I’ve tried 20 different fad diets, but this is how I finally lost five stone

Mum of two and online health and fitness coach Tara Dixon, 38, from Leighton Buzzard, reveals how she lost weight in a healthy way

Growing up as the youngest child with three sporty older siblings, I always felt like the odd one out. I was the slightly chubby, lazy one who was never picked for school teams and hated PE, while they’ve always been off running marathons and doing triathlons. 
That narrative stuck with me as I got older. In my 20s, I lived a hectic life in London, acting and auditioning for roles, and doing some modelling jobs. I’m 5ft 10in and as my size fluctuated between a size 12 to 16, I was labelled “plus size”. At my height, carrying extra weight made me feel big. 
I didn’t hate my body – I’ve always been a believer in body positivity – but the pressure from society to be thin was constant. I didn’t have a good relationship with food, I was either bingeing on packets of chocolate biscuits or dieting to extremes, while going out drinking with my mates. My weight suffered.
I’d been on my first diet, the Atkins, aged 15, and then spent my 20s yo-yo dieting, trying every fad diet under the sun – Atkins, lemon juice cleanses, the Skinny Bitch diet, the Cabbage Soup diet, replacing meals with baby food. You name it, I’ve done it, about 20 of them. I even tried taking laxatives. 
I wanted fast results, and I’d follow the diets for a week or two, feel terrible, and give up. Likewise, I’d dip my toe in and out of cardio or aerobics. I’d join a gym and jump on a treadmill for half an hour, then get bored after a month.
When I had my children Rufus, eight, and Heidi, six, I thought, “It’s the first time in my life I don’t have to worry about food or my size.” With Heidi, I gained 5st during pregnancy, and then struggled to lose it afterwards. I weighed 15st, the heaviest I’ve ever been.
Cooking for the kids made things worse. It’s so easy to finish off their supper without even noticing. Then I’d eat later, or snack on unhealthy food because I wasn’t really hungry. Lockdowns made things worse, and I tried to lose weight the wrong way again, with another fad diet. 
I felt like I was failing at everything – being a wife and a mother, and even taking care of myself. I had taught dance at a performing arts school for several years, and then later bought it myself. Being self-employed, I hardly had any maternity leave – I had barely given birth before I was back to work. Meanwhile my husband David, who is also an actor, was busy getting standing ovations in the West End, while I was at home comfort eating. I felt like I had lost myself – even though he’s always been amazingly supportive, and never cared what size I am. 
It came to a head about two years ago. My weight was creeping up towards 15st again. I was having all sorts of health issues including plantar fasciitis, which is inflammation in the foot, and I was on anti-anxiety medication. The GP kept testing me for Type 2 diabetes. 
Something clicked in my head, and I thought, “I can’t live like this any more.” I decided I was going to make a lasting change and with both kids at primary school I had more time to do it the right way. I focused on nutrition first and put myself in a calorie deficit by eating a high-protein, 1,500-calories-a-day diet. For the first three months, I was incredibly disciplined. I weighed everything out and tracked it on the Nutracheck app – it’s quite painstaking at first but you soon get used to portion sizing. The only day I didn’t calorie count was Christmas. 
I also committed to hitting 10,000 steps a day. I didn’t do any exercise over and above that initially as I was too self-conscious and uncomfortable in workout gear to set foot in a gym. But starting to work with a fitness coach three months later was a game changer. He put me on a more sustainable target of 1900 calories a day and made me see that eating too little wasn’t good. At the same time I started to see a therapist because I realised a lot of my issues with food were tied up with how I felt about myself. I always felt too tall, and never good enough, and I was very used to rejection.
The thing is we can eat more than we think we can and still lose weight – but what happens instead is people go on a diet, pluck a number like 1200 calories out of the air, and it’s not enough to live on. Our bodies and brains are designed to keep us alive, so you’ll binge, or stop, or put it all back on again. 
After losing the first stone, I started incorporating strength training three times a week, along with one to two cardio sessions. I’m not a natural runner, but I pushed myself to improve my 5K time from 40 minutes to 27. About six months in I started lifting heavier weights. At 9st, I was at my slimmest for this year’s London Marathon – something I never thought I’d be able to do – and I’m now around 10st. 
I’m in a maintenance zone – it was hard at first to go back up to eating 2,300 calories a day but I trust my body needs that fuel. I rarely weigh myself. I don’t calorie count any more. I have total freedom, in the sense that I don’t feel guilty if I have a drink or a biscuit. Nor am I driven by addiction, whereas before I was addicted to sugar, carbs and alcohol. 
I live my life with an 80/20 split. Eighty per cent of the time I’ll be disciplined, and work out, and 20 per cent of the time I might treat myself – that could be a night out with the girls, or a takeaway. I don’t let it get in the way of me having fun. But equally, I don’t have the mindset of “Now it’s the weekend, I can do what I like.” There are no “cheat days”. 
At some point friends did worry I was losing too much. But I’ve never starved myself. I’ve always had trust in my coach and the fact I was getting stronger. Occasionally people say mean things on Instagram like: “You used to look cute and chubby but now you look malnourished.” But I’m not. I’m perfectly healthy, fit and strong, which has boosted my confidence – but best of all, I have so much energy. And I’m proud I’ve seen this through, because as a child I felt like the one who didn’t see things through. 
Recently I did a personal training qualification. So now I spend every day inspiring other women to get fit and strong as well as helping them to lose weight healthily. It’s perfect for me because I can turn my hard-won expertise into a meaningful career, and empower others to prioritise their health. 
See Instagram @mummyjuggler for more information on Tara’s online health and fitness coaching
As told to Lebby Eyres
Toast, croissant, cereal at 5am when the kids got up. 
Carb-heavy snacks like chocolate digestives or prawn cocktail crisps. 
Sandwich or pasta pesto with the kids.
Frozen food like fish fingers and oven chips or ready meals like lasagne.
Toast, chocolate biscuits and crisps.
A glass of wine which might turn into a bottle.
Protein porridge, or eggs with chicken sausages, with fibre from berries or avocado.
A simple wholemeal wrap with chicken and melted cheese – in the air fryer!
Balanced plate with 30-40g of protein such as chicken or oily fish, carbs like pasta or potatoes, and veggies. I love curries with lentils or chickpeas. 
100-calorie crisps or a small slice of cake.
I rarely drink at home now, but will have a glass of Prosecco with friends at the weekend. 
Bursts of running or cardio in the gym.
Two to three mornings at the gym doing strength training with one or two cardio sessions like HIIT or a Hyrox session. Plus, additional exercise like 10,000 steps a day, or cycling.
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