A YORK woman says she has beaten her eating disorder with the help of her husband, counselling, and bodybuilding.

Verity Garrington, 34, suffered from bulimia for more than 15 years and sometimes went up to five days without eating between binges, but decided she needed to change her lifestyle to have any hope of having children in the future.

Verity, who works as a nail technician, is married to Stuart Garrington, owner of Ebor Fitness in Fulford and current holder of the Mr Universe title, but kept her disorder from him until she decided to make a change in 2013, when she weighed less than seven stone.

York Press:

Verity and Stuart

She said: "I never made myself sick when Stu was home, I was so embarrassed and frightened he ever heard me so I would binge at work and eat nothing or as little as possible when I was with him.

"It wasn't until I started getting over bulimia, increasing my food intake and training, that I realised I was doing a lot better and felt I had put a nail in the coffin of bulimia and if I could get on stage I could say I have truly beaten it."

Last weekend, Verity was named Miss Britain by the National Amateur Body Builders Association, and said she was hugely grateful to Stuart and her counsellor, as she believes that without their help and support over the last two-and-a-half years, she would be dead.

She said: "I would get to the end of the week and if I'd kept six meals down in a week I would think it was a really good week, but now I'm eating six meals a day.

"It's never been a lifelong dream, I didn't know much about it until I got together with Stuart. I was only supposed to do one show to stick two fingers up to bulimia. I did one last year, came off stage and said I wanted to do it again - I ended up doing six last year. This year I've done three in the Athletic class."

Verity does not credit bodybuilding alone with helping her beat her eating disorder, and has also undergone counselling to help overcome bulimia, but said exercise was a major factor in her progress.

She said: "When I was exercising it made me feel better about myself. I encourage anyone with mental health issues to exercise. Body building is quite a selfish sport because as much as you try it does have an effect on the people closest to you, no meals out or quality time with loved ones, no socialising with friends, but I'm so lucky and grateful for the people I have in my life because they've been so supportive.

"I have the best husband and friends, I couldn't do it without them. Especially Stuart, not only for helping with my competitions but for helping beat my bulimia and depression, I honestly believe I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for Stuart.

"I would have either starved myself to death or taken my own life as I was so low and never thought I was ever going to get better. He believed in me when I never believed in myself so I can't thank him enough."

Verity's current daily diet:

  • 7am - protein shake, oats, banana
  • 10am - fish/chicken, sweet potato, veg
  • 1pm - fish/chicken, rice, veg
  • 4pm - fish/chicken, sweet potato, veg, apple
  • 7pm - fish/chicken, rice, veg
  • 9pm - protein shake after training at the gym
  • 10pm - fish and veg