Success Story: Michelle

Michelle, Age 37, Height 5ft 4in

Start Weight	11st 7lbs
Current Weight	9st 12lbs
Goal Weight	9st 8lbs
Weight Lost	1st 9lbs
Working to Rate of Loss	2lbs per week, but sometimes 1lbs a week with events

Dieting History

Weight Watchers and Rosemary Conley.

I had very little to lose with Weight Watchers (less than a stone) but I just couldn’t do it on my own. Didn’t manage it with them either!

Rosemary Conley classes were great because the exercise was more of a dance class! But I didn’t do too well at sticking to all foods below 4% fat per 100g.

Have you lost weight before and regained the weight?

Yes, I lose a little bit of weight and then I just put it straight back on.

How being overweight has affected

I hate the way I look when I’m over 10 stone. Imagine how I felt being 11 st 7lb!

"It stops me wearing nice clothes in the summer; it prevents me from doing anything energetic."

I’m not at all sporty and this is an area I knew I would need to address to finally get down to a weight I’m happy with.

I don’t think I realised how large I had become – my before pic wasn’t originally a ‘before’ picture – it was the first pic I put of me on WLR and I was quite happy with it! I now see an amazing difference!

Motivation to Diet

I am a few years away from being 40. I have always wanted to be slimmer than I am at any given time, so have decided that this is not a diet, but a lifestyle change, and by the time I am 40 it will be part of my life.

"As the weight comes off, my confidence goes up, and I’m a lot happier in myself."

I took up singing a few years back and would never have dreamed of singing lead in front of a band as I am a sax player and percussionist and I always stand at the back where size doesn’t matter, but now that I have this additional confidence, I can probably pull it off! – and have done!

I have also taken up running and I know that the lighter I am the easier running will become (I hope!).

Discovering Weight Loss Resources

My husband’s Niece was doing well on the GI diet so I did a Google search for that to read up more about it and found WLR.

I had even gone out and bought a GI diet book that day, but by the evening when I found WLR I decided to give the trial a go.

"It took me 2 days to realise there was no diet plan to follow and that it was me who had to input food into the diary! "

The flexibility therefore really impressed me which is why I wanted to try this rather than the GI diet.

How Weight Loss Resources Helps

The food and exercise diaries are key. I can tell what foods are going to be higher in calories than others, but being able to map out everything to the last calorie using the database is wonderful!

"It really puts me in control and I know that if I stick within my calorie allowance, I will lose weight."

What I eat has changed dramatically since I joined in February.

I used to have very little time to prepare any food and was very lazy about it. I lived on ready meals every single night, and takeaways at weekends.

Very little fruit or vegetables either, and absolutely no water!

I find it very difficult to drink anything during the day – I just don’t get thirsty.

"However now I have a glass of water on the go all day long at work and it makes a big difference."

The other bonus is the online forum. Everyone is so friendly and supportive.

There is real community spirit at WLR and I cant see me wanting to leave when hitting goal weight – I’d miss the people and the advice and support they give far too much!

The Best of Weight Loss Resources

I use the food and exercise diary religiously – my husband and I can be mid meal and deciding what to have next and we both disappear off to get our PDAs and establish how many calories we have left!

I also read and contribute to the forums – particularly the Running forum.

"I took up running on 6th March and it’s that board that has kept me going."

I read through A&S board and sometimes the OT board. More recently the SURFs board is of interest.

Michelle's Calorie Counting Tips

Weigh everything for the first few months – you wouldn’t believe how much the food you eat actually weighs and its important to get this correct so that the Food Diary works for you.

Fill in the Food Diary – down to the last calorie.

If you under estimate or skip things you know you’ve eaten, you are only cheating yourself - those 4 party rings you stuffed whilst making the kids lunches for tomorrow, the chunk of cheese you had whilst making hubby’s sandwiches, the 4 Coco Pop Straws you snaffled out of the cupboard because you were peckish before dinner – write it all down!

"The fact you don’t want to write the cheats down means you know it’s not doing you any good."

Have a look at what a dent it makes to your calorie allowance when you do these naughty things!

It has helped me stop doing it – although I do still do it, and then kick myself later when I find I don’t have enough calories for my planned dinner so have to modify the food diary accordingly! (or go and do some exercise quickly!!).

Drink lots of water – this initially is a pain as you run to the loo every 20 mins!

However think of all that extra exercise you are getting by getting up out of your seat to go!

I find my skin is much nicer now I drink lots of water. I don’t always manage 2L a day like I should, but I have experimented for a 1 week period by drinking 2L every single day – and I lost more than 3lbs that week.

I know if I want a good loss on a particular week, I have to drink loads of water!

This is the only time in my adult life that I have lost weight properly. I haven’t followed some weird diet where all you can eat is boiled eggs and grapefruit – the type of diet that is guaranteed to have you put the weight straight back on as soon as you look at normal food again.

I have treated this as a lifestyle change. Counting calories is the only thing that works for me – but if you combine this with exercise, even if it’s walking more than you did before – it all helps immensely.