How Alison Lost Over 3 Stone with WLR

Alison, Age 37, Height 5ft 7in

Start Weight	13st 8lbs
Current Weight	10st 1lb
Goal Weight	10st 1lb
Weight Lost	3st 7lbs
Working to Rate of Loss	2lbs per week

About Alison

I am a Full time Mum, married with 3 children (Boy aged 4 and twin boys aged 2)

Find it difficult not to pick at their tasty left-overs.

Sometimes when it gets a bit fraught at home I have to really fight the urge to binge on biscuits.

Weight Loss History

I did a bit of Weight Watchers, but only by borrowing the books from a friend.

I did quite well, and lost a few pounds, but I put most of it back on in one holiday, and struggled to motivate myself again.

Then I became pregnant again, so that was that.

"I thought I ate quite healthily, but once I started looking at the fat and calorie contents of food I got a few shocks."

The trouble I had was that although I would stick to my WW points, I would eat all my points in junk, then eat vegetables as they were ‘free’. And I felt no urge to exercise at all.

How being overweight has affected you…

I put on a lot of weight after I had the twins.

Life was a constant rush from one thing to another and I was coasting through it eating whatever I liked whenever I liked, slowly gaining weight. It didn’t really stop me from doing things.

I really hated shopping for clothes though, and could get very stressed and tearful before a social occasion as I felt I looked awful in all my clothes.

Motivation to Lose Weight

My family is complete, so I’m not going to get pregnant again and blow my diet.

I wanted to look good and feel more comfortable.

I also wanted to get a bit fitter.

My Mum died a few years ago and although it was not weight related in any way, it made me realise that I wanted to be around to pester my kids for the maximum amount of time possible.

"Also, having three little boys, I need to be able to run round with them, and it is a lot easier now."

My eldest son is 4 and I have lost more than he weighs. It’s always strange to pick him up and realise I used to carry much more than that around all the time.

How Weight Loss Resources Helps

I have never known as much about what I eat as I do now.

I look at the calorie content of things before I eat them now, and know that a few biscuits can ruin a good day.

I know how hard you have to work to burn off excess calories.

The Best of Weight Loss Resources

The food diary, exercise diary, my recipes, and the forum boards.

"The boards are brilliant and provide a lot of fun as well as a lot of support."

Lifestyle Changes

I get a lot of comments on my weight loss at the moment.

And it has spurred a couple of my other friends on to have a go as well. Some are even going running as well now!

"I feel much healthier and am a lot more aware of how foods affect my body."

I used to accept acid indigestion as a normal thing. Now I only get it if I eat takeaway pizza.

I feel way more confident and have enjoyed buying clothes for the first time in years.

Exercise Routine

I always hated any kind of exercise.

Now I go running three times a week, and really love it.

I did the Race for Life in July and have entered the Cancer Research 10k in October. I am also toying with the idea of doing the Moonwalk next year.

I had a couple of months gym membership earlier this year and really enjoyed it, but can’t afford to carry it on, unfortunately.

Diet Changes

I don’t eat fast food at all now. I have occasionally had a burger in the last few months and it tasted vile and I had the taste in my mouth for the whole day.

Typical Dinner – Before

Spaghetti Bolognese with lots of mince, wine and cheese.

Typical Dinner – Now

Veg curry with no rice, or veg stir fry. Always lots of veg.

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

I feel more in control of my eating than ever before.

The fact that there are no ‘free’ foods makes me think about everything properly before I eat it.

The F+V counter is great. I eat loads of veg and love seeing really big numbers in there.

The fact that exercise is so encouraged and so much a part of the process was something I missed on WW.

Alison's Weight Loss Tips

• I’m a big eater, and I’m never going to change that. I really love to eat. I have found some really great low-cal, low-fat foods that I can eat masses of and which I truly love. I can eat a huge pile of vegetable curry for about 400 cals, because I’m not that fussed about having much rice.
• Enjoy your diet if you want your weight loss to be a permanent thing.
• Try to find an exercise that you enjoy. It really does make you feel better, and can affect your weight loss and body shape more than you would think.
• Make a list of all your reasons for wanting to lose weight. Re-visit this list when you are struggling. You could also make a list of all the reasons you have NOT to lose weight, fear of change and the like, and see how it makes you feel.
• If you can find one, a diet buddy is a great idea. My real-life diet buddy is also on WLR (Sparklythings) and she checks my food diary out and tells me off for eating too much rubbish.
• Get rid of your ‘fat’ clothes as you shrink out of them. Don’t give yourself the option of growing back into them.

If you have a bad day, week or even month, don’t give up. Just pick up where you left off.

"I have never felt so healthy and am attacking life with a new energy."