School teacher transforms her lifestyle, sheds six stone and drops from a size 20 to 10

A primary school teacher has gone from a size 20 to a 10 through finding a passion for the gym.
Sophie - before and afterSophie - before and after
Sophie - before and after

Sophie Matheson, aged 26, lost six stone after joining a gym and embarking on a life changing fitness programme ahead of her wedding. Sophie lost five stone to walk down the aisle in October last year, and having developed a new found love for the gym she has since gone on to lose another stone, taking her weight loss to six stone in total. With just four months to go until her wedding, Sophie who got married at Rufford Mill in Nottinghamshire weighed in at 16 stone and having tried numerous diets, she decided enough was enough and got in touch with Retford and Doncaster-based personal trainer, Luke Hewitt, in a last ditch attempt to lose weight for her big day. She said: “I had reached a point where I was dreading my wedding day. I was anxious about the photos, how I would look and feel in my dress and what others would think of me and I knew I had to do something to make a positive change. I already knew of Luke having seen some of his incredible transformations on social media so I took the plunge and got in touch with him. “I was so nervous ahead of my first session, but I had absolutely no reason to be as Luke and his team were so friendly, putting me at ease straight away. They believed in me before I believed in myself and if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t have had the confidence to believe I could do it. I started to see changes really quickly and began to develop a love for the gym.” Sophie trained with Luke for 16 weeks in the lead up to her wedding day on a programme which included a combination of cardiovascular exercise and weight training three times a week. She was also provided with a diet plan to complement her exercise regime. Sophie comments: “My job as a primary school teacher can be quite stressful and fast paced and my diet before starting the programme reflected that. A typical day would have previously started with good intentions, with Weetabix for breakfast and fruit for my mid-morning snack, but then it would start to go downhill.

“Lunchtime would arrive and the staff room at work would be full of cakes and biscuits, so I’d help myself to those before grabbing a pre-packed wrap or sandwich for lunch.

Sophie - before and afterSophie - before and after
Sophie - before and after
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“After work, I’d go to the shop and get crisps, sweets and chocolates and binge eat and then dinner would be something like wedges and a burger. We would also indulge in takeaways several times a week.” Sophie is a vegetarian and her new diet plan was tailored to suit her, as with all Luke’s clients. A typical day now might consist of porridge or an omelette for breakfast, quorn chilli, rice and salad for lunch and halloumi and vegetable kebabs with curried lentils for dinner, with various snacks to keep her going throughout the day.   Sophie adds: “At first, I couldn’t believe how much food I was able to eat. I’ve tried every fad diet going so feeling satisfied rather than deprived made a huge difference to my motivation and sticking power. That, combined with my gym sessions has completely changed my life for the better. I used to make excuses not to go out to social events and didn’t feel comfortable in anything I tried on.  Now, I’m happier in all aspects of life: I’m more confident at work, have an even better relationship with my husband and I’m happier on holiday because I can wear what I want without feeling uncomfortable.” In just 16 weeks, Sophie got her weight down to 11 stone and wore a size 12 wedding dress. She has since continued her training regime with Luke and his team at LH Fitness; James Hatzel and Connor Day. Following her wedding, Sophie has gone on to lose a further stone and toned significantly by undertaking Transform 8, an eight week intensive programme which provides a tailored diet plan and one-to-one exercise programme.  She adds: “I was on 18 tablets a day for endometriosis and IBD before I lost weight and now I don’t take any medication at all. I felt amazing on my wedding day, and I definitely have Luke to thank for that, but for me this wasn’t just about losing weight for my wedding. It was about becoming happier and healthier for good and I know I’ll never go back to my old habits because I feel so much better and coming off my medication speaks volumes. “The gym has become my therapy and no matter what mood I arrive in, I always leave feeling on top of the world. My only regret is that I didn’t find Luke and his team sooner.” Luke Hewitt and his team run LH Fitness from Retford Leisure Centre, Retford and Bircotes Leisure Centre, Doncaster and those wanting to train with him don’t need to be a member of the gym. For further information, or to arrange a free, initial consultation contact Luke on 07875 608231, find him on Facebook via LH Fitness, or Instagram at Luke Hewitt PT.