Size 12 - No Sweaty Stuff Required!

WLR Member LynneC, Age 63, Height 5ft 5in

	Weight	Dress Size
Now	10st 0lbs	12
Start	11st 10lbs	14/16

I had lived in central London, a busy active singleton, walking to the office, to the shops (and pub) Once I got married, at 46, life changed. A move to the suburbs, different food to cook and a healthy appetite saw my weight increase to over 12st. I fooled myself this was a temporary blip, abandoned my jeans in favour of leggings and stretchy jersey dresses.

For years I avoided the mirror, the camera and chose clothes that looked tidy, rather than stylish.

I had become unwell with chronic fatigue, descended into a downward spiral of no exercise but lots of comfort eating.

I got to grips with some weight loss but once I lost a few pounds, the old habits kicked in and I put it all and more back on again.

I went to weight loss groups of one sort or another but don't enjoy the environment and gave up.

I also find the concepts complicated and tedious. It's much more straightforward for me to count calories, particularly as so many food products already have calorie and nutritional information without the need to translate into points or free or not quite so free food. Too much!

I first tried WLR back in 2014 and reached a target weight of around 10st.

During this time my husband became critically sick so my routines went out of the window. I continued to lose weight but once he returned from long spells in hospital, I comfort ate on a whopping scale.

Last year I had got to the point where I was overweight but not my heaviest.

I chose WLR again because it's a good fit for me

At a point when I felt I was losing momentum, signed up for the Mentor service. Without doubt, Trudi, my mentor has helped me stay focused. She encourages but never berates. She has supported me in recognising the ups and downs of my life as a carer and the resulting unpredictable eating patterns.

I indulge from time to time, for days if we have a short break.

The difference is that as soon as the break (or Christmas) is over, I get back on track.

I plan to hit my target weight within the next few months and in the meantime I rejoice in not backsliding badly, recognising my all-or-nothing personality and my shift from treating healthy weight from a sprint, to a marathon, caring for my health and wellbeing for life.

I love being able to wear my size 12 jeans.

I do weigh myself, don't measure my body, but I do now look in the mirror; it doesn't make me depressed any more.

I know I haven't had to lose a huge amount, my particular mountain still hasn't been climbed and I don't fool myself that this last leg will be easy.

I won't ever be persuaded to go to a gym or an aerobics class, hate them.

What I have done is followed sustainable sensible eating with WLR and incorporated low cost (or zero cost) activity into my day.

I meet a friend for a two mile walk twice a week (the reward is a cuppa at the end with unlimited gossip), go to a Pilates or yoga class once or twice a week.

Exercise is incorporated into my day - walk to the library, clean the car, anything that keeps me moving and the old body from seizing up.