I NEVER THOUGHT I COULD FEEL THIS GOOD

Debi Freeland’s life was hectic. She had a partner, family, pet dogs and a full time job to keep her busy.

In 2022 events took a downturn. Debi, then 58, split with her partner; her son and his girlfriend moved out, and she became a carer for a friend and an elderly uncle.

“My life spiralled out of control. There was suddenly just me and my dogs at home. Food stopped being a priority and I gained loads of weight. I’d ignored invitations from my GP for a health check and only went because my mum and aunt had died of heart failure, and I was worried I might have undetected problems.”

Debi was eventually paired up with Healthy Knowsley’s Wellbeing Coach Rebecca, who helped her set small targets. She regained control over her life, including losing more than four stones.

“Rebecca’s phone calls kept me going, we built up such a good relationship. What I loved most was how the conversation wouldn’t be about my weight loss, it was about how I was doing in myself. I’d offload and she’d listen. I never felt pressure, it was about me the person.”

She’s able to overcome setbacks. “One day things didn’t go well, and I ate the contents of my fridge,” says Debi. “In the past that would have been my cue to give up, but Rebecca had helped me to think of it as a hiccup.”

This year Debi reduced her working hours and devotes more time to her caring role. She took up an offer of a free gym membership – and she hula hoops.

“I’ve always loved the hula hoop, it’s so easy, I do it while I’m watching the soaps on telly!”

Spurred on by her newfound confidence, Debi has just completed a sky dive, raising £400 for the Alzheimer’s Society.

“I never thought at 59 I could look and feel this good”, she says. “The girl I used to be is gone – and she isn’t coming back.”

THE LISTENER

Resolutions are hard to keep, no matter what time of year. Life gets in the way of good intentions and bumps in the road can set us back. A new approach taps into what’s important to a person and builds on the reasons why they want to improve their wellbeing.

Health coaching is based on the principle that solutions for change sit within us –that we’re the experts in our own lifestyle.

Susannah Green from Healthy Knowsley explains: “Lives are busy, people want to make changes, but they get stuck. Health coaching is listening to understand what it is that someone wants to change, looking at the barriers and solutions, then supporting them along their journey.”

When someone is referred, or refers themselves, a health coach will immediately begin to build a partnership with the person.

“We never say ‘You will. You must. You should’. It’s naive and insensitive to say to someone who’s working and looking after a family,‘ you only have to find 30 minutes a day to exercise.’ We want to empower them to find their own solutions that work for them.

“We’re holding a mirror up for that person to look within themselves, then we act as a sounding board, giving time and space to talk through options to get where they want to be.

“There’s usually a trigger, it maybe small but it’s important to them.

They may have had a health scare, they want to be able to run around with their grandchildren, or it could be that they’re going to a wedding and need to fit into their clothes. The reason doesn’t matter. If they can focus on why it’s important to them, and look at what’s getting in the way, we can help find solutions.

“We do lots of reflecting; you get time and space to talk things through. It helps to keep linking back to the reason you wanted to make the change, or decide if the focus has changed.

“It’s also acknowledging things you’ve not factored in, discovering the bumps in the road, celebrating what you’ve learned and working out how to remove those barriers.

“Our focus is on how the person feels. If someone lost weight we’d maybe say, ‘You look really pleased, what is it you’ve done?’ It’s their achievement. We just held up the mirror and showed them that it’s within them.”

• You can self refer to Healthy Knowsley if you are 18 or over, live in Knowsley or are registered with a Knowsley GP. Call: 0800 0731 202

TOP TIPS

Here’s some tips to help you keep active and well.

ASK YOURSELF ‘How can I move more’?

Use a SMALLER PLATE or a bowl for meals

TAKE THE STAIRS not the lift

CARRY A BASKET rather than push a trolley

Check ingredient lists for HIDDEN SUGARS or fats

TIDYING, GARDENING and cleaning all contribute to keeping active.