Weighing in over 130 kg, Sarah Jane had become dependent on sugar from a young age, her mornings starting with Cadbury buttons and Coca-Cola. She says emotional neglect and a sugar-rich upbringing created a deep-seated food addiction. Speaking to Sun Health, she recalls how her childhood was littered with micro-traumas about her appearance: boys telling her she had “rugby player legs” or that she “could be pretty if she weren’t fat.” These comments stuck, burrowing into her subconscious.
Despite trying the Cambridge Diet in her teens, her addiction to sweets prevailed. By 25, her body was failing—her periods had stopped, she was diagnosed with PCOS, suffered chronic fatigue, and was warned she wouldn’t make it to 40. That was the turning point. “Doctors told me I was eating myself to death,” she told. It wasn’t a jab or a crash diet that turned her life around—but five simple rules, what she now refers to as her Nozempic diet.
A Diet Born from Desperation, Driven by Discipline
Sarah Jane’s initial changes were modest: 30-minute walks and more water. She stopped ordering takeaways and began eliminating processed foods. “If a food had more than five ingredients, I didn’t eat it,” she says. It wasn’t a diet, she insists, but a change in mindset—one that got stronger with each small victory. “The healthier I became, the healthier I wanted to be,” she recalls.
Over time, the results were stunning. Within 16 months, she had lost 7 stone. After giving birth to her two children, Chloe and Jack, she maintained the momentum. From a size 28, she slimmed down to a size 10. But the changes weren’t just physical—Sarah Jane also found the confidence to reclaim her identity and her life.
From Running from Shame to Running Marathons
What began as daily walks evolved into a full-blown fitness journey. Today, Sarah Jane has completed 50 half-marathons and two London Marathons. Her fitness brand, Step by Step With Sarah Jane, now inspires others to transform without medical intervention. “I was told I wouldn’t live to see 40. For my 40th birthday, I ran a 5K Race for Life,” she says proudly. Now at a healthy 62kg, she’s been at her goal weight for five years—and even found love along the way. She met her now-husband Paul Flounders through their mutual passion for running. “He said I was amazing,” she says. “I couldn’t believe he thought that. I never saw myself that way.”
‘You Can’t Inject Self-Love’
While weight loss injections have gained a following, Sarah Jane urges caution. “You can’t just inject yourself and love yourself,” she says, warning that many people treat the jab as a fix-all without addressing the psychological roots of food addiction. “I see people on jabs still eating crap food. It’s not the miracle people think it is.”
Her five simple rules? Walk 30 minutes daily, drink more water, eliminate ultra-processed foods, find joy in exercise, and skip the jabs. “Educate yourself about what you’re eating. Read the ingredients. And if food has more than five ingredients—don’t eat it,” she advises.