I was so fat I couldn't walk 一連の会議、交渉／完成する my kitchen island. But now 老年の 74 I've lost three 石／投石する and FOUR dress sizes in いっそう少なく than a year - here's how. By TV chef ROSEMARY SHRAGER
As you read this, I am somewhere between Land’s End and the White Cliffs of Dover, pedalling my heart out on the second day of an 18-day, 450-mile charity bike challenge.
I can hardly believe this myself. After a lifetime of despising 演習 and struggling with my 負わせる, I’ve reached a place where I’m 得るing the physical and emotional 利益s of prioritising my 団体／死体 and health.
Nine months after I started training, I’m more than three 石／投石する はしけ and four dress sizes smaller.
And while I can credit perseverance 加える the support of a personal trainer and cycling partner, I have something else to thank for my 業績／成就s ? Ozempic. Half a million people in the UK are using Ozempic, or other 肉親，親類d of GLP-1 医薬, to help 援助（する） their 負わせる loss.
However, my 動機づけ was not 簡単に to lose 負わせる, it was also about building longevity.
I had an 操作／手術 for a hip 交替／補充 in 2023, and this time last year, while I was no longer in physical 苦痛, I was living an incredibly lazy life. I wasn’t 演習ing at all.
Indeed, I was so unfit I couldn’t walk around my kitchen island without 安定したing myself on the 反対する.
I live in a beautiful part of the country, on the 国境 of Kent and East Sussex, but I dared not walk into my village for 恐れる of not making it 支援する home.
Rosemary Shrager pictured last summer,?at 5ft 7in, she 重さを計るd 20 石／投石する. Needing to make major lifestyle changes, the TV chef decided to give Ozempic a try
Rosemary after her 負わせる loss. She is no longer unsteady on her feet or clomping around, struggling to carry hervweight on very little muscle 集まり
I’m known for my love of food, having 現在のd TV cookery programmes over the past four １０年間s, 含むing shows such as Rosemary’s School For Cooks. I’ve recently been a 裁判官 on Cooking With The 星／主役にするs on ITV, and have also taken part in I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! and The Real Marigold Hotel.
Food has always been at the heart of everything I do, on and off TV.
Although I always ate 比較して healthily ? salads, baked potatoes, meat and vegetables with the 半端物 部分 of 半導体素子s ? looking 支援する, my 部分 sizes were 過度の and, in the absence of 演習, I grew bigger and bigger.
A couple of years ago, at 5ft 7in tall, I 重さを計るd 20 石／投石する and was 深く，強烈に worried about my health. I realised major lifestyle changes were needed. When I heard about Ozempic, it felt 権利 to give it a try.
I have always struggled with my 負わせる. As a child I wore bigger 着せる／賦与するs than other girls my age, and by the age of ten I was seeing a Harley Street doctor to 設立する why I was so fat.
The doctor imparted the news that I had a very slow metabolism, so I was put on a diet, and at my 搭乗 school ? the former Hampden House School for Girls in 広大な／多数の／重要な Missenden, Buckinghamshire ? I 耐えるd daily remedial 演習s.
After the afternoon bell rang, I trundled to the school gym for 私的な fitness 開会／開廷／会期s with our PE teacher, hating every second and feeling 深く，強烈に embarrassed about 存在 選び出す／独身d out. Imagine 存在 the only pupil who got special 治療 because of her size.
In that 体育館 I developed a 消極的な 協会 with movement which has lasted all my life. I （機の）カム to despise 演習.
I got married to Michael, a barrister, at the age of 22, and after setting up my own catering company, food became my life.
After having my first child, Tom, now 52, in 1972 (I also have a daughter, Kate, age 50) I got into Pilates. But the same 戦う／戦い continued. Before every class I was locked in a mental fight, arguing with a 発言する／表明する in my 長，率いる that said, ‘Don’t bother’.
Like most overweight people, I’ve occasionally tried quick-直す／買収する，八百長をする diets, from the protein and citrus fruit diet to the cabbage soup 計画（する） and, more recently, one that 伴う／関わるd eating a shedload of prunes.
If I was 約束d a 10lb 減少（する） in ten days, I needed no more 納得させるing.
Did any of them work? Of course not! Within weeks of shedding 負わせる, I was 支援する to square one.
In my 早期に 30s, and desperate to come 負かす／撃墜する from a size 16, I became bulimic. I would 内密に binge-eat then 粛清する, although I didn’t confide in anyone at the time.
Rather than lead to noticeable 負わせる loss, my secret 中毒 kept my 負わせる stable.
After 概略で a １０年間 I sorted myself out by checking into a 回復 centre in Canterbury for a month. I’ve not been bulimic since, but my 負わせる has gone up and 負かす／撃墜する like a yo-yo.
During my 12 days in the I’m A Celebrity ジャングル in 2012, I 一時的に lost 2st 3lb after 生き残るing mostly on tiny 部分s of rice and beans.
Then, after 回復するing the 負わせる, I lost a fair bit again on the NHS 糖尿病 予防 Programme before 存在 診断するd with type 2 糖尿病 seven years ago. But whatever 誘発するd the 負わせる loss, the results were never 維持できる.
I consider myself lucky for having an hourglass 人物／姿／数字. I have always been in 割合, without an 明白に bigger 底（に届く） or a pear-形態／調整d 団体／死体 with larger hips, so my size has been somewhat disguised, and I never 苦しむd a 危機 of 信用／信任 professionally or socially.
However, I have never felt attractive or really good in myself.
I have 耐えるd embarrassing moments such as 存在 unable to buckle up an aeroplane seat belt without an 拡張. After 搭乗, I’d 静かに whisper my request to an 空気／公表する stewardess, then feel humiliated when the extra-long belt was paraded 負かす／撃墜する the aisle.
During uncomfortable moments like these, my larger-than-life personality has been my saviour.
I am 自然に self-deprecating, having long 見解（をとる）d myself as a caricature and been able to laugh things off, but behind の近くにd doors it was いつかs a different story.
I longed to feel sexy, and my constant 負わせる fluctuation was psychologically 堅い, 特に when 着せる／賦与するs would suddenly not fit, which made me feel frumpy and unattractive.
その結果 I’ve always tried to wear loose 着せる／賦与するs that don’t accentuate my 負わせる.
I fretted, too, about people 裁判官ing me, wrongly believing that because of my size I was out of 支配（する）／統制する of my life, which wasn’t true at all.
When I first approached my doctor about Ozempic two years ago ? 存在 diabetic and very large ? the 医薬 was 即時に 認可するd, but 抱擁する off-label 需要・要求する had 誘発するd NHS 不足s so I couldn’t get a prescription for months.
While waiting, I made a 誓約（する） to not just take Ozempic. I knew that to 支える any long-称する，呼ぶ／期間／用語 負わせる loss I had to 連合させる the 麻薬 with daily 演習.
So last autumn when, at 20 石／投石する, I started on a small 0.25mg dose, I also committed to my Two Wheels For Meals challenge.
For years I had dreamed of cycling along Britain’s south coast, a 大勝する I’d enjoyed by boat on ITV’s All At Sea と一緒に Bradley Walsh and Richard Madeley years earlier.
最初 my 使節団, which I hope will raise at least £100,000 for Hendy 創立／基礎’s food banks 率先, was met with scepticism. Some laughed because ? seeing my size ? they didn’t believe I was serious, while others 発言する／表明するd 関心, の中で them my スパイ／執行官 Annie, who 恐れるd I’d taken on too much too soon.
Whether I agreed or not didn’t 事柄, I couldn’t let 負かす／撃墜する the charity or myself ? and that’s when I pulled my finger out.
In September I 調書をとる／予約するd a 地元の personal trainer for 開会／開廷／会期s three times a week. During our first 会合s in his 私的な gym I barely moved, but slowly ? very slowly ? my fitness grew.
What started as five minutes on the 演習 bike 増加するd to ten minutes, then 15 minutes and more, with the difficulty level rising 刻々と, too.
On 最高の，を越す of walking, my trainer also introduced me to weightbearing 演習s, 大部分は to 強化する my 脚s in 準備完了 for starting on-road bike training i n February.
開始するing a bike in a 静かな cul-de-sac 近づく my home for the first time in 30 years was terrifying. I couldn’t stay upright, let alone stop. I fell off a few times but, surprisingly, made quick 進歩.
During her 12 days in the I’m A Celebrity ジャングル in 2012, Rosemary 一時的に lost 2st 3lb after 生き残るing mostly on tiny 部分s of rice and beans
At the moment, Rosemary is somewhere between Land’s End and the White Cliffs of Dover, pedalling her heart out on the second day of an 18-day, 450-mile charity bike challenge
After 伸び（る）ing 信用／信任 cycling on off-road 跡をつけるs, I 前進するd to road 大勝するs.
Nine months on I am fit enough to ride for four to five hours a day ? up to 42 miles ? and I am loving the new freedom that fitness has given me.
The penny has finally dropped: 演習 is the 重要な to health and, thanks to it, I have an all-new zest for life.
I adore 存在 in the fresh 空気／公表する, and when I stop on grass 瀬戸際s for a sip of water I love noticing things like blossom in the trees, the sound of lambs bleating and cows asleep in a field.
Cycling is now my sport.
I’ve discovered a movement that I relish, and that’s a lesson to us all.
If you don’t like going to the gym, don’t go. Find an activity that 控訴，上告s to you because, once you do, you’ll keep it up. As we age, 演習 is 特に important because muscle and bone strength help 保護する us from 条件s such as osteoporosis and make us いっそう少なく likely to be 本気で 負傷させるd if we have a 落ちる.
Happily, I’m no longer unsteady on my feet or clomping around, struggling to carry my 負わせる on very little muscle 集まり.
Now I’m stronger, I’m standing upright and I don’t walk, I skip!
Doors are 開始 all over the place, 含むing my wardrobe.
For years I’ve 蓄える／店d smaller-sized 着せる／賦与するing in the 支援する of the wardrobe in 事例／患者 I might one day squeeze into them again. And now, happily, after 50 years of not wearing trousers ? I only ever wore skirts, for 慰安 ? I’m wearing ジーンズs!
For the first time in my life, too, people are 説, ‘My gosh, you look like you’ve lost 負わせる’ or, ‘You’re half the size!’
But although losing three 石／投石する (and counting) is wonderful, this 旅行 isn’t 簡単に about 負わせる loss, it’s about creating a second chance at life ? and that bit is working, too.
Last month, my doctor checked my 糖尿病 markers and was thrilled to 報告（する）／憶測 that my 血 sugar levels have 減ずる d and my 血 圧力, cholesterol levels and 腎臓 機能（する）／行事 have all 改善するd.
I’m still on the 糖尿病 麻薬 metformin but I’m moving in the 権利 direction. Hopefully, long-称する，呼ぶ／期間／用語, my 糖尿病 will do a disappearing 行為／法令／行動する altogether.
I definitely 消費する いっそう少なく food. I no longer eat three meals a day ? I have lunch and dinner ? and I feel fuller quicker.
Save for the 半端物 glass of シャンペン酒, I’m also 事実上 teetotal.
I’m still 深く，強烈に 熱烈な about food. Cookery is in my デオキシリボ核酸 and I love going out for dinner as much as I enjoy 準備するing meals at home. The only difference now is my 部分 sizes are much smaller.
In a year or so I’ll 離乳する myself off Ozempic but, 権利 now, my 優先 is to continue what’s working ? 連合させるing a 週刊誌 1mg dose with 演習.
I’m not ashamed to be using Ozempic. It has helped me lose 負わせる, which enabled me to 演習 harder and 乗る，着手する on the most 驚くべき／特命の／臨時の challenge and, thankfully, I’ve not 苦しむd from one of the unsavoury 味方する 影響s that many people have complained about.
Looking 今後, who knows what is possible.
My dream is to film a TV series where I 完全にする bicycle rides in lovely places or compete in a show such as Celebrity Race Across The World.
I’m certainly hoping that TV companies will see what I’ve 達成するd and think, ‘Rosemary’s fit now, she can do stuff.’
I am undoubtedly いっそう少なく of a 義務／負債 now that I’m stronger and more 有能な.
When I think about how far I’ve come, 特に at the age of 74, I get emotional.
Of course, there are times, usually riding in 勝利，勝つd and rain, when I question whether I’ve taken on too much.
But then I think about the 寄付s I have received ? and will hopefully continue to receive ? and it 生き返らせるs my 決意 to 遂行する a goal that once I never dreamed possible.
- To 寄付する to Rosemary’s cycling fundraiser, visit hendyfoundation.org/rosemary-shragers-wheels-for-meals-challenge
- As told to GEMMA CALVERT
