Allyson's Weight Loss Success Story

AKA "Allyson" on Weight Loss Resources

Busy working mum Allyson wanted to lose weight for a healthier lifestyle. She changed her life and lost over 3 stone in weight.

About Allyson

What diets have you tried in the past?

I have tried so many!

• Weight Watchers, quite a few years ago but found it too complicated!
• Cabbage soup, great, I lost 9lbs after two weeks of nausea, headaches and dreadful wind only to regain the whole lot the following week when I gorged myself on all the things I had been deprived of for those two weeks!
• Bananas and boiled eggs was an interesting day!
• Slimming World, I have had success with this in the past, and I know a lot of friends who have too, but I never sustained it, always lost a stone and gained back a stone (and usually a bit more) within a few months  

Tell us how your weight has affected you

I have always been a happy confident person and know about food and nutrition so there really was no excuse I suppose. I just got lazy and complacent and stopped making the effort to take care of myself.

I have lost weight before and not maintained it as I always felt once I had a bad day or had gone out with friends to eat out there was no point so I would inevitably revert back to my old ways.  I tried running before but because I got out of breath after a few seconds I would give up and assume I could not do it.

What has been your main motivation to lose weight?

The fact that it was starting to affect my health was my main motivation, I was suffering from heartburn, and palpitations, plus I couldn’t sleep properly. I got puffed out just walking upstairs and had to sit down to get dressed because I could not reach to put my tights or socks on! I never felt comfortable in my clothes.

I was always really self conscious as I looked big. I did not like looking at photos of myself and did not really like what I saw.

My other motivation was my little sister MelanieC who has had huge success on the site, she looked so amazing and I was so proud of her. She told me all about it and I was keen to sign up and see if I could have the same success.

Which tools and resources on WLR do you find most valuable?

I always use the food and exercise diaries; I log everything I think it really helps to keep me on track. The boards are fantastic; I have made a really fabulous group of new friends who have offered fantastic advice and invaluable support over the last eight months. The goals and results page really motivate me, I love to look back and see how far I have come.

Try WLR's tools for yourself

Weight loss is easy with the tools in WLR. Like Allyson, you can use the information on Weight Loss Resources to count how many calories you need to consume each day and how many you are actually eating. Try it free for 24 hours.

Have you purchased or used any products/fitness equipment that have helped to reach your goals?

Yes, Lots of new workout clothes! New running shoes, I bought a kettle bell, some small dumbbells for toning, a badminton racket, a couple of fitness DVD’s, and some new dance shoes for my Zumba class!

Why do you think WLR has helped you lose weight where other diets have failed?

Because I am in control, and it’s the first time I have ever felt like that. I can eat whatever I want I know how many calories are in a cream egg and what exercise I need to do in order to eat one!

Have you struggled at points in your weight loss journey? Experienced a weight loss plateau? What has kept you motivated?

To be honest I have not really struggled. This has been a lifestyle change for me rather than a diet. Some weeks I have better losses than others but that’s ok, I have learned to accept that the body is a strange and wonderful thing and there are so many things that can affect it!

It’s all about the bigger picture. I noticed that when I started to take exercise more seriously that my weight loss slowed down, but my body shape continued to change, so I found that taking measurements as well as recording my weight really helped to keep me motivated.

Since losing weight can you give examples of how your life has changed?

Well, firstly I am now a runner! I noticed on the runner’s boards that people were talking about the c25k, I thought it was code for something! So I asked and was directed to the “Couch to 5k” plan which is a plan for people to start running and aims to get you from the couch to being able to run 5k in around 9 weeks, I thought I would give it a try, and with the help of my lovely husband who followed the plan with me and the support from all my friends I managed to do it!  

I graduated from the plan and now run 5k or more two or three times a week. I generally have a passion for exercise that I never knew I had. I have so much more energy now. I no longer want to slump in front of the TV in the evenings and pig out on junk food.  

I have re-educated my brain about eating in a healthier manner and I enjoy socialising with my friends knowing that I have earned the calories should I want to indulge in some yummy desserts!  I can honestly say for the first time in ten years I look in the mirror and like what I see! My husband and I love each other's company, and that hasn’t changed but now we love getting fit together, we play badminton and go circuit training together every week.

Exercise routines adopted

I run two or three times a week and I am currently training for the Bath half marathon next year.  Plus:

• I go to Zumba class, which I absolutely love
• I go to boxercise class
• I go to circuit training
• I also play badminton, my goal is to try and beat my hubby but I don’t think it’s ever going to happen!
• I regularly go walking too when I get the chance

What do you love about your body now?

I have a waist, I also have slim legs, I can wear fitted clothes and most importantly I feel happy in my own skin and I feel fit and healthy.

Allyson's hints and tips

• Exercise! I started off exercising to earn more calories to eat, then I signed up for Richard Callenders ‘Armageddon’ training session with a few of the girls from the site. That made me take a look at my level of exercise and in an attempt to preserve my dignity by not being a blubbering mess on the floor I started to up my input… It didn’t take long for me to get hooked, Now I can’t imagine not exercising.
• Weigh everything! Invest in a set of decent kitchen scales. It was a real eye opener for me when my little sis told me to guess how much pasta was in one portion then weigh it…I did and was horrified that my estimated portion was 3 times the recommended amount!
• Use the message boards. There is a wealth of knowledge and experience out there, and it has been a huge support to me. I use the boards every day.
• Log everything, good and bad! It’s the best way to see where you are going wrong and it is really motivating to see that even if you have gone over your calories one day, you can easily earn those calories back over the rest of the week so you don’t have to give up because you have blown it by having a bad day.
• Reward yourself.   I set myself mini goals of 10lbs at a time and when I reached them I rewarded myself with a new pair of shoes! Although when I reached my 40lb goal instead of a new pair of shoes I paid for entry into a half marathon instead!
• Don’t give up, you are capable of so much more than you think you are. One of my new WLR friends is always telling us the ‘head always gives up before the body’ and it is so true, Positive Mental Attitude for me all the way now.

Allyson's Vital Statistics

	Before	Now
Weight	14st 2lb	10st 13½lb
BMI	32	24.8
Body Fat	35.7	25.2
Chest	44	39
Waist	39	31.5
Hips	45	37.5