That’s why she decided to apply for the competition New You in our sister publication, The Observer On Sunday. On hearing she had won the competition, she was delighted.
In her application Ms Solomon wrote: “I long to feel good about myself again. I have tried making small changes on my own but can’t stick to them. But I need to change my lifestyle and become healthier and fitter, not just for my son who is frustrated when Mummy just wants to sit on the couch, not just for my husband, but for myself.”
Over the next seven months, Ms Solomon, with the help of the Observer On Sunday and its team of experts, which include a nutritional adviser and personal trainer from Anytime Fitness, hair experts from Moda and beauty advisers from Visage, will learn how to make healthier eating choices, have a fitness training programme tailored to her needs and get advice on skin care and hair care.
One of the problems she said she has had in the past with sticking to an eating plan or fitness regime is that there was no “accountability”, but with a personal trainer and nutritionist keeping an eye on her, along with readers of the Observer on Sunday plus the online blogs she will be posting on the caycompass.com website, there will be plenty people out there keeping an eye on her and making her accountable.
One of the other major reasons that Ms Solomon wants to adopt a healthier lifestyle is that she has a family history of cancer. “With my family history of cancer, it would be best for me to do as much as I can to repel the disease or improve my chances of fighting it if it comes to that. I also just miss having energy and get-up-and-go.”
She has certainly needed get-up-and-go since winning the competition, as her life has been a flurry of appointments. She has had her skin analysed by Sharron Eyers at Visage, she has had complete medical check up and her diet analysed by nutritional and fitness expert Helki Weber at Anytime Fitness.
Ms Solomon admits to having a bit of an addiction to carbohydrates, in fact she gets headaches if she tries to stop. “My family loves to eat the starchy carbohydrate foods of the Caribbean. We love to cook and I am sometimes at a loss as to how to cook any other way.” Ms Weber’s advice was to never cut out a food group but to start by limiting portions.
The start of the New You winner’s journey to fitness, health and beauty will be featured in the 26 June edition of the Observer On Sunday, along with advice and tips from the experts on how you can change your lifestyle along with Ms Solomon, because as she says: “It would be lovely to feel and look good.”
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Good luck Ms. Solomon!