I hit my 17st weight loss target in lockdown!
My weight had yo-yoed for decades, but it steadily crept up during a really turbulent time, when my marriage ended, I was made redundant and I had to sell my house. Depression kicked in and I was in such a bad place – the only thing that made me feel better was food. I had absolutely no confidence. I’d go to the supermarket at 5am or 10pm so that no one would see me, I wouldn’t make eye contact with anyone and I hid my body in baggy clothes. It was so lonely.
I was just trying to be a good sister by going to group with Jackie, but months later, I realised she had actually been the one joining to help me! After a month or so of great losses, I began to feel excited about what I could achieve and my sister felt comfortable enough to stop attending.
My group feels like family now and my Consultant, Carole, is wonderful – she genuinely cares and that makes a big difference. There have been difficult weeks, where things haven’t gone to plan and I’ve thought: ‘What’s the point?’ But the group has always supported and encouraged me. Because so many other members have been At 27st 5lbs, my health began to deteriorate there themselves, I always come away from and I suffered chest and foot pain, headaches the sessions with lots of ideas and strategies and breathlessness. I had loads of embarto overcome whatever challenge I’m facing rassing incidents, too, like the time I couldn’t and I head home feeling much more positive fit in a pub chair and had to swap seats with about the week ahead. another table where the chairs didn’t have arms. Everyone was whispering and I’d wanted the ground to swallow me up. I tried various diets but nothing worked and I hated meal-replacement milkshakes – I want to be able to chew my food! My journey with Slimming World began in September 2018, when my sister, Jackie, said she’d been thinking of joining and asked if I’d go along with her for moral support. I was petrified when I first walked through the doors of the group. My head was swimming with questions: Will I be the biggest one there? Will the scales be able to take my weight? Will everyone ask me how much I weigh? Thankfully, it was nothing like that. There were people of all shapes and sizes in the room, everyone was so helpful and friendly and, most importantly, we were all there for the same reason. As I learned about the Food Optimising eating plan, I slowly began to change my mindset. I was so surprised that I could still enjoy all my favourite meals, like spaghetti bolognese or curry, just cooked in a slightly different way. I gradually adopted new eating habits and made healthier choices – it was simply a healthy new way of eating. Dining out and cooking for other people has always been a way of socialising for me, and – when we’re not in lockdown – I love that I can make delicious, healthy meals for my friends and family that we can all enjoy together.
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