Rachel McBride (29) from Belmullet has lost over 4 stone and won herself a place in the Unislimmer Of The Year Finals 2013.
Unislim member Rachel McBride took the phrase “eating for two” far too literally when pregnant and treated pregnancy like a free pass for eating whatever she wanted.
Rachel figured that she would lose the weight after the birth but found herself too busy with her new baby.
Having attended a friends wedding in 2010 and after seeing the photographs, she made her decision to join Unislim and to stay motivated, she put a picture of herself on her fridge.“This kept me going, every time I came into the kitchen to open the fridge and take something out, I’d see that picture” she said. As the weight began to come off, Rachel decided to take action on an underlying health issue.
Having discovered that she carried the BRCA-1 gene, which increases the risk of developing breast cancer, when she was 21, Rachel now felt that the time was right to deal with it head on and decided to undergo preventative surgery and undergo a bilateral mastectomy. “I joined Unislim in January 2011 and had the surgery in the August. I think the fact I had lost weight helped my recovery. It also gave me something else to think about and focus on rather than the operation”.
Rachel has now lost 4 stone 1 lb, going from size 24 to size 14 and attends her local Unislim class as a free slimmer weekly to stay on track. “It’s part of my life; I have so much energy now. I take real pride in my appearance and look after myself whereas before I couldn’t be bothered.”
Rachel has also notes that her son Joshua, is eating healthier too since she joined Unislim and now eats what she eats also; Unislim is now teaching him to be healthy too! Rachel loves walking, she power walks in order to stay fit and its working wonders for both her body and her energy levels.
Rachel attends class in Belmullet, Co Mayo and her leader, Maureen Gallagher is so proud of her and all that she has achieved. “Rachel showed great determination during her journey, she always listened to the advice that she was given and she is truly an inspiration.”
The Unislimmer Of The Year Awards takes place in Dublin on the 12/13th November. To vote for your favourite finalist, click here.