A MUM-of-four has dropped half of her weight and now competes as a bodybuilder.
Eva Underwood, 48, clocked 21st at her biggest but decided something needed to change after a traumatic attack became a turning point in her life.
She had battled with her size most of her life, and, despite losing nearly 10st with a gastric bypass, had gained the weight back again.
But the crunch came when she suffered a serious assault, and courageously decided to fight back against the anxiety which followed.
She joined a gym solely with the intention of trying to face her fears, but entered her first bodybuilding contest two years ago and has more events planned.
She now loves the gym so much, she has even bought her own.
Eva, a civil servant, from Bradford, said: “The first time I over-ate because I was unhappy, and I reached 21 st.
“I had a gastric bypass but then started eating too much because I was happy. I lost nearly 10st and put the lot back on.
“It was only after I was attacked that my life really changed.
“I needed to fight back so I began bodybuilding and I loved it so much that now I own the gym and I am focused on helping other women.”
Eva had weight problems as a child, and by the time she left school aged 16 she was a dress size 16 to 18.
She said: “My mum was Italian, and she loved to cook. We had three courses for every meal. Food was a big focus in our lives.
“At school, the bullies called me ‘pizza face’ and ‘tree trunk legs’, which hurt, but I turned to food to make myself feel better. I loved chocolate, pralines especially.
“After my kids came along, I put on more weight.
“I couldn’t run around after them or teach them to ride a bike and my confidence really suffered.
“I tried all sorts of diets but nothing lasted. I was even prescribed appetite suppressants, but they didn’t work either.”
In 2007, at 21st and 5ft4in, Eva was classed as clinically obese, and was offered a gastric bypass on the NHS.
She underwent surgery and managed to lose almost 10st.
But then, she met a new partner, had two more children, and her weight gradually crept up.
I became too afraid even to leave the house, and I realised I had to do something to fight back
Eva Underwood
“The first time I ate because I was unhappy, but this time, I ate because I was happy,” she said.
“Even with a gastric bypass, I still managed to eat enough calories to gain weight.
“My marriage broke down and working full time as a single mum with four kids, I fell into old habits of snack food and takeaways.”
By 2015, Eva was back where she had started, at 21st.
Five years on, she was the victim of a serious attack and was left with severe anxiety.
“I became too afraid even to leave the house, and I realised I had to do something to fight back,” she said.
“I joined a gym and jokingly posted on Facebook that I was going to be a bodybuilder.
“One of my friends replied saying that I had to go on stage and win a trophy to call myself a bodybuilder – and I took the challenge. It was like a red rag to a bull.”
TRAINING DAYS
REST DAYS
In October 2021, Eva teamed up with coach Jaymal Dickinson to train for her first ever contest.
“I had less than a year to get in shape and it took a lot of commitment,” she said.
“I was in the gym every day after work and I ate high protein, low fat.
“I did it all naturally, without enhancements and I lost half my body weight, down to 12st.”
In July 2022, Eva entered her first competition and finished fourth in three categories.
Her success gave her the kick she needed to continue and to help other women.
She later began Muay Thai kick boxing and her goal is to be there for others, and give them the support she never had.
She has bought into the gym, Sweatbox Fitness Studio in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, with co-owner David Sa and is now organising classes and training camps aimed solely at women.
She even encourages them to bring their children along.
“Working mums are busy so I try to find a way around all those problems,” she said.
“I have a place for the kids to play while the mums train and I work around their schedules.
“My own journey has been amazing, and I just want to share my own joy with others.”
Gastric bypass surgery is a weight loss operation.
It involves creating a small pouch from the stomach and connecting this new section directly to the small intestines.
This procedure then reduces or ‘bypasses’ the majority of a person’s stomach and first section of their small intestines to help them lose weight.
The surgery can be offered on the NHS for adults with a BMI of more than 40 — meaning they are severely obese — or if they have a BMI of 35 to 40 and have a serious condition like type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure.
Ineligible Brits who want to have an operation have to go private, where it can cost anywhere from £8,000 to £15,000 in the UK, according to the health service.
Many choose to go to Turkey for cheaper surgeries instead, but at least seven Brits have died after a procedure there since 2019, according to a BBC investigation.
Losing weight should be a long-term commitment to healthier living, rather than any drastic measures.
The NHS tips – which can be adopted slowly – include:
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