Sarah Finally Got Out of the Yo-Yo Cycle!

Sarah, Age 32, Height 5'4"

	Weight	Dress Size
Start	13 stone 8 lb	16/18
Current	10 stone 3.5lb	12/14
Sarah Lost	3 stone 4.5 lb	3 dress sizes
Time Taken	8 months

 

A bit about me...

I live in Bristol and work as a Finance and Office Manager, which involves sitting at a desk 9am - 5pm.

I live with my partner and we’ve been together for 3 years. He's quite active - he cycles to and from work - and consequently, eats a lot! Since meeting him, I did put on a bit of weight, as I was eating the same portions as him, but really I’ve struggled with my weight since I was a teenager.

"I wasn't very active... a lot of my time was spent on the sofa or at a desk."

 

 

Before this year, I wasn’t very active - I did the occasional Pilates class and had dabbled in running, but a lot of my time was spent on the sofa or at a desk.

How I've tried to lose weight in the past...

I remember trying the “Special K diet” during the summer holidays when I was a teenager - I was starving most of the time and only lasted a week. I usually yo-yo'd by just restricting what I ate.

"I’ve been a yo-yo dieter most of my life, but then I’ve gone back to bad habits pretty quickly."

I have also used WLR successfully before, back in 2012 and lost 2 stone.

How my weight affected me...

I was a skinny child and it wasn’t until I got to 11 years old that I put on weight. I was told it was puppy fat and I’d grow out of it - I didn’t.

I’ve been overweight my whole adult life and I guess I’ve been in denial about it.

"I’d convinced myself that it didn’t matter what I looked like..."

But then I’d see an unflattering photo of myself or catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror and feel rubbish about how I looked.

I’d then turn to food as a comfort and put on more weight and feel even worse about myself - it’s a vicious cycle.

"I’d compensate for being overweight by being funny and loud in social situations"

I think I used self-depreciation to cover how I really felt.

I was single for most of my 20s and put it down to being overweight - again, another trigger that made me want to comfort eat. 

My motivation to lose weight...

My main motivations was mostly health. I’d got to my 30s without any major health concerns, even though I was carrying extra weight, but I knew it couldn’t last forever.

I also wanted to have children at some point, but didn’t want to be overweight and pregnant.

Vanity is another reason - there is a part of me that wanted to look and feel good when I look in the mirror.

How wlr has helped me reach my goal...

It’s so logical... If I burn more calories than I eat, I’ll lose weight!

If you'd like to know how many calories you need to lose weight, wlr does all the calulations for you - Try it Free (genuinely free, no card details required).

I try to eat a balanced, healthy and varied diet, but I still have chocolate, cheese and pizza, but in moderation.

"I haven't given up any of the foods that I love."

I’ve still been out for meals with friends and family, but I know that I’ll do a bit more exercise to earn that.

The wlr tools that helped me the most...

The food diary - I weigh and log everything I eat and drink. Even if I’ve been out for a meal, or have had a blow-out, I log it.

Seeing the numbers on the screen really helps me to stay on track. 

I really like the recipes function - quite often, we’ll cook a meal in bulk and I can just plug the ingredients in and then put a portion into my food diary.

How I stuck with it through my journey...

I’ve been really lucky with my weight loss journey this year...

"Something clicked in my head and I’ve managed to lose weight quite steadily."

There were a few weeks where my weight went up a bit, or stayed the same - usually because I’d had a big meal or been over calories, but it started going down the next week. I weigh in every Monday morning, so I start my week with fresh determination, even if I’ve had a blip.

There have been times when I’ve felt down and wanted to eat a huge bar of chocolate (and sometimes have), but I’ve dusted myself off and started again the next day.

Partway through my journey, we went into lockdown. This could have been disastrous, but I actually used it to my advantage - I couldn’t control anything that was happening in the world, but I could control what I was doing. I made sure I stuck to my calories, and went out for my daily permitted exercise.

I’ve been so lucky that my partner has been really supportive throughout this whole process - when he cooks, he weighs all the ingredients and writes them down so that I can accurately count my calories.

How has my life changed since losing weight?

I’m now in the ‘healthy’ BMI range and I feel so much healthier. I know I look different but the biggest difference is how I feel.

"I am so much more confident - but real confidence!"

Starting my weightloss journey also coincided with rediscovering my love of sewing, so I’ve been making my own clothes this year. It’s been a great way of getting to know my new body shape and also helped me document my weight loss - sometimes if I’ve felt bloated or felt like I hadn’t made any progress, looking through the photos from a few months ago really helped me to see how far I’d come.

How exercise has helped my weight loss...

I’ve done Couch25k a few times in the past, but never kept it up. I restarted again in January, with the aim of being able to run a 5k non-stop - I can now do that!

I’m not a natural athlete, but since losing weight running is so much easier!

The Runners board on WLR has been invaluable - everyone on there is so supportive and helpful. They celebrate your successes and give you advice when you’re struggling.

I’ve done Pilates for the last couple of years, and since the start of lockdown, my Pilates class has moved online so I’ve been able to do that more often.

My personal weight loss benefits...

I also love that I feel more confident... 

"I feel so much better in myself - much healthier and more positive."

I actually enjoy leading an active lifestyle now, which I never thought I would.

I used to wear baggy clothes to hide my body, but I’m now proud of how I look and feel so much more comfortable wearing things that actually fit me.

My top 5 tips for losing weight...