A student who weighed 18st 5lbs has revealed how she lost half her bodyweight to become a bodybuilding champion after realizing she couldn’t fit in a single seat on the subway.
Hannah Schofield, 30, of Lincoln, said she always ate “lots of candy, chocolate, and takeaways strewn about it” and struggled to find moderation.
During a trip to London in 2018, she vowed to make a change after struggling to walk around without getting out of breath and being forced to buy size 20 trousers for the first time in her life.
She’s since started exercising five times a week and eating healthy, and has since lost more than half her weight to a fit nine-stone amateur bodybuilder.
She said her life has changed since she lost weight, said she met the love of her life and got promoted at work, adding: “The only limit to your achievement is your willingness to work for it. As I began applying these principles to my own life, I saw both my self-respect and self-worth soar through the roof.”
Hannah Schofield, 30, of Lincoln, weighed 18 stone and 5 pounds at heaviest at 26 (left). Just four years later, she’s lost more than half her weight (right)
Speaking of her relationship with food prior to her weight loss, she said, “There was never any real structure, let alone accountability.
“A lot of candy, chocolate, and takeaways are scattered throughout, which is obviously fine in moderation, but I’m not sure I knew what the word was.”
During a trip to London in 2018, Hannah realized she needed to change her life.
She said: “I will never forget how I felt that day. I was really struggling to carry my own body weight around.
The 30-year-old Lincolnshire woman was even crowned Miss Toned Figure for North East England earlier this year
“My knees ached from the exertion of running all day and I couldn’t walk at a reasonable pace without sweating and losing air.
“The worst was yet to come when I realized how much space I was taking up on the London Underground.
“I actually took more than one seat and that upset me so much.
“This was probably the first time I felt the true effects of being overweight and the impact it is having on my health.
“I’d always found clothes that flattered my body in any size, so my concerns generally weren’t my looks up until that moment, but I went to a party that night and had to buy a pair of pants that was a size 20 for the first time in my life.
“That was the last straw for me.
“I never thought I would reach size 20 and that was enough to make me want to change my life.
She realized she wanted to change her lifestyle when she took a trip to London in 2018 and realized she was a size 20
“First, I took a pretty radical approach to weight loss, making significant dietary changes in a short amount of time to lose weight, which in retrospect I wouldn’t recommend.
“After a few months of drastic weight loss, I started working with my friend and trainer Jenna Beckworth, who helped me maintain my weight loss in a much safer and more sustainable way, and we continue to work together to this day.
“We’ve gone from strength to strength, improving my relationship with food and going through various stages of bulking and cutting.”
Hannah said, “When you’re training for a bodybuilding competition, you don’t really see food as anything other than a means to an end.
“Looking back, I think every time I’ve tried to lose weight before, I’ve over-limited myself and made myself uncomfortable.
Four years later, Hannah, now an emergency planning and business continuity office, is in great shape
Hannah works out five times a week and said the key is simply “routine and discipline,” adding that her self-esteem has been through the roof
“I certainly wasn’t counting calories properly and just guessing what I was eating.
“Until you really understand the nutrition facts and how many calories in what, you can’t confidently put yourself in a position to lose weight.
“I haven’t been really happy with the way I look as an adult in a long time – I’ve always been the person who felt like having a drink, a meal and a night out.
“These things were just a band-aid used to cover up how I really felt.”
Hannah now trains five times a week and said the key is simply “routine and discipline.”
She said: “Exercise is just an essential part of my day now.
“You have to work hard and have discipline in everything you do.
“I was top of my class in college, got promotions at work, and met the love of my life.”