Mary-anne O’Connor

“I’d always been quite an active person, having owned a gym and working in the fitness industry, then being constantly on my feet in my busy marketing/lecturing/teaching career. Having my children kept me active too, but I did begin to gain weight, mostly because I was grazing on ‘kid food’ but also, I suspect, due to hormone fluctuations.

Then along came the news of a lifetime: I was offered a contract by Harper Collins to publish my first novel, Gallipoli Street. It was a success and seven more books were soon contracted, however sitting down all day, every day, took its toll on my weight. To my horror I discovered I’d gained 20 kilos within a few short years. 23 if you count my ideal weight back when I was in my mid-twenties. That was a low point in my life. I felt old, unhealthy, unattractive and burnt out. It was hard to feel successful and happy when, deep down, I felt so low about myself.