Kerry Buck – I can now dance around my kitchen

Kerry Buck from the Bury St Edmunds area asked her GP to refer her to the Feel Good Suffolk service after deciding enough, was enough.

She has now completed the 12-week weight management programme, during which she has successfully lost weight. She is experiencing less pain and has more energy than she has had in a long time.

We recently caught up with Kerry to find out her story…

What motivated you to reach out to Feel Good Suffolk for support with your weight?

This was the biggest I had ever been and I was just sick and tired of it. I couldn’t shift the weight no matter what I tried so I went to the doctors and asked for some help.

I have a bad back and I knew that wasn’t going to get better with my weight piling on. I know it won’t ever be completely better, but I knew adding extra weight was only going to make it worse, so I needed to try and do something to help with my pain.

How has the weight loss helped with this so far?

In the last 3 months, I have already lost over a stone, but I have also been able to reduce my pain medication. I can move more freely now whereas before my husband used to have to put my socks on every day. I can often put them on at least one day of the week, and although it’s only one, it is one more than I could do before and that’s due to me being not so big and heavy and so my pain isn’t as bad.

You don’t realise how much it helps…with my mental health too and I know if I keep going hopefully, I will be able to do more!

My main goal was to reduce dress sizes, rather than focusing on weight and I have already seen my dress size come down.

I have so much more energy since I joined the group too. I am able to get up and help with the kids before school, I sometimes even take them to school whereas before I would lay in bed and wait for my tablets to work and often would not get out of bed until my husband was back from the school run.

What, if anything prevented you from achieving your goal before now?

I don’t think I was in the right headspace before now. I think I met an all-time low, my back was the worst it had ever been, and I was determined this time. I couldn’t get out of bed in the mornings, and I was really struggling, and I just knew I had to do something about it. I didn’t know what, but I am so glad I was referred to Feel Good Suffolk.
My advisor, Sylvia has been an absolute diamond, she’s been incredible.

How else do you feel you benefitted from the 12-week programme?

I feel fortunate to have been put into the group I am in. All the other group members are incredible. They will help you when there is a new challenge or goal you are hoping to take on that feels a bit scary. I felt like I didn’t want to try some new foods but with encouragement and support from others, I realised I had nothing to lose if I just gave something a go.

Everyone is so friendly which is amazing, it makes all the difference as you do not feel judged or pressured to achieve specific milestones and I really enjoy attending.

I now have the motivation to cook a healthy meal which means that my children are now getting a better meal, and it will help them further down the line too.

It is just a great atmosphere and if someone was thinking about getting in touch I would just say GO FOR IT!

Do not wait, just go for it because I can say I am now in such a better headspace since I have done it, and others are even noticing the difference in me now.

Just the other day I was dancing around my kitchen and my husband questioned whether I was ok. He was wondering why I was strangely happy, but it was just because he hadn’t seen that side of me in such a long time.

Bite the bullet and go for it, even if you feel confused or stuck along the way, the advisors will help you, it’s not as scary as it may seem.

Kerry Buck – feels better than she has in years!