Success Story: Steve

AKA "shotsfan" on Weight Loss Resources

Slimming History

I tried the Body For Life plan about 4 years ago. I found this too difficult for me to stick to as you needed to eat 5 or 6 times a day and I wasn't organised enough to prepare that many meals. I also had a brief go at Weight Watchers Points system; didn't stick at it for long as I found it awkward to calculate points when they weren't stated on the package.

Have you lost weight before and regained the weight?

For years I was 11 stone then almost overnight I went up to 16 stone! Well it wasn't quite overnight but I am sure the Curry Fairies crept up and zapped me over a very short time. My weight went up and down as I tried different ways to lose weight. I did peak at 17 1/2 stone but then clawed my way back to 16st 6lbs which is when I found WLR.

How being overweight has affected you…

My confidence was the main thing affected by my being overweight. I felt self conscious about my body and tried to hide my size with baggy clothes. I also felt tired and quite lethargic. I know what other people's perception of me must of been as a couple of people commented on how large I was looking!

Motivation to Get Slim

My original motivation was to just look better and feel fitter. As time goes on and the weight is coming off the thing motivating me most is the targets / goals / information on WLR. I love to see that graph heading downwards towards a healthy BMI / weight. I have begun to exercise now and definitely get a high from it which all helps the overall goal. I am thinking of entering a half marathon next year as this will give me a new goal to work to.

Discovering Weight Loss Resources

I googled "calories in Vodka" and the link to WLR was right in front of me! I tried the free trial and was amazed by the database. It seemed to have everything in it.

How Weight Loss Resources Helps

The main thing the site helps me with is Calorie control. It is easy to plan my day's meals using the database. Most days I update the food diary when I get to work. I input my breakfast, then put in my dinner (and any drinks I'll have in the evening) then I know how much I have left for my lunch. This works for me nicely. I have lost about a stone and a half over the 8 weeks since I joined. I have been very pleased with the loss and got some nice comments !! My eating is much more structured now. I used to snack a lot during the day. Now I have my 3 defined meals. If I know I have a few calories left then I keep some low calorie treats at work to eat, rather than a trip to the canteen for naughty stuff. The support on the message board is great. It is always nice to get messages on weigh in day. I have also started using the chat now, good fun.

The Best of Weight Loss Resources

I mainly use the food diary and message boards. The food diary is of course the essential part of the site and I religiously fill everything in - it is the best way for success. The boards are good for seeing how others are doing and there is lots of info on there. The food ideas board has given me some great recipes.

Steve's Tips for Slimming

Firstly be honest. There is no point in using the food diary if you are going to sneak a packet of crisps or a bar of chocolate and not put it in.

Join in with the message boards, they are a great source of information, support and can be a good laugh. You are talking with people who are going through / have been through the same thing so they understand.

Plan your food. This works so well for me. I put my main meals in at the beginning of the day. If I am going to be over I can adjust the meals or go and do some exercise to gain some calories. I find this much easier than sitting down after your evening meal and discovering you are over.

Lastly, if you do go over, don't worry. You can claw it back through exercise.

One thing which is regularly pointed out is don't weigh yourself every day. I did it for a week and my weight was up and down each day. At the end of the week I had lost weight. In jumping on the scales each day you risk getting disheartened if your weight is showing a lb or two heavier. So prevent any worrying and only bring the scales out on weigh-in day.

Steve's Vital Statistics

	Before	Now
Weight	16st 6lb	14st 8lb