I’m a size 16 – my skinny friends are unhappy while I’m happier than ever

MOTHER-OF-TWO Danielle Broadbent, 41, a size 17 radio presenter and body-positive coach from West Yorkshire, hopes her diet-obsessed friends will embrace their curves – just like she has…

I put the phone down and sighed in despair.

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I had just called two of my best friends to ask if they wanted to come out to our local Italian for dinner.

One of them accepted the offer, but said she was on a diet and therefore only wanted an appetizer.

The other suggested they go for a walk instead, as she wanted to lose some weight for a party.

Once again, my idea of ​​a cozy, gossipy evening of sharing pizza and wine had been shattered.

My friends are amazing, but their constant dieting can be so frustrating.

Most of them are size 40 or 44 and much slimmer than me, but some have to work so hard to stay in shape that they no longer enjoy it.

So many times I’ve sat down to eat a curry and felt their eyes devour my delicious food while they sadly chewed on a lettuce leaf.

My friends are just a snapshot of what is happening in the UK.

A recent study found that the average woman spends 21 years and eight months of her life on a diet.

More than one in ten women has been on a diet in the past year and only one in three is happy with her weight and body.

It’s so sad. Their whole day can be ruined if they gain a pound.

Four of my friends use the trendy slimming product Wegovy and spend £170 a month on it because they are not eligible for NHS benefits.

At least one of them lies online and adds 5st to her weight so she can get the drugs.

When we recently went on holiday with a group, a friend of mine felt miserable the whole time. She was convinced she was gaining weight, even though she looked fantastic.

I am relieved to have left that destructive way of thinking behind me.

My weight no longer defines my life. In fact, I have no idea what it is because I no longer have scales in my house.

I used to weigh myself all the time, first thing in the morning, and then again throughout the day.

When I came home from work and noticed I had gained weight, I would eat soup or skip dinner.

WOBBLY LEGS

But now I’ve embraced my soft bits and I’m happier than ever.

If I put on a dress and it is too tight, I just pick one from my closet that fits. I have clothes in sizes 46 to 50.

I love every part of my body, even when my legs are wobbly and I have cellulite.

I carried my two children in it: Aleecia, 19, and Mikey, 14. I can walk and dance in it and it fights infections.

It’s amazing and I’m grateful for it.

In my teens and early twenties, I was naturally slim.

When I had my daughter at age 22, I was back in shape within weeks.

But in 2009 I was diagnosed with a thyroid condition and soon started gaining weight.

In 2010, at 27, I had my son and I gained 2st, from 11st to 13st. And I just couldn’t shift it.

Suddenly I hated my body and seven years of yo-yo dieting followed.

I have tried every possible weight loss program.

The other women all praised me for my self-control, but inside I felt miserable and hungry

Danielle Broadbent

I followed the Cambridge diet and lost 10 pounds in a week with soup and shakes.

But soon I put it all back on.

I worked in telesales at the time and there was a very negative attitude towards being fat in the office.

If I had a baked potato with chili and cheese for lunch, they’d say, “Are you going to eat all that and drink tea too?”

One day we went to Pizza Hut to celebrate achieving our goals.

To fit in, I drank Diet Coke and ate salad.

The other women all praised me for my self-control, but inside I felt miserable and hungry.

It’s ridiculous that the fact that I denied myself something was celebrated.

I remember dieting like crazy until my 30th birthday.

I survived on soups and shakes and barely saw my kids, as I went straight from work to the gym.

I was hungry and irritable for weeks, but when the pink size 42 dress I bought for the party fit, it was a real highlight.

‘SO MUCH MORE CONTENT’

But it didn’t last long before the yo-yo effect started again.

In 2018 I agreed to take part in a Channel 4 programme, Naked Beach, which was supposed to boost people’s self-confidence.

During the recordings I received intensive therapy and guidance and learned to accept my body for what it could do, not for what it looked like.

The turning point came when I spoke to one of the mentors, Dan Richards, who had lost his arm in a freak accident.

I was crying over my spare tires and there he was, comforting me.

I felt ashamed that I was so focused on weight when there were more important things. It put everything into perspective — it changed my life.

Now I eat without guilt and listen to my body.

If I want lasagna with garlic bread, that’s what I choose.

I don’t eat huge amounts because then I feel uncomfortable, but I do enjoy everything I eat.

I swim regularly because it’s good for my mental health.

I am much more content now, because I am no longer guided by my clothing size. Also, I am glad that I have no idea how much I weigh.

But even clothing sizes can send some of my friends into a panic.

I am happier than I ever imagined now that I have accepted the body I have and I want my friends to have the same freedom

Danielle Broadbent

The other day I went shopping with one of them and she stormed out of the store because size 42 didn’t fit her.

I didn’t find it insulting that she, at size 12, was so upset in my presence.

And I don’t care if they take away chunks of non-existent fat and show me how much they’ve gained.

I get it, I was the same once.

My partner of 18 years, Mike, 39, who works for the council and has a horticultural business, loves me regardless of my size and has always supported me.

But our relationship is better because I’m happier and our sex life has improved too, because I have more confidence and don’t mind being naked in front of him anymore.

And I’m a better mother because by being cheerful and confident, I’m a good role model for my children.

Unlike some of my friends, I don’t do things I hate to stay slim.

Some people go to the gym twice a day and tell me they hate it.

My answer: don’t go.

Find a sport you enjoy.

I am happier than I ever imagined now that I have accepted the body I have and I want my friends to have the same freedom.

I tell them all the time, but these days they usually just sigh and roll their eyes.

Hopefully another woman reading this will see the light.