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When Lara Besbrode, a 57-year-old mum of three, saw herself on TV for the first time in the summer of 2021, in an episode of The Real Housewives Of Cheshire, where she appeared as a celebrity matchmaker, she was appalled. ‘I knew I’d put on weight over lockdown, but I was unrecognisable to myself,’ she says.
Besbrode’s GP warned her that, at 5ft 5in and 17½ stone, she was classified as morbidly obese and pre-diabetic. But seeing herself on TV in that one-off appearance was the catalyst she needed to lose weight.
‘I was 51 and in the grip of the menopause. I was drinking two bottles of wine a night and ordering takeaways to help cope with stress and my weight had ballooned.’
Besbrode, who runs a matchmaking company for high-net-worth clients, was also reeling from her divorce in 2019.
‘I’d been a healthy size 10 when I got married in 1998, but I put on weight with each pregnancy and then, after two healthy babies, had three miscarriages in my early 40s.’
Four years after the birth of her third child in 2010, Lara separated from her German husband and moved back from Munich to be closer to family in Manchester.
By the time the pandemic hit, she was a single parent spinning multiple plates and feeling depressed and exhausted. ‘I was on HRT, antidepressants, beta blockers for anxiety and sleeping pills. I’d tried every diet going from keto (low carb) to Weight Watchers, but I just couldn’t lose weight.’
Total weight loss: 125lb
The TV appearance prompted Besbrode to act. Using simply her own willpower, she cut out processed food and began meal planning and cooking from scratch: lean meat or fish with vegetables and healthy fats like avocados and nuts. Keeping a food diary was ‘a game-changer’. ‘I noted how what I ate made me feel physically and emotionally. The diary gave me clarity.’
She also started drinking two to three litres of water a day and tried to have her evening meal before 6pm.
HER DIET THEN
Addicted to sugar, Besbrode would skip meals, snacking instead on chocolate, crisps, shop-bought sandwiches and fizzy diet drinks.
BEFORE
HER DIET NOW
These days, she starts the day with two eggs, poached or scrambled, and avocado or salmon plus a good coffee with full-fat milk.
Snacks are celery, homemade peanut butter, cheese, berries or nuts – no low-fat products. Lunch is typically Greek salad with feta and balsamic vinegar while dinner will be chicken or beef with root vegetables, or miso salmon with brown rice. ‘Think low carbs, not no carbs,’ she says.
Besbrode also swapped wine for gin and slimline tonic before giving up alcohol completely on New Year’s Eve 2023. She also started drinking two to three litres of water a day and tried to have her evening meal before 6pm.
Like most people, she found giving up sugar and alcohol the hardest. ‘I took it one day at a time to make the goal feel achievable.’ If she managed a week, she would reward herself with a face cream or pair of gym leggings. ‘I used the Drink Less app to record my zero-booze days and found the accountability really worked.’
By January 2023, Besbrode had lost a total of 125lb. She now weighs 8st 8lb, shrinking from a size 18 to a six.
BEFORE: starting her fitness plan, 2021
HER EXERCISE REGIME
Besbrode’s children, now in their late teens and 20s, saw how much she loved watching shuffle dance videos on TikTok, so her son bought her a course of classes for her 55th birthday. ‘I loved the dance style, and it took me back to my 90s clubbing days in London,’ she says.
She now practises shuffle dancing every day for an hour and credits it with maintaining her weight loss. ‘It’s also helped tone up the loose skin without surgery,’ she says. ‘I’ve still got a slightly jiggly tummy but I’m proud of that because I have, after all, had three children.’
Last November, Besbrode launched her own online shuffle dance class and is now teaching six of them a week (burning more than 350 calories per hour).
‘I’ve got over 250,000 followers across social media platforms and my video from my New Year’s Day dance party had over three million views. It’s crazy how quickly it’s taken off!’ she says.
She starts the day with weightlifting, stretches or strength training, after which she walks her dog, swims or does a 45-minute workout at the gym.
AFTER: today Lara is trim and bursting with energy
A STYLE MAKEOVER
She received the full glam-squad makeover treatment from the YOU fashion and beauty team – expensive hair, glowing skin and stylish clothes to flatter her new appearance:
Styling tips from the fashion editor
YOU’s fashion editor Jessica Carroll picked three key looks for Lara including a stripy burgundy dress with asymmetric hem and a sleeveless, faux leather dress with a flattering wrap neckline and chunky belt that sculpts the waist, both from Karen Millen, and the Venus dress from Aym studio.
Jessica says that it can be tempting for women who have lost lots of weight to want to show it off in bodycon, fitted dresses but this can look dated.
‘Instead, think of an outfit in two parts: the top and the bottom. Always make sure the outfit is balanced so, if one part is form-fitting (like skinny jeans or a wrap top) the other part is looser (think floaty skirts or balloon sleeve blouses),’ she notes.
‘If you’re looking for a pair of jeans to flatter almost any body, choose something high waisted. It will cinch in at the slimmest part and skim over the tummy for a more streamlined look. Autograph at M&S and Next do great options at decent prices,’ she adds.
Advice from the hair salon
Stylist Andreas Wild from Larry King London says: ‘Lots of women with curls like Lara have layers put in which can create mushroom-like 80s hair. It’s better to cut it freehand and make sure it doesn’t get too short on the top because that can give it a bit of an old-fashioned look.
‘Don’t over shampoo your hair if it’s curly and use a good hair treatment, such as Larry King’s A Social Life For Your Hair, once a week. Dry shampoo is also great to freshen up and relax curly hair and a silk pillowcase can help reduce the frizz.
Sophia Karayiannis, colourist at Larry King, who created Lara’s new shade, says that if you’re going from brunette to blonde, it’s really important to have a consultation first.
‘I’d always recommend having a plan in place before you change your colour,’ she says. ‘You could even ask your colourist if you could try on some wigs to see what works for you.’
Lara had previously dyed her hair blonde, but Sophia was keen to tweak the colour for a more expensive-looking shade.
For Lara’s hair, Sophia opted for light, feathery highlights, which work better with curls because you can see more natural colour at the roots, so the contrast isn’t as stark. ‘When it comes to colouring curly hair, less is more,’ Sophia says.
The product Sophia used for Lara’s hair is Redken Flash Lift, a professional hair lightener, while Andreas used a three-product combination: Spoilt For Choice Hair Oil, Nourishing Curl Enhancer and My Nanna’s Mousse, all from the Larry King range.
Make-up refresh
Professional make-up artist Aimee Adams used a tinted moisturising serum and bronzer to achieve Lara’s natural glow.
‘I always recommend starting with sheer coverage on older skin using a tinted serum or BB Cream which combines both skincare and make up. You can build on top of it in a more targeted way if you have rosacea or undereye circles, for example, with concealer to top it up,’ she says.
Some women, including Lara, love their false lashes so much it can be hard to part with them, but Aimee recommends using a strip or hybrid lash (a strip of false eyelashes which sit along the natural lash line and provide a quick alternative to permanent lashes. She likes Ardell Wispies) for a pared down, natural look.
‘Really big lashes can date you, so for lash addicts, I recommend a lash serum such as UK Lash or RevitaLash, to help grow your own and a really good mascara. My all-time favourite is Avon Exxtravert,’ Aimee says.
Aimee used HydraTint Moisturising Serum by Sculpted by Aimee for Lara’s face, with a bronzer from Charlotte Tilbury on her cheekbones for the glow.
For Lara’s eyes, she used smoky eye shadow from P. Louise and an eyebrow pencil from Sheglam to accentuate Lara’s brows. For her lips, she used a nude lip liner, Wifey, from Morphe and a Luminous Nude lip gloss from Avon for added shimmer.
@larabesbrode1
www.thematchmaker.uk
