I took the plunge and emailed Chris about a month or so after my wedding. It had been a long time coming, I knew things weren’t right and I had got myself to the point that I couldn’t fix things single handedly. Pre wedding I had done the usual diet, keeping calories low, working out like a demon, shunning carbs, I even went on a 4-day bootcamp. I knew it was only a short-term fix because my body was essentially broken.

I kept my calories really low on a normal day (mentally beating myself up if I went over this). I was up at 6am for a 7am cardio class every weekday morning, taking pro plus and metabolism boosters to get me there. About 3 days a week on average I would do two rounds of exercise per day.

My muscles were constantly in pain; I developed injury after injury, never giving myself time to recover.

All of this effort was still only just keeping me at the same size and it was becoming more and more of a challenge every day. I was exhausted. And this had been my routine for circa 18 months, incorporating phase one of the Dukan diet every few weeks to maintain my size.

Once the wedding was over, the dress sold and my life back to normal, it sunk in that I just couldn’t carry on like this. I wanted to start a family, but the idea of getting pregnant (fat) filled me with fear. I was terrified I would be tempted back into my old ways and diet or over exercise and put my pregnancy at risk. Not to mention, my periods were all over the place and at some points completely absent – I didn’t even know where to begin.

“Good days” were low calorie, high exercise, no carb. “Bad days” would include a massive booze session, no morning exercise the next day, comfort food all day, feelings of self-hate and a promise to “do better” tomorrow.

I had no clue what markers of a (truly) healthy body were. My metabolism was essentially on strike it was so slow. My thyroid was under performing and my body was doing the bare minimum to survive – hence the periods. I would constantly have water retention around my ankles and calves; my hands would puff up regularly (I would even get Raynaud’s disease in the winter).

I didn’t know what to expect from my first appointment but I can tell you I felt an overwhelming relief.

Relief that I was not past fixing, and relieved that all of my various symptoms were interlinked.

Six months later and I am admiring my growing baby bump. Hit the halfway point today and have bags of energy, am TRULY healthy and despite my fears, have not gained any weight (actually inches as I refuse to weigh myself) anywhere I don’t need to. No puffy ankles or water retention.

It was hard work and took dedication but I was determined to get myself properly healthy. I now know how my body works, I know what it needs, and I know the warning signs when it’s not getting what it needs.

I’m still exercising regularly but because I love the energy it gives me, the endorphins make me feel amazing, and it keeps my muscle in tip top condition. Gone are the days when exercise was just about exhaustion and calorie burn.

It’s amazing how easily you get used to feeling utter crap when things are bad. Also amazing is the turnaround you can feel in a few weeks.

I could not recommend working with Chris highly enough. He is young, he is smart, he is funny, he is human.

He does not bamboozle you with science, he helps you understand what you need to get the best out of your body.

He helps you to realise what you need to do rather than try to brainwash you into believing it.

Chris can’t do anything FOR you – he won’t prescribe you tons of supplements – you have to want to put the work into getting yourself to a better place. It’s addictive, feeling amazing. And feeling anything other than is a stark contrast when you get used to being well – its simple motivation to be good to yourself, for yourself.

My advice to anyone reading this and wondering – don’t be scared to admit that things are not right. It doesn’t have to stay that way. And when you are out the other side you will wonder why you left it so long. It’s your right to feel great.