Sophia's Calorie Counting Success Story
WLR has shown Sophia the calories she was consuming with the
tools of the site giving her control of her weight loss plan.
Age: 33
Height: 5' 5"
Start Weight: 12st 8lb
Current Weight: 9st 11lb
Goal Weight: 9st 7lb
Weight Lost: 2st 10lb (38lb)
Working to Rate of Loss: 2lb per week
Time Taken: 4 months
Dieting History
I’ve never really dieted before. I’ve always been a little
bit on the heavy side, but not what you’d call overweight.
I’ve lost about a stone a couple of times in my life, but
that was largely due to being super busy and not having much
time to eat!
I lost quite a lot of weight when I had my first child, but
that was because getting used to being a Mummy took so much out
of me that it fell off without really trying. Also, I breastfed
my son until he was a year old, which helped.
I gained a lot of weight with my second child. I was just
under 10 stone when I got pregnant and over 14 stone postnatal!
I assumed that I’d lose the weight again with my second child in
a similar fashion, especially as I was breastfeeding. However,
the weight didn’t shift and I seemed to get bigger rather than
smaller…
Have you lost weight before and regained the weight?
When I started trying to lose weight this spring, I managed
to lose about a stone and then started putting the pounds back
on again over the summer, which I found really depressing –
especially as I still had so much to lose.
How being overweight has affected you…
I felt fat all the time. I was still wearing pregnancy
clothes months after my baby was born and I just kept waiting
for the weight to come off – and it didn’t.
I was embarrassed by how I looked, especially when I
travelled to Canada to see my family in the summer. Seeing how
healthy and slim everyone was really motivated me to do
something about my weight when I got back to the UK.
It wasn’t just about how I looked. I was so unfit! Now I have
heaps more energy for doing things with the kids, runs, gym,
going out, looking after the house etc. I am a VERY busy person,
but I don’t seem to run out of steam like I used to.
Motivation to Diet
Now that I’m 32 and have two little kids, I don’t feel quite
as young as I was, but I know I am still young, if you see what
I mean.
I want to enjoy looking and feeling my best and not waste my
youth :-)
I want to look good in a swimsuit on the beach next year.
I want to look fantastic and be fit next time I see my family
(probably next summer).
I want to like the way I look in photos.
I want to be able to try on clothes and like what I see – not
beat myself up every time I step in a changing room.
My husband and I renewed our wedding vows on my birthday this
year and I used this special date as a weight loss goal. I found
this incredibly motivating, especially as I promised myself a
new dress as a reward. I bought a gorgeous size 12 dress from
Monsoon for the occasion! It is a divine piece of clothing (see
picture!).
Discovering Weight Loss Resources
I did a google search for calorie counting. I signed up for the free trial and I was hooked! Next thing I knew, I was signed up for 3
months.
How Weight Loss Resources Helps
This site really helped me realise where all the calories
were coming from. I couldn’t believe how many “healthy foods”
were high in calories! I’ve learned how not to overeat by
calorie counting.
I found it really helpful to have a plan and very motivating
to know that if I stick to the plan, the weight will fall off.
It has made me feel so much more in control of my weight loss.
Filling in the diaries every day has really helped me avoid
snacking when I don’t have the calories for it.
Finally, I have really enjoyed both doing the exercise and
entering the exercise in my diaries – it’s fun to know how many
calories you’ve burned from doing something. Also, you can’t
afford many treats if you are trying to lose 2 lbs per week –
unless you boost your daily allowance with a little exercise!
The Best of Weight Loss Resources
I almost always use the food and exercise diaries, though I
don’t always weigh religiously. I find that you get good at
estimating if you weigh everything at the beginning.
I’ve enjoyed reading (and posting) messages on the advice and
support board. You pick up lots of really useful information and
people can be so kind when you are having a bad day! It’s always
amazing how many people seem to find the time to respond. Also,
I’ve recently discovered the runners' board. It’s been useful
having it as a reference as I’ve recently started running 2-3
times per week.
Sophia's Calorie Counting Tips
The diaries have been the best part for me and I LOVE earning
extra calories through exercise; that really motivates me to do
something every day. Also, I’ve enjoyed the goals and results
section which has helped me believe that I can do this! I have
really enjoyed watching the curve on the graph go down every
week.
Planning helps a lot. If you know what you are going to eat
in the evening, then enter it into your diary in the morning.
Then you know how many calories you have for the rest of the day
and you can work around it. I even enter my exercise in advance
if I know what I’m going to be doing as it helps me stick to my
plan, especially if I’ve already planned a few meals, basing
them on the additional earned calories!
EXERCISE! There’s loads of different types out there – find
what works for you and do it! If you really want to see results
– do something EVERY DAY. Incidentally, I also managed to quit
smoking while using this site. I think the reason I didn’t put
on weight as a result is because I was being so disciplined
anyway, and snacking never had a chance to try and replace the
roll-ups! Also, it was getting ridiculous as I was terribly fit
– apart from the nasty habit….
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