Emma_Wanu Weight Loss Story
Being overweight made Emma feel insecure and extremely
self-conscious. Here she shares a story of learning about the
calorie content of food and eating properly to lose 2st 11lbs.
Age: 19
Height: 5' 8"
Start Weight: 13st (and more, but unknown)
Current Weight: 10st 3lb
Goal Weight: 10st 3lb
Weight Lost: 2st 11lb
Working to Rate of Loss: 2lb per week, with some maintaining periods
Dieting History
The Zone, briefly, but I never really got the rules straight
as I just heard them through a friend; I didn’t lose any
noticeable weight, so gave up quickly. I also tried
Atkins,
until I found out it can be dangerous for anyone with a family
history of colon cancer. I did the first phases of the
South
Beach Diet quite successfully but gave up soon after due to the
cost and obscurity of ingredients demanded for, as well as
moving away from home where meals would be cooked for me.
Have you lost weight before and regained the weight?
Yes, but because I never really monitored my weight it
fluctuated with the sports season. I would lose some weight when playing
basketball or volleyball, but would eat loads when I came home
from training and got into that habit: so put it all back on
(and more) in between seasons.
Also, just as I had become more
aware of the need to eat healthily, I contracted glandular
fever causing me to lose, and then gain a lot back as I ate more
but couldn’t exercise for a long period of time.
I lost again in
the summer before university (2004) but leaving home made
nutrition a problem as I had always depended on my mother’s
cooking. By Christmas 2004 I was the heaviest I know of
(though I didn’t weigh myself back then.)
How being overweight has affected you…
Being young, it always made me feel somewhat excluded, even
if that wasn’t the case.
Being in a room full of skinny people
just made me feel extremely self- conscious and embarrassed by
my weight. It also made me feel as if I weren’t good enough to
be liked (either in friendship or otherwise.) The fundamental
insecurity caused me to be hesitant to speak out about my
opinions and really be myself. I was the only really overweight
one of my friends, so if we decided to do something like
canoeing I always felt as if I would make the boat capsize. It
also caused me to distance myself from people—even my family and
friends—because I thought I wouldn’t meet expectations, whether
my own or someone else’s.
Motivation to Diet
To feel better about myself and boost my confidence, and to
feel healthy.
I’ve always enjoyed sports but felt frustrated by
my inability to keep up with everyone else involved, even when I
was putting in all the effort I could.
It sounds shallow, but
also to attract boys/men - not that I didn’t get attention when I
was bigger - but I never felt like they should like me.
I also wanted to get into a healthy mind frame to be able to
help those around me, and, in the long run, when I have children
I want them to be healthy as well and not have to deal with
weight and the problems it brings like I did.
Discovering Weight Loss Resources
I was searching for a calorie counter (I had only just
discovered calorie counting!) and it came up on Google. I signed
up for a free trial, and was hooked right away.
How Weight Loss Resources Helps
It’s so nice to have everything in one place. The plain facts
of calorie contents of foods and how much is burnt through
exercise, along with expert advice from the dietitian Juliette Kellow and the thoughts and opinions of people going
through the same thing.
With WLR I don’t get the sense of depravity I always got
while attempting to control my weight before; I know I can have
a treat every day if I want it, as long as I earn and account
for it.
It’s also invaluable to see how healthily or balanced I am
eating; whether I get enough fruit and veg, or protein, or if my
sodium intake is too high. In fact, I’ve become so interested by
fitness and nutrition, I’m considering training to be a personal
trainer and/or nutritionist.
The Best of Weight Loss Resources
I use the food and exercise diaries religiously, - inputting
every little nibble as well as meals. I regularly look through (and
occasionally post on) the boards, where people always have great
ideas and advice, even if it’s not related to weight management.
The calorie history is so useful as well. Sometimes it's hard to
stay within your calorie allowance for one day, or maybe its too
hard to eat all you’re allowed in one day - if you step back and
look at it from a week-long point of view it helps put things in
perspective.
Emma's Calorie Counting Tips
As it’s been said countless times before, being completely
honest with the diary is the best thing you can do.
Also I find
that underestimating your activity level (at least at first) is
a good way to figure it out. I find it much easier to input
yourself as very sedentary and add every activity you do during
the day, as moving around is so dependent on what is demanded of
that day.
It’s also really important to invest in a pair of
kitchen scales—a lot of times you don’t even realise how much
you’ve gotten used to eating!
Exercising regularly is a given, but unfortunately due to
busy schedules not everyone can get around to it. When I don’t
have any way to get to a gym I just walk as much as possible, or
take my iPod with me, and (if I’m in a private place like a
hotel room) dance. Getting in at least 30 minutes of any
activity every day really helps your health generally, as well
as losing weight. Choosing something you enjoy rather than
something that feels like a chore to do means that you can stick
with it. Also, trying a variety can help you find something you
really enjoy, as well as training your body in different ways to
help you achieve better overall health.
Support and knowing what’s within healthy range are also key.
If I hadn’t had my mother and boyfriend behind me I couldn’t
have gotten this far—and I would have inevitably gone under a
healthy weight for my bone structure, as I tend to get
obsessive.
Keep in mind that airbrushed models and celebrities
are, for the most part, grossly underweight or at least
unhealthy, and that they are flawed just like everyone else,
they just have make up artists and stylists making it look
otherwise.
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