Success Story: Sam

AKA "Zaxine" on Weight Loss Resources

Dieting History

I have tried so many diets over the years that it would be impossible for me to name them all. In the last couple of years I have tried the Atkins diet, I did manage to lose weight on it but I missed eating bread too much and when I stopped and went back to my ‘normal’ habits the weight piled back on. I tried Slimming World for a while but I didn’t really lose any weight because the portions I ate were massive, so gave up!

Have you lost weight before and regained the weight?

Yes, In 1990 I started taking strong appetite suppressants (I later found out they were amphetamines!) and by eating very little I managed to get down to 8 stone 6lb. Of course when I found out that the tablets were really harmful I stopped taking them and gained about 2 stone in the space of 2 months. Since then I have religiously started a new diet every Monday and given up by Tuesday.

How being overweight has affected you…

I don’t think that my weight has ever stopped me doing anything but I have felt really self conscious when I’ve been on holiday or if I went swimming, in fact, any situation that involved walking around half naked! When I was young, I spent a lot of time going out with friends to nightclubs and bars and it was those times that really made me wish that I was slim just so that I could wear all of the latest fashions – you are only young once after all!

In the past I have been so depressed about my weight and angry with myself that I couldn’t lose it despite that fact that I had tried so many times. Why is eating less and exercising more so hard to do?? I just felt a bit of a failure really.

I have had nasty personal comments made about my weight, mostly from people I work with and a couple from family members. I was so upset that people would actually say such personal things to my face, didn’t they realise how hurt I would be?

Motivation to Diet

Clothes and the fact that I am not getting any younger! I want to be able to wear all the latest fashions without having to constantly hold my stomach in. Also, the fact that I have lost weight motivates me to lose more.

Discovering Weight Loss Resources

A friend of mine sent me a link to WLR and I joined up for the free trial (twice) and then in January 2005 I decided to take it a bit more seriously and joined up for good.

How Weight Loss Resources Helps

I think that the WLR site is fantastic and it’s so easy to use. I only started using the message boards recently because before that I was too shy to post. I needn’t have worried though because everyone is so lovely and even if you ask a question that is not related to losing weight the other members bend over backwards to give you an answer.

The advice and support you get is second to none (and some of the posts are hilarious as well). I really like entering all that I’m going to eat into my diary so I know exactly where I am and it’s really rewarding when you enter your exercise calories and even better when you eat them!

The Best of Weight Loss Resources

I use the food diary and the message boards every day. I think the food diary is the most important tool if you want to lose weight because if you are entering everything you have eaten and you keep to your allowance you will lose weight - it’s a fact!

Sam's Dieting Tips

• Fill in your food diary
   
• Exercise and then eat your exercise calories
   
• Make yourself attainable goals (e.g. 1lb loss a week)
   
• If you do go over on your calorie allowance one day don’t use that as an excuse to eat everything in sight, just make sure that you either eat a bit less over the next day or two or exercise more.

Sam's Vital Statistics

	Before	Now
Weight	11st 9lb	8st 10lb