Breaking Free: My Slimpod Journey to Health and Empowerment
Despite being slim and active as a child and in my early teens, my weight started creeping up in my 20s—especially when I moved from working in a lab to a desk-based job. The more my weight increased, the more unhappy I became with my size.
I tried countless diets, some with temporary success, but the weight always came back. Dieting felt like a constant battle—boring, restrictive, and demoralising. I’d fall off the wagon time and time again, and every January, I was heavier than the year before.
Listen to Colette's episode
As a child, I loved running, but as a teenager, PE and sports lost their appeal. School sports seemed to cater only to the naturally athletic, and by university, I had swapped exercise for shopping on Wednesday sports afternoons. Over time, I became the kind of person who would drive to the end of the road rather than walk it.
In my late 20s, I got caught up in the ever-changing world of dieting. I spent years surviving on fat-free, low-fat, or sugar-free products, but I would inevitably give in to cravings and binge on high-fat, sugar-laden foods. Looking back, I can see how absurd it was—I would scrimp on nutritious foods just to “save” my points or calories for junk. I convinced myself that eating fat-free or sugar-free meant I could have “just one more”—which usually turned into ten. It’s shocking to realise now that, despite my MSc in Biological Sciences, I was essentially starving my body of real nutrition and poisoning it with ultra-processed rubbish.
Living alone, struggling with anxiety and depression, I became an emotional eater, relying on convenience foods. I would eat to the point of feeling sick, yet I’d keep going, desperate for the taste and texture in my mouth. Sugar was my biggest downfall. I was raised with sweets and desserts in moderation, but secondary school tuck shops and university habits took my sugar addiction to a whole new level.
By summer 2021, my unhealthy lifestyle caught up with me. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and fatty liver infiltration, which I knew was a result of my diet—90% carbs and ultra-processed foods. The doctor’s advice? Lose weight. And avoid alcohol, which I hardly drank anyway.
Frustrated, I started weight-bearing exercise with a personal trainer, who encouraged me to cook from scratch. But I was busy—I didn’t have time for that. While my strength improved, my weight didn’t budge.
The Turning Point
Then, in late 2021, I saw a friend from school who looked incredible—radiant, healthy, and noticeably slimmer. Her secret? Slimpod.
In January 2022, I joined. And wow—almost overnight, something changed. The very next day, I was suddenly conscious of my food choices, and for the first time in years, my emotional binging stopped. I didn’t feel like I was “dieting”—it just felt natural.
The coaching videos re-educated me about food, and without even thinking about it, I started cooking real meals from scratch. I somehow found the time to batch cook, portion out my vegetables, and ditch the ready meals. I was amazed when I started losing the weight I’d gained over Christmas—but I was wary. In the past, I’d always lost a few pounds in January, only to fall off the wagon when things got tough. But this time, there was no wagon to fall off. Everything felt effortless, like I was simply following a natural path.
February 2022 brought a relationship breakup. While such events previously sent me spiralling, this time I stayed focused with the support of the Slimpod community. Determined to move forward, I created a Goal Map and committed to walking 100 miles for MIND in March.
That same month, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Angry and demoralised, I questioned the fairness of life.
My doctors warned I might gain weight due to treatment drugs, but Slimpod gave me a sense of purpose and control. I prioritised healthy eating and daily walks, keeping my immunity strong. The habits I’d developed—balanced meals with protein and vegetables—became automatic.
My mindset changed from punishing myself with food to nourishing my body with it.
And suddenly, everything felt different.
Then, in February, I went through a painful breakup. In the past, that would have sent me into a spiral of emotional eating. But this time, with the support of the Slimpod community, I stayed strong. I even created a Goal Map and signed up to walk 100 miles in March for MIND—a goal to keep me moving.
But March 2022 brought a devastating diagnosis: breast cancer. It felt so unfair—just as I was finally transforming my health, life threw another obstacle in my way. My consultants warned me that the treatment would likely cause weight gain due to steroids and changes in appetite. I felt defeated.
The Transformation: I Now Feel So Empowered
Then, I had a lightbulb moment—Slimpod had come into my life for a reason. When everything else was out of my control, the one thing I could control was continuing my journey towards better health. I focused on nourishing my body, keeping my immunity strong, and staying active. Despite the treatment, my weight continued to drop. By July, I had gone from a size 20+ to fitting into a size 12 dress—a stretch goal I never thought I’d achieve.
By January 2023, after the toughest phase of my treatment, I had lost four stone. I was stunned. The consultants had been so sure I would gain weight—but Slimpod had helped me rewrite that narrative. I still had a few more stone to lose, but I needed a new challenge. A fellow Slimpodder convinced me to enter the London Moonwalk for breast cancer—a 26.2-mile overnight walk.
It was daunting, but I said yes. Training gave me focus.
Slimpod hasn’t just transformed my weight—it’s transformed my life.
In May, I completed my first marathon. Who would have thought that after 18 months of cancer treatment, I’d be achieving a lifelong dream?
Since then, life hasn’t been without challenges. Emotional eating and sugar cravings crept back in during my recovery, and I regained a little weight. But the difference now is that I know I’m in control. I understand how my body reacts to food, and I can see the direct link between sugar, weight gain, and even menopausal symptoms. The moment I returned to balanced, nutritious eating, my body responded—my weight started to drop again, and I felt healthier and more energised.
A recent blood test showed no evidence of hypothyroidism or fatty liver infiltration. I also completed the Moonwalk again this year—without the same level of training, but still strong enough to finish. That’s the power of real food and consistent movement.
Though post-cancer mental and emotional recovery has been challenging, Slimpod continues to anchor me.
Now, my approach to food is completely different. I batch cook for convenience but only use real, whole ingredients. I’ve ditched fat-free and sugar-free products in favour of full-fat, nutrient-dense foods. I prioritise protein, vegetables, and fruit while keeping processed foods to a minimum. My portion sizes have naturally reduced, and I actually dislike the feeling of being overly full now.
Most importantly, I feel empowered. Life will always throw challenges my way, but I now have the knowledge, confidence, and belief that I can fuel my body in a way that supports my health. And when the occasional blip happens, Slimpod is always there in the background, anchoring me until the storm passes.
This journey has truly been life-changing. And as one final challenge, I’m now training to climb Ben Nevis with Macmillan next year—because if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that I am capable of so much more than I ever imagined.
Cancer challenged me
but I feel I'm in control
Cancer challenged me
but I feel I'm in control
Colette Molloy’s story
Despite being slim and active as a child and in my early teens, I started putting on weight in my 20s, especially after moving from a lab-based job to a desk-based role. As the weight piled on and my unhappiness with my size grew, I tried various diets with variable success, but the weight always came back.
Dieting was restrictive, demoralising, and unsustainable, leaving me constantly falling off the wagon and, every January, heavier than the year before.
Though I’d been a keen runner in primary school, I found PE uninspiring as a teenager. Lessons seemed to focus more on warm-ups than actual activity, and extracurricular sports teams required you to excel to be accepted. By university, sports afternoons were spent shopping, and I had become someone who would drive to the end of the road rather than walk.
By my late 20s, I was caught in the ever-changing world of diet fads, living on fat-free, sugar-free products while bingeing on unhealthy, high-fat, sugar-laden snacks. I’d convince myself another “low-calorie” crisp packet wouldn’t hurt, but my Slimpod journey later revealed the truth: I was starving my body of nutrients while stuffing it with ultra-processed rubbish. As a biologist with an MSc, I should have recognised the harm I was causing.
Living alone with a history of anxiety and depression, I turned to emotional eating and convenience foods. I’d overeat to the point of sickness, stuffing more in out of desperation for taste and texture. Sugar became my nemesis, fuelled by childhood tuck shop habits. By 2021, my health suffered.
Diagnosed with hypothyroidism and fatty liver infiltration, I knew my diet—90% carbs—was the culprit. I began weight-bearing exercises with a personal trainer who encouraged meal prepping, but I felt too busy to cook. Despite improved strength, my weight stayed the same.
Late in 2021, a school friend’s dramatic transformation introduced me to Slimpod. In January 2022, I joined, and the change was immediate. After listening to the programme once, my emotional bingeing stopped.
I felt hopeful and empowered, cooking meals from scratch and batch-prepping vegetables instead of relying on supermarket ready meals. Losing weight post-Christmas gave me confidence, but it wasn’t just about control—it felt natural, a new way of living.
February 2022 brought a relationship breakup. While such events previously sent me spiralling, this time I stayed focused with the support of the Slimpod community. Determined to move forward, I created a Goal Map and committed to walking 100 miles for MIND in March.
That same month, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Angry and demoralised, I questioned the fairness of life.
My doctors warned I might gain weight due to treatment drugs, but Slimpod gave me a sense of purpose and control. I prioritised healthy eating and daily walks, keeping my immunity strong. The habits I’d developed—balanced meals with protein and vegetables—became automatic.
By July 2022, I’d achieved my first goal: fitting into a size 12 dress, down from size 20+ just six months earlier. Even while undergoing intensive cancer treatment, my weight continued to drop. By January 2023, I’d lost 4 stone—something I’d never imagined possible.
A fellow Slimpodder encouraged me to enter the London Moonwalk, a 26.2-mile marathon for breast cancer. Though daunting, I said yes, training hard and completing the challenge in May 2023. It was a dream fulfilled amidst an incredible recovery journey.
As I explain in Sandra’s book The Weight’s Over: Take Back Control, though post-cancer mental and emotional recovery has been challenging, Slimpod continues to anchor me.
Bad habits, like emotional eating, occasionally resurface, but I’m empowered by the knowledge that I control what I put into my body. I’ve regained focus, and my weight is decreasing again. Remarkably, recent blood tests show no evidence of hypothyroidism or fatty liver infiltration
Regarding what I eat, I still batch cook for convenience. I ditched all the low / fat free, sugar free products and returned to the actually healthier full fat versions. I prioritise protein, vegetables and fruit ensuring I have at least my five a day and a small portion of carbs as we do need a certain amount.
I am mindful about minimising processed foods. I tend to keep in mind that a potato is as it is out of the ground, rice has been processed somewhat before it gets to our plates and pasta doesn’t naturally exist but is processed from a combination of ingredients. I generally try to avoid ultra-processed foods as much as possible.
I also try to ensure I am eating a large variety of plants over a week by enhancing my meals with seeds, nuts, herbs and spices. I still routinely have desserts but now mainly Greek yoghurt with fruit. I still have cake, ice-cream and eat out when I want to but I just not attracted to these types of foods the same wayI used to be.
Also my portion sizes have significantly reduced. I remember when I was young I was easily overwhelmed if a plateful was placed before me but over the years of overeating large portions had become the norm.
Now I am back to only managing smaller portions and listening to my full signal. It feels so good and I hate feeling too full now.
What is most exciting is that I now feel so empowered now. There will always be obstacles in life but I now confidently know what fuel my body needs, what real food is, what a balanced diet is and how the body reacts to different food types especially the processed foods and refined carbs that are so detrimental.
Whilst there may be blips, in general I feel so much more in control of what I put in my body and have hope and belief that I have control over managing my weight. In fact I know I have and when I have blips, somehow Slimpod and this empowerment is still there in the background anchoring me somewhat until the storm has passed.
It’s been life changing. Life’s obstacles still arise, but I feel equipped to face them. I’m now training for the Macmillan Ben Nevis walk—a testament to how far I’ve come. I’m delighted to share my story in The Weight’s Over: Take Back Control because Slimpod hasn’t just transformed my weight—it’s transformed my life.
