A small but successful story.

Hi guys,

Thought I'd post my success story on here. It's nowhere near as impressive as many of yours but I still did it myself and I'm pretty chuffed.

I have been overweight for most of my adult life. As a child, I was super-active and super-skinny and then I hit puberty and it all seemed to go wrong!

I've never been really big but at the same time, I've never felt happy with my weight.

I tried all sorts including Slim Fast, Weight Watchers and one involving a drug from an alleged doctor on Harley Street which in hindsight was a terrible idea. I, to this day, don't know what it was but it was probably phentermine or something similar. It kept me awake for 20 hours of the day, I never ever ate (and thus did, indeed lose weight) and I had all sorts of nasty stuff like heart palpitations and other things you'd associate with something that was obviously far too strong to be putting in my body.

I have had 4 pregnancies (sadly only 2 living children but that's plenty!) and each time, the weight just piled on a bit more.

My husband has always loved me at whatever weight and he's never understood why I don't just eat 'normally'. He's one of those classic people who eats "What he wants, when he wants" - but you know what... what he wants isn't a load of crap food all the time - he eats sensibly and healthily with treats when he feels like it (although he probably wouldn't think about them as 'treats').

My final push to get myself down the road of healthy eating and a healthy weight was firstly, the fear my kids would grow up with an unhealthy attitude to food (so I needed to fix my head!) and I was about to start university and hopefully join the ballroom dancing team (so I needed to fix my body!).

I started in June 2010 at Slimming World. I loved my leader who was a bit ditzy and very lovely. I loved how you just ate normal food and you could avoid calorie or point counting by sticking to the free stuff. Most of all though, I loved that I seemed to be able to only broadly follow it (I rarely syn-ed my wine - oops!) because I was exercising so much.

The weight came off very slowly but I was consistent and never had a week where I put on although some weeks I started a bit rubbishly and had to work really hard just to maintain.

Eventually, I hit goal in October 2010 around 5 months after starting. I had lost just shy of 2 stone.

I have been fortunate that, even at my heaviest, my weight didn't significantly affect my day-to-day living but losing it has massively changed things.

I started university within a couple of weeks of reaching goal and while at 34, I was the absolute granny on the course by a long way and I felt pretty tired and stupid at times trying to juggle a difficult course with parenthood, I could walk into lecture theatres with my head held high among all the young, pretty things. :)

Oddly, the original reason for slimming - the ballroom dancing never quite happened. I wasn't allowed to join the beginners team because I'd had a few lessons and the intermediate team would have required more time than I had to give - but I'm still so very very very happy to be able to walk into a shop and pick up a size 12, knowing that it will most likely fit!

I really am living and believing the adage, that nothing tastes as good as slim feels.

Of course, a success story may have a start but it doesn't really have an end. Since Easter of this year, exams, holidays and other not-very-good excuses have caused me to very very slowly start to gain weight back again. Only 1/2 stone and considering how poorly I've been actively sticking to maintenance, I think this is actually a sign that I've really taken in the changes that I needed to make to become slim and healthy.

I'm back on here to help me lose those last few pounds and get back into target range. I've already made a good start and, as of this morning, I'm only half a pound off from target range (although will need to be able to do it clothed if I want to go back to a meeting!!!). My goals (which I will add to my signature when I'm allowed a bigger one) include:

1.) Get back into target range clothed!
2.) Get back to target weight clothed.
3.) Get that 2 stone sticker! I love me my stickers!
4.) Stay there for a while and work out what I want to do next!

Wow - I've managed to waffle on a lot more than I thought I would! Hope it's been vaguely interesting. Will go back to reading everyone else's stories and if I can find some photos, I will upload them when I'm allowed to.

Cheers
Vicky
 
Hey Just wanted to wish you well, hope those goals are getting closer! And well done for the progress so far! Im new and just having a nosey read ;-)
 
Well done for your progress so far! i wish you all the luck in your continuing journey :)
 
Well done, at least you now know the value of sticking to your maintenance plan. What amazing life changes and a slimmer you, fantastic.
 
What a great story, I felt so good reading this, well done and how are you doing?
 
Thanks for sharing your story - how is your journey going? x
 
Wow well done, Im a mum of three and Id love to go back and study some day soon, I think you are a real inspiration - well done!!
 
Hey guys,

Goodness, I haven't been on here for *forever*! I'm pleased to report that a couple of weeks ago I got back to my target. New group (my last leader moved to another country!) with a new equally lovely leader and a really nice atmosphere... although sometimes it feels like we should actually be an AA meeting rather than Slimming World as we're all quite into our wine, beer and partying!

Feels great to be back at goal weight - probably not as amazing as first time around because it's become more normal now... which I probably a good thing.

I'm doing lots of exercise again which is great. I cycle to and from work/university/hospital most days which is either a 4.5 mile round trip or a 14.5 mile round trip depending on where I'm based that day. I've also started the 30 Day Shred DVD and appear to have signed myself up to a 10k run this Sunday. Whoops! Heheh.

Still trying to find my feet with maintenance this time around - we shall see how it goes.

Cheers
Vicky
 
Wow! Brilliant just read your thread and how inspiring that the first post was over a year ago and here you are now 16 Nov 2012 and have maintained not only you weight but your good habits! I'm really pleased for you and hope I can follow suit as I continue my weightloss journey and my planned maintenance.
 
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