FLYING around the world to places like Florida, Mexico and the Caribbean might sound glamorous but for 28-year-old Lisa Wilson it came with a hidden price – her health.
Long-haul flights, jet lag, and navigating unpredictable schedules for seven and a half years as cabin crew left Lisa overweight and exhausted.
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She tried to diet but the weight gradually piled on until she was 13st 13lbs (88.6kg) and wearing a size 16 to 18.
“I always felt like I was eating healthily. But I was constantly tired, eating whatever was convenient, and nothing ever changed,” she says.
“It’s known as the cabin crew curse. It’s very much like an eating and drinking culture.
“You’ve flown halfway across the world, there’s a hotel menu in front of you full of delicious carb-heavy food, everyone’s drinking and it’s hard to stay focused on eating healthily.”
As weight-loss injections like Mounjaro swept through her workplace, Lisa admits was tempted.
She says: “Every time I turned up at work, someone else had started them.
“Even people who weren’t overweight were using them just to drop a few pounds.
“But I kept thinking – what about the long-term? It wouldn’t fix my relationship with food.”
Instead of jabs, Lisa turned to Chloe Thomas from ChloeInspires Coaching, run by a former cabin crew colleague she trusted.
“I knew Chloe understood the pressures of the job; eating at strange hours, airport food, and the toll it takes on your body. That made all the difference,” she says.
The pair began working together in October 2024. What followed was a complete lifestyle transformation, but not the restrictive, joyless kind.
Chloe tailored meal plans around Lisa’s erratic schedule, creating options that could be taken on flights, stored in hotel fridges, and adapted across time zones.
Gone were the plane snacks, calorific lattes, and post-flight takeaways.
Instead, Lisa prepped protein-rich meals like chicken salads, tuna wraps, and homemade granola yogurt bowls. She even froze meals to take in her hold luggage for longer trips.
Over time, Lisa introduced regular strength training and walking into her routine.
She says: “Chloe even gave me hotel room workouts for layovers. For the first time, I could run for 30 minutes non-stop.”
By April Lisa, from Crawley, West Sussex, had smashed her goal and weighed 11st (70.2kg) after dropping nearly 3st 13lb (19kg). She could also slip into size 8 – 10 jeans.
“I hadn’t worn a size 10 since I was 14. It felt incredible,” she says.
“My BMI is now in a healthy range having gone from 29.6 to 23.5.”
The key to Lisa’s success wasn’t extreme dieting or saying no to everything.
She explains: “Chloe taught me balance.
“I still enjoyed sweet treats, drinks, and special events. But I also understood my body’s needs, how to fuel it properly and how to stay consistent.”
Lisa’s routine now includes strength training three times per week, daily walks, and occasional jogging.
She still enjoys brunches of poached eggs and avocado, and dinners of salmon stir-fry or healthy homemade pizzas.
“It’s not boring food – it’s food that works for my life,” she says.
“Before, I hated taking photos. I’d overthink everything. But at a wedding in Italy this summer, I wore a red dress and actually felt amazing. That had never happened before.”
Colleagues constantly ask if she’s taken jabs.
“I’m proud to say I haven’t,” Lisa says.
The 5 best exercises to lose weight
By Lucy Gornall, personal trainer and health journalist
EXERCISE can be intimidating and hard to devote yourself to. So how do you find the right workout for you?
As a PT and fitness journalist, I’ve tried everything.
I’ve taken part in endless fitness competitions, marathons and I maintain a regime of runs, strength training and Pilates.
Fitness is so entrenched in my life, I stick to it even at Christmas!
The key is finding an activity you love that can become a habit.
My top five forms of exercise, especially if you’re trying to lose weight, are:
- Walking
- Running
- Pilates
- High-intensity interval training (HIIT)
- Strength training
“I wanted to prove I could do it naturally – and I did.”
More importantly, she now feels energised at work.
She adds: “Long-haul flights used to leave me drained. Now I’m stronger, my legs don’t ache as much, and I recover faster. I feel ready for anything.”
“I’m really happy with the results. This is the first time in my life something has actually worked. I’ve broken years of bad habits, emotional eating, and low self-esteem. I finally feel in control.”
Lisa, who had to order a whole new uniform following her transformation, hopes her story inspires other shift workers, especially cabin crew, to believe they can make changes without relying on shortcuts.
“It’s not about starving yourself or skipping meals; it’s about planning ahead, knowing what your body needs, and building healthy habits,” she says.
“You don’t have to give up your life. You just need the right support.
“I’m more confident in my clothes, in my skin, and in myself. This journey has changed everything – and I wouldn’t go back for anything.”
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