When Castlebar girl Edel Moran set off on a trip of a lifetime to New York, she never dreamed that she would look back on her photographs and think, “I look so fat”.
But that is what happened to Edel after a summer working in a yacht club on New York’s Long Island.
Having just finished her studies at Sligo IT, Edel went on the adventure of a lifetime but by the time she returned home she had gained 21 pounds.
Earlier this year Edel was crowned Curvette of the Year in Ireland due to the way she tackled her weight gain with the help of her local Curves club in Castlebar.
As a result she was featured in the autumn edition of Diane, the Curves international magazine, which has just been published.
Edel told the Curves reporter that she was never ‘skinny’ and she always thought she would be one of those people who are constantly on a diet.
But with four dress sizes lost and 45 pounds, she is enjoyed new-found confidence and claims to be a “different person altogether”.
Despite a 30-minute walk to work every day while in America, it wasn’t enough to combat all the fried food Edel and her co-workers were fed at the yacht club. Also the portion sizes were far too big.
But the combination of exercise and the Curves Weight Management Plan taught Edel about eating healthy, simple foods that fit into her lifestyle. Now she enjoys much more protein such as fish and healthy snacks like almonds and fruit.
Edel has paid tribute to Curves Castlebar owner Teresa who, she says, gave her the motivation to keep going.
