Success Story: Helen

Helen, Age 41, Height 5ft 7in

Start Weight	11st 4lbs
Current Weight	9st 9lbs
Goal Weight	9st 9lbs
Weight Lost	1st 9lbs
Working to Rate of Loss	1lb per week
Time Taken	6 months

Slimming History

Weight Watchers mainly and own low fat plans.

Have you lost weight before and regained the weight?

I was a slightly chubby teenager but slimmed down in my 20's.

I was 9stone 5lb on my wedding day and wore a size 10 dress.

2 years later I had our first son and gained 4 stone, I had just managed to lose it again when he was 6 months old when I fell pregnant with boy number 2 and again gained 4 stone.

"It was much harder to lose this time around, but I eventually got back down to around 10stone, and again fell pregnant."

Unfortunately I lost the baby and for a while comfort ate. Six months later I was pregnant again, this time with twins.

I ballooned massively in this pregnancy and suffered various complications, including severe liver problems.

The babies were born prematurely, but fortunately with no lasting problems, and we all came home.

I was now at home with 4 children under 6, including a boy with ADHD, and exclusively breast fed twins - slimming was the last thing on my mind!

I got down to around 11 stone 7lb and sort of settled, until earlier this year when I decided to finally do something about it.

How being overweight has affected you…

I always refused to buy nice clothes in larger sizes, so I have turned down social invitations as I had nothing to wear.

"I felt that if I was overweight, I didn't deserve nice things."

It affected my confidence and mood. My husband and children were fed up with having a miserable wife and mother.

Slimming Motivation

I suddenly realised that I was over 40, and had a whole wardrobe full of nice things I was too fat to wear.

"We also have breast cancer in the family and I wanted to do all I could to improve my general health."

I also wanted to set a good example for the children, I didn't want my daughter growing up with a mother who had issues with food.

Discovering Weight Loss Resources

By typing weight loss into Google - I was looking for a quick, easy fix, instead I found WLR and here I still am.

How Weight Loss Resources Helps

WLR really helps by confirming the relationship between calories in and calories out.

"It reinforces the fact that you can eat what you like - as long as you account for it."

I now know exactly how far I've got to run if I want to eat a Magnum - and when you realise how far that is, it really makes you think twice!

The Best of Weight Loss Resources

Initially I was obsessive about the food diary - now I'm maintaining I'm less so; however if the scales start nudging upwards slightly I go straight back to strict recording.

The message boards are brilliant - loads of support from a great bunch of people. It is largely thanks to the great crowd on the runners board that I have started running for the first time in my life.

Helen's Slimming Tips

Become obsessive - at least initially.

Weigh everything, record everything - if you do that and stick to your calorie allowance, then this site will work and you will slim down and lose weight.