Emma's story
Becoming parents is what finally decided Emma and her husband to change the way they were eating once and for all.
We wanted to make sure our children had better habits than we did so we looked for support and found HENRY. We knew what we should be doing, eat more fruit and veg, move more but somehow it just never happened. As the years went by, we both put on weight, fell into habits like eating dinner in front of the TV, not controlling portion sizes and eating junk food. When the pandemic happened, like so many other families this all got a little bit worse. Paul had been diagnosed as diabetic and it was a real wake up call. He went onto medication to control it but we knew by improving our daily habits it would help his overall health. And then Oli arrived so we knew this was our time to stop saying we should and to start saying we will!’
The HENRY facilitators are all so lovely, you don’t feel judged and they work with you to find tips and ideas that work in your family. You get one-to-one support and you’re also part of a group with other parents. I really liked learning alongside other parents who were in the same position and we shared ideas and supported each other. It made me feel so much more comfortable and the HENRY staff have such a lovely way of talking to you, they really help you find your motivation. They help you find your own ideas so that they work for you. The support is what really made the difference as well as the information and advice. I knew it was coming from experts, I felt I could trust them and the information. The approach is very personal and I really liked that. We learnt about portion sizes and in the early days I wrote it all down. Now I don’t have to, I know it off by heart and I’m still using the tips two years later. I still have the posters up and still use the reward charts (even me and my husband use them) We’ve lost five stones between us, something I’d never imagined before HENRY. It’s coming off and staying off because we’ve changed the way we live for good. We exercise more, eat together as a family around the table, we talk more and listen more. Both children enjoy their food and enjoy mealtimes with us. So much better than eating in front of the TV. We’ve learnt skills that will not only stand us in good stead, it’s not only helping us and the children now, but it’ll help them as adults to have a healthier life.’
The HENRY programme I did was online, which was better for me as it can be intimidating to go along to a group. You know you have to, but it can be so difficult to make that first move. Online it was so much easier. I would recommend HENRY to anyone. Go on, go for it, it’ll change your life for good!
If you’ve been inspired by Emma's story and would like to sign up for HENRY support, register here. Once you’ve submitted your form someone will call you back. All babies and children deserve the best start in life but the reality is that many miss out, especially children from disadvantaged families or living in the most deprived areas. Please support our work, so we can help more families like Aminah’s. You can donate here. Thank you.
