How I lost 4st fast WITHOUT weight-loss jabs. I was depressed, exhausted and in pain – these are tiny tweaks anyone can do that and exactly what I eat that means I now look like THIS, says DENISE KIRTLEY

I tugged on my wedding ring, but it didn’t budge. I had gained so much weight that the gold band was digging into my skin and leaving bumps on both sides.

I wrestled with it, panting, until it finally broke free, leaving an ugly dent on my swollen finger. At that moment I realized I had to change. The ring on my hand had become a visual representation of everything I had done to myself.

This was in August 2020. My 50th birthday was just two months away and I weighed almost 14st (13st 10lb to be exact). I was angry at myself and frustrated with my habits, lack of exercise, processed foods. Night wine.

Doctors had warned me: One said I was borderline diabetic, the other said my arthritic knees would get worse if I didn’t lose weight; But that wedding ring didn’t hit me until it was dangerously tight.

I started my transformation within a week.

I wasn’t always big. When I married Glenn at 42, I weighed 10.8lb, which was fine for my height of 5ft 11in. My weight had been relatively stable for a few years, but when I turned 45, perimenopause hit. Over four years I have accumulated 35 lbs or 2.5st.

Then the epidemic appeared and everything was revealed.

Like many couples, Glenn and I found solace in food and drink. While I poured two glasses of wine each night, he perfected the pizza dough. I had always been a light weekend drinker, but suddenly wine became my crutch, my coping mechanism.

Denise recalls the slipping of her wedding ring as a pivotal moment that encouraged her to take control of her health

Looking back, I realize this is common for women in middle age and we just can’t process alcohol the way we used to.

Wine sent me running to the kitchen for chocolate and crisps and between January and August 2020 I gained another stone. I was the heaviest I’ve ever been. At size 18, I was jumping out of my clothes. Honestly, I probably needed a larger size but I refused to buy it.

I was tired, depressed and in pain. So I promised to do something and made three big changes in one night.

I cut out the wine. I overhauled my diet. And I lifted weights for the first time, turning our spare bedroom into a makeshift gym with a dusty set of adjustable dumbbells and an old barbell that Glenn had pulled out of the garage.

But exercise didn’t produce a lightbulb moment. This came when I started tracking macros (or the ratio of fat, protein, and carbs in my diet) and realized that two glasses of wine contained the same amount of carbs as a bagel.

Quitting alcohol made a huge difference almost immediately. Sleep improves, especially as wine disrupts sleep as we get older. This increased my energy and motivation for workouts and reinforced better food choices.

Now I can have a drink four times a year on occasions like my birthday or New Year’s Eve. (And even then I can wake up in the middle of the night with my heart pounding, reminding me of what wine does to me.)

Evenings were my fun time. Now, I save some of my carb allowance for a treat I really enjoy: a bowl of yogurt with berries and some whipped cream or a square or two of dark chocolate. I even have a little ritual: I stand in the kitchen and say out loud: ‘The kitchen is closed.’ It sounds ridiculous, but it works.

Denise was a size 18 at her heaviest.

On her birthday Denise was number 12 and nine months later she was number 10.

‘I even have a little ritual,’ writes Denise, ‘where I stand in the kitchen and say out loud: ‘The kitchen is closed.’

Denise went viral when she posted her before and after photos on social media

For my 50th birthday in October 2020, I had lost 20 pounds and wore a size 12 Carrie Bradshaw-style tulle skirt. I felt like I was starting to be myself again. Nine months later, I had lost 50 kilos, or almost four kilos. I weighed just over ten stone and my wedding ring slid easily onto my finger.

I have now joined a gym and started lifting weights seriously with a trainer. I took daily photos to track progress and my coach suggested I share them on social media. My account was small at first, but in November 2022, I entered my first bodybuilding competition and posted a photo of my competition-ready self alongside my older, much larger me.

The whole thing went viral. Thousands of middle-aged women posted this message: ‘I look like you. Can you help me?’

I hadn’t planned on coaching, but reading these messages, often through tears, made me realize that this was my purpose.

In the summer of 2023, I left a 22-year career in recruiting to start Rebellion Body, a coaching company for midlife women. I chose the word ‘rebellion’ because together we rebel against the narrative of decline.

Middle age is not the end, it is the beginning. We can create the lives we want. My goal is to make strong, fit midlife women the norm, not the exception.

By the way, I did not use weight loss injections. These things weren’t a big deal when I started, and I was raised by a single mom who didn’t even like taking aspirin.

It’s okay if you choose weight loss medications, but two things are important: sustainable nutrition and strength training. Health comes first. Muscles aren’t just about looks; these are related to strength, longevity and metabolism.

I used to believe that losing weight meant starvation and endless cardio. But I consume more than 2000 calories a day with four or five small meals. I was a pescatarian for years, but in 2023 I suddenly started thinking about burgers every day. I had intestinal problems, including bloating, and as soon as I started eating meat, I felt better.

Everyone’s needs are different, but I consume at least 250 grams of carbohydrates a day. That’s about 1000 calories from carbs alone, because I love them. Then I have 65-70g of fat and 150g of protein.

Breakfasts range from sourdough toast to overnight oats. Lunch consists of vegetables and lean protein.

Dinner is simple: air-fried salmon or chicken, vegetables and rice, sweet potatoes, and even air-fried chips.

None of my meals take more than ten minutes to prepare.

People think I’m in the gym all the time, but the truth is I only train four days a week: two upper body, two lower body sessions for about an hour.

But you don’t need to do what I did and overhaul everything at once. Start small: walk, lift weights, cut down on alcohol. Stay consistent. Your body will respond, but the real transformation is mental. Being strong opens up a world of possibilities for the second half of life.

I just turned 55 and am fitter and healthier than ever. If I can do it, so can you.

As told to Leah Hardy.

• Find Denise on Instagram @fiftyfitnessjourney.