Success Story: Laura

AKA "LOLLYPOP" on Weight Loss Resources

Weight Loss History

I was slim as a child (probably underweight if anything) but since getting married found it the licence to eat. It never really bothered my husband John how much I weighed. In 2000 I was diagnosed with having Hodgkin's Disease (cancer) and put on about six stones with the effects of steroid treatment. Most people lose weight with cancer - trust me to gain!

I tried "Slimming Club of Great Britain" in 1992. I lost a couple of stone but regained it all as I wasn't educated enough in the diet. I wouldn't hang around for the talks, preferring to go out for a meal with my husband after being weighed!

Have you lost weight before and regained the weight?

I tried Weight Watchers a couple of times found that the system was a bit complicated with the points system. I never knew exactly what I had had to eat. Regained all the weight I had lost plus some!

How being overweight has affected you…

I felt depressed about my size and had no confidence, felt fat and frumpy and wanted to have a nice wardrobe of clothes in a lot smaller size. Being big also stopped me from exercising for fear of injuring myself or breaking a piece of equipment at a gym by being too big for it. It also stopped me from flying as I felt too fat to get in the chair on the plane.

Motivation to Lose Weight

I made a list of reasons as I was rapidly approaching the big four O. I didn't want to be fat and forty. Wanted to improve my health too and have more energy. Also to improve my self esteem. Have a new wardrobe full of clothes in more fashionable styles. To have more self respect and gain more respect from other people.

Discovering Weight Loss Resources

After losing some weight on my own using a calorie-controlled diet I needed to find the calories in something. I decided to go on the Internet to look for that. I did a search for the number of calories in it and Weight Loss Resources was the first site to be listed. I fell in love with the site immediately. I signed up for full membership before my free trial was up. We went on holiday the first week and I actually gained weight my first week but I wasn't disheartened for I knew that WLR would help.

How Weight Loss Resources Helps

I am eating far more healthily, but if I do want something "naughty" I will allow for it in my calories for the day. For sake of argument if I want chocolate or chips I will calculate the calories for that and allow myself it. I don't feel as if I am denying myself anything that way. Although I have a long way to go I am confident I can lose the remainder of my weight with the aid of WLR.

The Best of Weight Loss Resources

I use the food diary on a daily basis and always check the message boards. Occasionally I can be found in the chat room.

Laura's Tips for Losing Weight

Enter everything that goes in your mouth during the day. If you haven't got a very good memory use the jotters and write it down. I find these useful for when I'm away in my caravan. I can then enter everything I've eaten once I have Internet access again.

Use the food plan feature to plan ahead. I can see at a glance from the favourite food what I need to cut down on (in my case I love my carbs!) But I try to level them out and can judge by looking at the nutritional profile what I need to adjust to make my chart look nice and balanced.

Weigh everything. It is very important as we tend not to judge very well and under estimate the size of the portion.

Try to only weigh yourself once a week even though it is tempting to have a "sneak preview". Remember that weight does fluctuate during the week (even during the day) especially after eating something with a high salt content for example Chinese.

Don't beat yourself up over a bad day - resolve to get back on track tomorrow.

Invest in a pedometer and try to do as many steps as possible during the day.

You will know this already, but drink lots of water (personally I'm not keen on tap water but I drink bottled flavoured water which is more calories) It helps fill you up and can keep your skin looking clear too. Sometimes you can mistake thirst for hunger too.

Try cleaning your teeth if you are hungry. Chocolate hasn't quite got the same appeal after brushing with Sensodyne!

Don't just use the scales, arm yourself with a tape measure and watch those inches shrink!

Sign up for the challenges and post your progress on the special challenge boards.

Join the online community. There is always someone online to give some advice or have a moan or laugh with. There is support 24 hours a day on all sorts of issues not just weight loss/food.

I find sticking a wedding invitation or holiday photograph of destinations I want to visit in a prominent place in the kitchen. This is a bit more subtle than a fat photograph of yourself and reminds you when you are tempted to eat something.

Buy yourself a copy of the Calorie, Carb and Fat Bible from WLR's sister site Diet and Fitness Resources for when you have no computer access. Alternatively print out your favourites list from the website and take a food jotter with you to keep track whilst away.

Last but by no means least I would like to thank everyone on WLR who has given me support, in particular Jeniren.

Laura's Vital Statistics

	Before	Now
Weight	19st 11lb	9st 7lb