Um, but I think it was a combination of things. If I'm honest. I think you know the whole thing with the, you know, through the menopause it was difficult and it's, you know, not just physical symptoms but mental health symptoms as well, and you know there was. It just gets a lot sometimes, um, and you you struggle to kind of come out of yourself and almost see, see the light. But I think you know the thing that spurred me into action was was definitely, um, just before that. Actually, I'm kind of thinking the journey probably started a little bit earlier.
Speaker 3:Um, I remember being unwell the year before I think I joined Feed my Health at the end of the year before and, um, I had, I went to see a doctor about, like I, after the COVID jabs I'd, I ended up with psoriasis which I'd never, ever had before. So, long story short, I went to see this doctor, this through work private doctor, and he prescribed some medication that was going to help and I had to have a blood test and he wrote to me because to say, yes, I can give you this medication. I've got your blood, it's fine. And the first sentence in that letter that he sent to me was your bloods were quite elevated, which leads me to think perhaps you might be drinking too much. And I was like mortified because it was the liver results and like I, I didn't drink. Really I guess I did. I might have had a glass of wine, but you can get kind of fatty liver. And but he it was the way he wrote it.
Speaker 3:He was so blunt and I think that was probably the start of it actually, because I thought I'll show you. It really upset me, but I thought I will show you, and so that was the day I was unwell, so I didn't want a drink. Anyway, by the time I'd taken these, these tablets, I'd been three months, so then I'd been four months in total. So I thought, right, I'm going to do six months, then I'm going to do 12 months, and if I ever see this doctor again, he's going to know. Um, and so I think that was probably actually the, the trigger, to be fair, because I stopped drinking. It was like that's gonna help me when Lauren needs me, um, and to this day I've gone three and a half years. I've not had an alcoholic drink since um, and that was because he upset me that day, which is mad, isn't it?
Speaker 1:well, maybe he, um, maybe he did a good thing in a way maybe he did. Maybe he did in retrospect, yeah, but but still, yeah, lauren, how, when you hear your mum talking about all of this, how, how does it sit with you? I?
Speaker 5:mean my overwhelming like feeling is I'm so immensely proud of her, like literally brimming, bursting with pride at what she's achieved and I don't just mean because of what it's meant for me. I look at how she's completely like transformed a life in every way, like my mum's, my best friend and she always has been, she always will be, and we've always had a good relationship. We've always done things together, gone out, you know um, you know shopping, theatre, whatever it is that we love to do um. But I don't know, I've just I just see a change in her now, like I just absolutely adore spending time with her, like her energy's just changed, not just physically, but just every like I just I can notice it in, in just how she is um, yeah, she's, yeah, she's done unbelievably well. But one thing you'll know about my mum is yeah, if anybody crosses her path or whatever, she's done unbelievably well. But one thing you'll know about my mum is, yeah, if anybody crosses her path or whatever, she's very stubborn. So she just explains that.
Speaker 1:I love that. I think we have that in common, where if somebody says you won't do that, you will do it. Yeah, I get that. Adrienne, how do you feel about Lauren's journey?
Speaker 3:I mean it's. I think now it's been so difficult because you know she got ill in her 20s and it's been sort of 12, it's been a 12 year journey and to see her struggle in many different ways has been so, so difficult. Because you would do anything for your kids if you can, absolutely anything, and I would have taken that away from her in a heartbeat if I could have done. You know she's met her husband. She got married just over a year ago as well. So you know they should be on this path to. You know what every newly married couple would want to do and it's been kind of having it's had this kind of over her all the time and it doesn't just affect her, you know, it affects kind of everybody as well. But to see, like when she said her kidney function was just over 10, and what is it now? Lauren, 46%, 46%, amazing. And just to see the change in her. So she talks about the change in me, but actually the transformation with Lauren is just amazing and you know she's getting, she's building back up her. Her energy has been low. It's been taking a little bit longer to kind of get back into action, but I think they're addressing that, and I think you have been. Certainly, we've been very blessed with the weather these last few weeks and you've been taking advantage of that, haven't you? And so very, you know, building yourself back up.
Speaker 3:I think she just looks more. Her eyes are shining, her eyes are vibrant, her, she just looks healthy. She's talking healthier. That makes sense. Her mindset is changing and it's just an absolute joy to see and it just makes me so happy. Um, you know, because I want her, I want her to have the life that I had, you know, when I I met her dad and you know we had, we had that, you know, really nice kind of. We're still together now, 40 years, 40 odd years later. So, you know, and I want that for Lauren, I want that for both my kids, but I think her journey it was difficult. It was difficult because she, she joined, she introduced me to Feed my Health, and so I have to thank Lauren for that, because I genuinely don't know what I would have done. I think everything, the vital ingredients, all came together at the right time. I think, um, you know, so if it wasn't for Lauren, I wouldn't have been on this journey.
Speaker 1:Um, so, yeah, very, very much entwined that way our lives so once you started, I mean, it would be lovely to feel like every day was going to be a breeze and everything went well and you felt great every day. But I'm a realist and I also understand that not every day is going to feel easy, especially at the beginning. So for you, did you have moments that felt really hard and if so, how did you? How did you keep on going?
Speaker 3:A simple answer to that question is yes, absolutely still do. Um, and I kind of look, I look at my graph, um, from when I started to um sorry, phone ringing in an opportune time. I look at my graph and I look at the weight kind of loss and at the very beginning it was quite a nice steep, you know downward curve, and then it was definitely a trend for me in that it would go down so far and then it would level off for a bit and then it would go up a little bit and then it would go up a little bit and then and then it would go down again and then we'd have this again and um, and I know and I've had this conversation with with Hazel um, it's like it's so frustrating when the scales don't move, um, and I know it's kind of it's more than that, and I've got myself into a better place now with with that, you know. But at the beginning, you know, when the hospital were ringing me and saying, how are you getting on with your weight, and I'm like, oh, it's, it's stuck for a bit and I just had to get over it and I just had to keep going and focus on on the other stuff and and trust the science.
Speaker 3:I think trust the science is is probably the biggest thing, um, because it it's the pattern, and I think you, you said it. Um, I listened to one of your voice notes the other day and it was about the scale weight, wasn't it? And it's. If you log the data, you know, then you can see the patterns and you can understand your own body a little bit.
Speaker 3:So yeah, I was giving myself a big hard time sometimes over that. But you know, I would have a down week and I might just say, hazel, I need a boost, give me some tough love, or it might be. Actually, I just need this week to get my head together. So kind of, maybe leave me alone this week and I'll have a word with myself and I'll be back on it next week. And that's what I would do.
Speaker 3:I would almost self-coach myself at times because, as much as much as you know you, you've got the support there, like with with hazel, with yourself, with the group. Sometimes you just need to reset yourself, um, and so that's. That's often what I did. But be honest, sometimes when I needed the boot up the bum, it would be. Hazel's voice would be ringing in my ears a little bit, and not in a bad way, but I would want to do it for her, because I knew that, especially if I had a call in with her. More so if I had a call in with her. Because if I had a call in with her, because I'm like thinking I want to do it for her, um, and then you know it would be a blip, and then I would be back on it, um, and that's just how I am.
Speaker 3:Um pretty much through the journey, and I think I could have probably achieved what I've achieved quicker. Um, and that's frustrated me a little bit sometimes, um, but then equally, I feel like what I have done in the time that I've done, it has been sustainable for me, it's fitted into my life. I don't feel as though I have um missed out on anything. So I think you know when I look and I go, okay, we're four stone off. It's not quite two years yet. I know some people have lost more in shorter time, but it's not really just about that. I think everybody's different, everybody's journey is different and, and I think just for me, it's worked and it means that it's more sustainable and the habits that I and the education that I've had and the you know what I've learned along the way, I know that that will. It's there now for life. As far as I'm concerned, it really is, and I think I just wished I'd have learned it all sooner absolutely, yeah, absolutely, and now I say this over and over again like you can't.
Speaker 1:When you actually learn the facts, you can't unlearn that stuff. It's just the fact that you've trusted yourself as well, because so many people are wanting this quick win and the quick win. Although it seems really appealing, and especially when you've tried for so, so long, it seems even more appealing to get a quick win the quick win will never last, and so if it takes you four years to get the outcome that you want, but you know that it's there for life, that is so much better than getting a win that takes you eight weeks that you know in 16 weeks time you'll weigh twice as much. So trusting yourself like when you were saying about, like coaching yourself sometimes that's you having that self-confidence and knowledge to go. I can now actually trust my own thoughts and trust my own actions and that's.
Speaker 1:that's an incredible skill to have, so you should like forget all of the skills and whatever the weight loss stuff like to be able to do. That is so incredible that you will never lose that.
Speaker 3:And I think that's that's the the. You know, that's the biggest. One of the biggest things from this is is that I mean I, I'm I'm 61 years old and I think why I've gone through a lot of my adult life. Yes, you hear about you should eat a healthy diet, a balanced, healthy, balanced diet other terms that you talk about eating a rainbow, talk about, um, you know, being active. Yeah, I've known all that, but the actual science of it I genuinely have learned whilst I've been with Feed my Health. You know I didn't understand about macros. I didn't understand what carbs do to your body. You know I didn't understand that it would hold on to water and things make so much sense. It was like you go to Slimming World or Weight Watchers or any other club similar to that, and Lauren and I have done it. We've gone in and it's like we've gone from work. We've not eaten all day because we're getting on the scales that night just before you go in to get weighed.
Speaker 3:You go have the cheeky wee, so you know, you go in the lightest possible clothes that you can and you wear those every single time Earrings on everything belts.
Speaker 3:You get on the scales and you know you might be met with half a pound off, or half a pound on, or whatever it might be, or two pound off. We're here, and then you go out and it's like, right, I'm starving. Are we off to the fish shop Years ago? You know, and you're kidding yourself, you are absolutely just kidding yourself. And you know I work with a girl and she comes in and she'll say I'm going to the, you know, swimming world tonight, and she'll come and she'll have lost half a pound. And I'm thinking have you though, you know, have?
Speaker 5:you really.
Speaker 3:Because you should have gone for a wee and you'd have sorted yourself out. So I don't know. I mean, it's one of those. It's each to their own. I have nothing against any of these clubs because they have worked for me in the past. Nothing against any of these clubs because they have worked for me in the past. They do work for people and, um, you know, I think whatever works for you, but this has worked for me so much better and it's given me tools for life.
Speaker 1:Was there a moment where you felt, ah, okay, this, this could be different, because I and I mean I would be exactly the same. I have been the same. Where you start something new and you think there's still that element of skepticism you know, because you've tried things before and you've seen the weight come back on or whatever was there a moment where you felt a little bit skeptical but then you realized, oh, actually this might be different.
Speaker 3:I remember the first conversation, you know the first call that I had with you and you asking me what it was that I wanted to achieve, and I remember you saying four stone is achievable. And I thought I think there was a part of me that really really want, wanted to believe you. I did believe you. It's not like I didn't I really wanted to believe you, but I think there was a part of me that thought maybe it was probably I just didn't believe in myself. And I think that's what I've learned is that I can do it.
Speaker 3:I have done it in the past but I've not kept going. And this time I think the self-belief that I've learned along the way by trusting the science, by following the advice, the support, building those habits up on a daily basis and keeping them going, like consistency definitely is the key. And I think through that and quite early on actually, when I started to see the weight coming off and then the centimeters coming off and now the inches coming off, I'm like, wow, this it does work. But I've made this happen through, obviously, using the all of the tools and the support and everything that that I've learned along the way from you guys, and so, yeah, I think it's given me a lot of self-belief, a lot of self-belief.
Speaker 1:That's amazing. That's probably the most positive outcome. I mean aside from the kidney situation let's just not forget that bit but aside from that, like that, for me is everything, because if you have that, you can take over the world. Honestly, the reason why most people don't change their lives is because they don't believe in themselves. If you actually just thinking about it, if you could speak to you now when we have that conversation, what would you have said to her? What if I could have, if you could have spoken to you now, back then?
Speaker 3:Oh, I think it would be. You know, I think it is that. I think it is about believing. It's about trusting in yourself, but also not being too hard on yourself as well. Um, because I'm a little bit of. I wouldn't say I'm a perfectionist as such, but I'm kind of up there. If I do something, I do want to do it really well. I don't like to fail at it and it frustrates me if I do. But and if it doesn't, things don't go to plan. Sometimes I can be guilty of just like, oh well, whatever, just leave, leave it and try something new. But this is something that I really had to stick to in order to achieve what I needed to achieve, and I think doing that there will be no other reason that I feel probably will be as important as the reason I did this. For, however, along the way, the other benefits, the personal benefits that I have got, you know, I'm not on any medication anymore. I am, you know, I'm so much fitter, so much healthier, heart health, everything is just improved improved um.
Speaker 1:So I think I would say to myself just just believe that you can do it have you got an ice cream van coming. Sorry, you got an ice cream van coming.
Speaker 1:It is an ice cream I'll have a 99 in a flake please oh, my favorites yeah, that, yeah, I think, yeah, everything that you learn about yourself is the most, one of the most valuable things as well on the journey, um, one thing that really struck me, I mean because the thing is and I'm sure you could probably all agree with this like when you see your data and you see your photographs, like week on week, you feel like in that moment, oh, it's not really a lot of change. And I remember looking at your side by side one day and it was the first time I'd posted it. I'm sure you loved me for that sides one day, and it was the first time I'd posted it. I'm sure you loved me for that.
Speaker 1:Um, but I just remember thinking like the change, and Lauren, you I think you commented on it as well um, and said something. And the thing is, your transformation is not even just you look thinner, you actually look strong and toned and just a physique that most 20 year olds would probably want, and I just couldn't believe. I was absolutely blown away by by how you transformed. So I know that obviously you wanted to make this transformation for, for Lauren and for, I'm sure, lots of other reasons, but physically you just look unbelievable, who knew I would enjoy going to the gym.
Speaker 3:I mean, gosh, lauren, do you remember the day that you took those first pictures for me, that you took those first pictures for me? It was I honestly, it was just awful. I really did. You know, it was like awful and you know you don't really see much of a difference until you get a little bit further down the line. Um, but now I mean, sometimes when you put, when you post that, and I thank goodness you've blurred out the face, um, but yeah, I mean, I used to kid myself.
Speaker 3:I would kid myself. I would people say, oh, you're tall, you can carry it. And so you'd look in the mirror, you'd dress and you'd sort of think, oh yeah, it's okay. I would wear clothes that, yes, they might be baggy, they were still quite shaped, but they were still big. I would wear that to kind of disguise, whereas now I'm, like you know, tuckinging stuff in which I would never have done before. Um, you know, it's just so from that is another like amazing thing to do is is it is really so true that you should do your pictures get, take your pictures and just compare because, as awful as it might be that first time you take them. You know, when you get months down the line and you can start really comparing and seeing the difference in yourself, and that that gives you the motivation and then whether all the people notice as well. It's always nice, um, you know, but not everybody sees you in your underwear, do they?
Speaker 1:so no, and I think once you put that out there you can pretty much do anything in this world. I remember doing mine for the first time and just thinking, oh God, you just don't even know what's going to happen. And then I remember one of the mums in the playground saying I can't believe you put that on the internet. And I just thought in that moment, I just thought it says more about you than it does me actually.
Speaker 1:So I think that's a turning point for me, but it is. It is scary, but you're so right. Those photographs, they feel awful because when, when is that ever normal for you to do that? Like it's not a normal situation for you to do that, but it's so important for us and for you to understand how your body's changing, for you to understand that sometimes the scales will say one thing but your photos will say another thing. The biggest I mean I'm sure hazel couldn't agree like the biggest struggle that we face as coaches is clients feeling frustrated by the scales. But when you see the changes in your pictures or your measurements, or how you feel how your clothes fit or how you feel.
Speaker 1:Often that will be significantly different, but we're so targeted on this number. It's. It's crazy, but that comes from years and years and years and years and years of you being expected to stand on the scale and that determining whether you had a successful week, like going back to your Weight Watchers swimming world days. If you had gone up on the scale, it would have been oh you, you know you've gained a pound, or it would have made you feel something about yourself, and it doesn't. It's probably that you had half a pint of water yesterday, or maybe you've not been for a poo.
Speaker 2:You know, roz, yes, Just just quickly talking about that. I remember. I remember saying to you this was a, this is just a point about the photos in general, but I remember, um, I was going to do someone's check-in who hasn't, who hadn't at that point really lost much weight but her pictures. I thought there might have been a mix-up in the app somehow.
Speaker 2:I remember because her pictures, yes, like transformed, but her weight hadn't really changed. And I was like, should I like? Should I speak wrong? Is there a bit of difference? Like yeah, so that's why they're so important, because because, like, fat loss is like this, the way you train, but the scale just it, just it, all it sort of fluctuates. For so many reasons it's so important to have those pictures.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and you look like I haven't said it to you, adrienne, but you've got such a great shape. Yeah, you just look great.
Speaker 1:Thank you, you have the waist of dreams.
Speaker 3:Just need to get rid of some other.
Speaker 1:Some of the skin's gone a little bit wrinkly now just more weights, adrienne yeah, um, what would you say to somebody who felt like maybe they couldn't do what you've done, but wanted to change?
Speaker 3:So it's interesting because I've had some conversations with people, a few people at work, and I think and I'm not sure, diane, if it was you that I was listening to and I don't know whether you said about people not being ready- yeah yeah, and so, like I work with somebody who believes in Slimming World and that works for her, like I work with somebody who who believes in Slimming World and that works for her, but she, they're just not, if they're not ready to listen.
Speaker 3:They admire what you're doing, so she admires what I'm doing, but not to a point where she would go actually I want to do what you're doing, whereas another person I've spoken to, um, although she's taken a different route, she, um, and for different reasons, she's on the weight loss jabs. Having said that, you know she, she was at a point where she had so many health issues and you know she, she was getting bigger and she's a young woman as well, with young children, um, so I do think that our conversations have really helped and that spurred her interact into action. Um, and she's doing, she's doing great um, but somebody who didn't think that they your question was somebody who didn't think that they could. Yeah, yeah, I would say you absolutely can, because if I can, you know, and I, I I didn't think I could, I didn't think I had it in me and I thought my body was working against me. So if I can, then anybody can. So if I can, then anybody can, and it's just about learning.
Speaker 3:You know, even if it's learning the basics and when I very first started, you know I started on it was small steps. It was. You know you would build the habits. It would be, you know, do I don't know what, I can't think, was it three to four thousand steps a day? I started on um and then you gradually build and build and build, and I think that is the. The key to it is don't expect, don't go big straight away. Go small and build um, because because then it just becomes normal daily life and normal daily habits. And you know, you kind of do it without necessarily thinking too much about it. Some of the things you do have to think, like whether or not you're going to go to the gym on your own, because it's always better to go with somebody else, but the day that you go on your own and you do it and you thank yourself for it as you, as you're coming home, um.
Speaker 1:So I would say to anybody if, if you don't think, you can try it, um, because you will when you went to the gym for the first time on your own and then you left, how did you feel?
Speaker 3:amazing it was. It was fine um. I remember Lauren and I going to the gym the very first time and it was like don't look at anybody, you know.
Speaker 3:Um, it's like, oh my god, there are men in here and they're like, oh, we don't want to be doing what they're doing. It was lifting big. But of course it's not like that at all, not where we go. It really isn't. People do not care. You know what you're doing, um, but when you go for that very first time, you do feel very like as if everybody's just turned and looked at you and they absolutely aren't, um. But yeah, there's times when I've said, know, if Lauren's not been able to make it or whatever, and I'm like I'm just going to go and I get there and I do it. And then I'm coming home and I'm like, and I've had a swim as well and it's like I've just done 900 calories tonight, you know, in the gym and in the pool. That's like 900 calories that you wouldn't burn off sitting on the sofa watching tv.
Speaker 1:So yeah, I feel really good for doing it I think the thing about the gym as well, isn't it? And I, I 100 get it because it was a place that I avoided for a long, long time. I thought classes were the place I needed to be, with all the women and everything. And I think, when you're in the gym, what we forget very quickly is that everybody, regardless of their stage, is in there for the exact same reason, and it's to improve themselves and to ultimately get to a very similar situation. And I think that's what I enjoy so much about our community is that everybody's at a different stage, they're all at a different starting point, but everybody is so incredibly supportive of each other because it's not about competing, it's about lifting each other up.
Speaker 1:And I think, once you start to realize that and you stop comparing yourself to others which I think there is a healthy comparison and there is an unhealthy comparison, and this is something that I learned far too late. An unhealthy comparison is where you think that you can't be like them and therefore you'll self-sabotage or it'll put you off or it'll stop you from doing the thing, and then a healthy comparison is where you actually go. Well, if they can do it, so can I. Or if you're like me. If they can do it, so can I, and I'll do it better. And that's just. That's just who I am, and I don't always do it better, for sure, but that's my kind of intention. But I think if you can use it as power to push you forwards, then I mean no, not one person is going to look at somebody else in the gym and go what is she doing here?
Speaker 1:you know everybody is in there for the exact same reason and that is to be the best version of themselves, and everybody wants to be around people like that, like every single one of you here, wants to be a better version of yourself every single day, and that's that's a powerful thing yeah so it's amazing that you you did that and you went in and you felt great as a result.
Speaker 3:You know, you came out and you felt great, and that's fantastic and I think that's that's sometimes what motivates me when I'm having going back to one of your previous questions about maybe a day where you think, oh, I feel tired or I'm going to be going on my own or can't be bothered, I'd rather just sit at home and I think to myself no, because when you've been you'll feel better for going.
Speaker 1:So I'm not saying I do that every single time, but most times I just go and do it because, yeah, I like to tick it off in the app as well but it's so true that how you, you forget how good it's going to feel when you've done it, not about doing it as such, but like how good you're going to feel about yourself for keeping that promise.
Speaker 1:That I always said to my kids when they were little, because they're like, they were really into going on stage and singing and dancing. But my daughter would be um a little bit nervous, which understandable, you know, um, and I always used to say to her but imagine what it's going to be like when you get off the stage and you've done it, and that was the thing that got her to do the hard thing, which was put herself out there. And I think this is true of all life. This isn't just specific to going to the gym or, you know, showing up for yourself with your health. It's, if you think about that, in every area of your life. You know, in the morning on a Monday when you're like, oh, I really don't want to get out of bed, but then you do get out of bed and you do get to work on time and you do what you do feel good about yourself in some way, so it's really important and it builds your self-esteem.
Speaker 1:That's why I'm always banging on about celebrating your wins all the time. So important. What are you most proud of?
Speaker 3:um, well, first of all, lauren is most proud, um, and then, in terms of, I just think, the fact that it's hard to pick one thing, but I think it's a combination of things. I think the fact that I've done something, stuck to it, achieved results. I've probably this is probably the most successful I've been at anything. Really, you know that I've really wanted for myself, um, you know, I mean you for me, mean, obviously that's really bad. I hope my husband didn't hear that.
Speaker 3:But that aside, you know just personal things for you it's the most successful that I have been at anything and it just I'm really, I am really proud. It's not even so much the weight loss, it's I'm proud that I have got tone in my body. Now I'm proud that the shape that I have inside of you know has is is out there again. It's peeping out out. It's not quite what it was years ago, but it's definitely there. Um, I'm proud that I'm healthier and I'm proud that I'm fitter, um, and I'm I don't know it's, it's, it's everything. Really it's a big combination of things. I'm just proud that I have done it and I will continue to do it.
Speaker 1:Amazing. I love that. I want to ask you one final, very challenging question If you could sum up your experience in only three words.
Speaker 3:What would it be? I'm stealing, I'm stealing a um a strap line here, but what? What's come straight into my mind is just do it. Um. Yeah, it is a very challenging question. It is.
Speaker 1:Do you know why I've asked you that? Do you know why I'm actually winking slyly at Diane here? Because I don't know if you guys have noticed. And, diane, this is not a criticism, this is something I love about you so much. I don't know if you've noticed, but when I say on a post in the community group, right, what's one thing you're going to focus on this week, diane will reel off about two or three every time and I'll highlight the colour. I'll underline the word one.
Speaker 3:She's there with two, three things. Yeah, you can't stop it?
Speaker 1:That's why I asked.
Speaker 5:I thought right, let's just see if it's a me thing.
Speaker 1:Just do it is a good one, because I genuinely feel like and actually this is very important whenever I've struggled in my life, it's because I haven't just done it, it's because I've overthought it. I've come up with all the reasons why I shouldn't. I've written a pros and cons list and the thing is, the quickest way to find out if something's going to work for you or not is by doing it and finding out. It's not sitting there and gathering information and you know all the rest of it. So just do it is a great way, and it's a shame that it's not my tagline. But if it was.
Speaker 1:If it was, I'd nick it and it'd be great.
Speaker 3:Yeah, but I think it's it's. It's been amazing. You know. It continues to be amazing. Honestly, it's what I have learned and what I've achieved is is basically through everything that I've learned and the support and the guidance along the way, and you know everything within the group, the people you know, seeing other people succeed, seeing other people hit their goal, weights or doing their work or whatever it might be. It's a real, it's a fabulous. Vital ingredients. I would say say vital ingredients in there amazing.
Speaker 1:Thank you for that, lauren.
Speaker 1:If I'm going to pick on you for a moment, um, I would love I'm literally putting you on the spot, so don't feel like you need to but, if you could, in a sentence or paragraph or however you want to put it, um, say something to your mom or just kind of I don't know like put something together off the cuff about her journey. Because I mean, I mean before, before I pressed record on this call, I said to you didn't I like how amazing I feel that you've done and and everything? So I've I've gushed my way through this, but I'd love to hear from you what you feel.
Speaker 5:I'll have to try keep it together. Let me just try and focus a little bit. So I, when my mum just said then, um, that this was like the most successful thing that she's done. It is really successful. I disagree, because you are the best mum, you're the best wife, the best daughter. You know you cared for Nan. You show up at work every day.
Speaker 5:You've shown up all your life, all our lives, for us and I think for a period of time you didn't know how to show up for yourself, and I think that's what this has taught you and I'm so grateful for, you know, for what that has given my mum and then, ultimately, our family. You know, yeah, you know, her health and her fitness is just unbelievable. I think I said it earlier, like just being around her is just she's honestly one of the best people, and I'm not just saying that, like, like everyone just loves to be near her, like her energy is just infectious, and even more so now. I feel like, feel like you've almost come out of your shell, mum, and you know I'm so grateful for that, and you already know that I don't think there's enough, there's not any words in the world that can, um, explain what you've done for me.
Speaker 5:Um, you've changed your life, but you've helped change my life and you know, I've said the only I can't ever thank you. Really, the only way I can thank you is just by looking after this new kidney and trying to live my life now and be happy. I think that's the only way I can truly thank you. And yes, that's it. What you'll learn about our family is we don't do very few words. We like to talk thank, thank you, lauren.
Speaker 1:That's so nice. Thank you for that. I know I literally just put you on the spot there. You articulated that so beautifully, like you'd rehearsed that, for yeah, it's so lovely to hear that. So thank you for that, I appreciate it.
Speaker 5:No, it's okay.
Speaker 1:Well, I'm going to let you both both, well, all four of you go home and enjoy your evenings and crack on with your lives. But thank you so so much for for joining and supporting Adrienne in her journey um, yeah, thank you guys.
Speaker 2:That was it was. Yeah, I mean, you've done amazing, adrienne, but it was really nice to hear and it was nice to meet you, lauren thank you it's nice to meet you.
Speaker 5:I've heard a lot about you and, yeah, just thank. Thank you all for thank you. It's nice to meet you.
Speaker 3:I've heard a lot about you. Yeah, just thank you all for. Thank you for coming. And Diane, I noticed you put something. Did you say who in your family had?
Speaker 4:yes. So Ollie, the son who got married um, on the 8th of April. He was diagnosed two weeks before his second birthday. So we had all of the. If he needs a kidney, who's going to be compatible? And I remember at the time they said that the most compatible would have been the children. But the children were also under five and we said we couldn't have taken a kidney off them.
Speaker 4:But actually we're so lucky he's only got about about 50 percent of a kidney. That's all he has left. But, um, it's just very big now, um, and it'll be okay. He can't go less than that. I think you'll know more than I do about this, but I think as an adult you can. You can cope with 50 percent. But because he had a lot of growing to do, um, he had to. He just has to be really careful. He's not careful. He's a lad. He's not meant to drink, he's not meant to have ever smoked. He's not meant to. He thinks he's invincible. But yeah, I'm very lucky to have him. I was just really intrigued because it was the kidney thing.
Speaker 1:Diane, do you know why he has what he has? Is it a genetic thing or is it um?
Speaker 4:who ollie?
Speaker 4:yeah yeah, so, um, he had something called bilateral williams tumor. Um, there's only 75 children a year will be diagnosed. It's a cancer that appears usually under the age of five. Of those 75, only three will have two tumours, and he had two. And there is some indication that it can sometimes form from embryonic tissue that remains whilst the baby's growing in utero, and it can also sometimes be a gene that is carried by the parents. Um, so we had genetic testing to see whether we carry that gene, because the gene is also linked to breast cancer. But luckily we don't carry the gene and so therefore we didn't have to have the other children tested. Um, yeah, horrific having a sick child is you know? And it really resonated when you said earlier you'd do anything to take their place. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, amazing. You two are just incredible. I mean r, roz and Hazel. You're incredible, but these two blimey oh no, I agree just talk to you all night.
Speaker 4:It's amazing. I'm gonna go check out your photos.
Speaker 1:I only. I think I posted them a couple of days ago, didn't I?
Speaker 4:I can't believe I've missed them. I'm normally really good at.
Speaker 1:I think it was a couple of days ago, um, but yeah, I think, I think you're right about the boy thing, because with mark, so the kind of kidney failure that he he has is it. It's worse in the females, so when a woman gets pregnant, it lowers their kidney failure and then they get older, blah, blah, and so, because it's on his mum's side and it's on his, and his sister's got it and they talk about it a lot, whereas Mark is very, it is what it is, I can't change this, I won't talk about it all the time. So he's very aware of their situation, but he's also, um, not gone through pregnancy, so it's not really affected him in the same way as it has them. So, again, I think he feels quite invincible and I'm constantly like the doctors have given him a blood pressure monitor.
Speaker 1:Does he monitor his blood pressure? No. Does he exercise regularly? No, does he stop drinking? No. But then I think to myself, well, well, is it better to be in that situation or is it better to worry about it every day? I mean, I don't, I don't know, I don't know the answer. I've been in both boats, you see. So I don't know.
Speaker 4:But yeah, I think it's just about you live your life the way that you want to live it. Um, and Ollie now, because he's now 26, he doesn't want that to be what defines him, um, and he was really keen that I mean, um, his older brother was one of his best men and he, he had one tiny reference in his speech, but he didn't want it to be you know, oh, we've been through so much with you. He doesn't want it to be that anymore. He just wants to get on with the rest of his life, including. He came over for dinner last night and he's decided he's going to run a marathon, which is fantastic. So, um, yeah, that's next. Adrienne, you can run in everybody oh I.
Speaker 3:I tried running when we were on holiday a few weeks ago, I think yeah.
Speaker 4:It's uncommon, isn't it? Post-menopausal running is really unkind.
Speaker 3:I think I might have to invest in a new sports bra if I'm going to try that one again.
Speaker 4:I know the most amazing sports, bra. I keep meaning to tell you guys about this. I'll put something in the chat about it. Incredible and it's just been. Who's just put their name to it Millie Bright, the England footballer. She's put her name and she's invested in the company. It's fantastic.
Speaker 3:No, thank you. Well, thank you for inviting us as well, and thank you very much for tuning in.
Speaker 5:Don't worry. Thanks for letting me hop on anytime.
Speaker 1:Have a lovely rest of your nights, guys you too, thank you thank you bye.