A THIRD-YEAR Bangor University student is set to take part in the new series of S4C's health transformation programme FFIT Cymru - with one eye on getting into shape for her graduation ceremony this summer.

Mared Fôn Owen, from Bodedern on Anglesey, says unlocking her relationship with food and exercise – as well as timekeeping - will be crucial as she strives for confidence in her own skin.

Throughout the seven-week FFIT Cymru series, Mared, who now lives in Bangor, will keep readers up-to-date with her journey in an exclusive column for the North Wales Chronicle. Here is her first column of the series.

"I put my name down for FFIT Cymru because I’m fed up with how I look. I want to look nice when I graduate, and not look back and be ashamed. I also want to be able to do more with my nephews and nieces, and generally be more active with them.

"When I was at school, I did PE from Year 7 to Year 11 but by the time A Levels came around, I’d given up. And then there was exam stress too, and I would eat when I got stressed. But I’ve also realised that managing my time contributed to it.

"Since starting FFIT Cymru, I’ve learned to manage my time better. I was driving everywhere, too, because I wasn’t managing my time very well. I don’t keep time well in general, so I was always arriving late and having the car gave me the excuse not to have to walk.

"Now that I’m managing my time better and am eating at the right times, I don’t get stressed any more because I arrive everywhere on time.

"In terms of food, there’s so much junk food readily available, especially in Bangor Uchaf with all its takeaways everywhere. It’s the only temptation here – there’s nothing healthy around here to tempt us at all. I also work in Tesco in Holyhead, as well as in a shop in Bangor, so the temptation for food is massive.

"As part of FFIT Cymru, I’ve been following a food plan as well as cardio plans and resistance which were given out by [personal trainer] Rae Carpenter. I was given a challenge to walk the hill between Bangor Isaf and Bangor Uchaf, and I’ll set about doing that on the first day of cardio training, so that I get it out of the way early on, and then I can say that I’ve achieved it. I’d like to push the climb into at least one cardio session every week.

"Hearing my statistics really frightened me, and it upset me a little. But it’s just made me determined to get it done now. I want to succeed more than anything."

You can follow Mared’s FFIT Cymru journey at 8pm every Tuesday evening on S4C, at S4C Clic and BBC iPlayer.