Looking at me above you are probably wondering why I joined weight watchers.
Well in 2009 it might surprise you to know that I was 91 lbs heavier than I am today and I looked at bit like this.
This is me in 2008/2009, I was just hitting 30 year old, I was a size 20 bricking on a size 22, I weighted 15st 4lbs and had a BMI of 40. That was until I joined weight watchers and changed my life forever. I’m not sure how I got to a size 20, leaving school I was a nice size 14 and loved exercise but over the next 15 years my love for food and booze grew
but my love for exercise turned into hate.
In early 2009 after a lot of badgering from the girls at work I started to exercise again by joining at aerobics, I think I did it to shut them up really. After a few months I loved it but I didn’t love still seeing my wobbly body in the mirror.
Over a coffee one lunch time with a colleague from work, she told me how she’s lost 2 stone with weight watchers, as they had taught her how to eat better and suggested I gave it ago. Returning from the coffee I went straight onto the weight watchers website and signed up for a monthly pass.
That Saturday the 9th May 2009 I went along to the nearest meeting to my home the one at Turnhams Farm. There I meet the lovely Hannah the leader and lots of other people like me.
After the meeting I felt really inspired, so I went home and got my black marker pen out and wrote the points values on all the food in my house, I continued with this for most of my journey.
At the end of my 1st week I was shocked to discover I’d lost 4lbs. That week I decided that the only way I was going to be able to do this was to break down what I had to loss into small goals and aim for those. So my first goal was to achieve 5% weight loss and in order to do that I had to loss 11 lbs. I also decided to buy my self a pot of dreams and put in a £1 for every lb I lost and £2 for every lb I gained.
One meeting Hannah asked us all to set our selves a small goal to aim towards, I remember saying what I wanted most was to be able to shop in the skinny peoples shops so I could go shopping with my best friend, as I hated not being able too.
I once had a dreadful shopping trip to London with her and other friends, she was trying to help us find an outfit to wear for her wedding, we’d spent most of the day looking in all the nice skinny people shops and I wasn’t able to find anything as I was too big, by the end of the day when we went to a shop that had clothes that would fit me I’d had enough. I hated being the fat friend!
By June 2009 the weight was steadily coming off and I’d lost 10.5lbs and by the annual trip to Royal ascot on the 27th June I’d hit my 5% target and a week later I hit my 1st stone! I was so over the moon that I decided to treat my self to a new bracelet. I decided to continue to reward myself for every stone I lost.
In July 2009 I took part in my 1st every Race for Life in Reading with the girls from work, we all decided to walk the 5k and where pleased that we completed it in 53 minutes. By now I’d lost 21.5 lbs and my energy levels where increasing!
By December 2009 I’d lost 3 stone, I’d gone down 2 dress sizes to a size 16 and I was finally able to buy my 1st pair of skinny jeans and knee height boots, as until now I’d been too uncomfortable to buy any. This was a huge milestone to me!
One of my biggest supports has been my husband, he’s been my rock throughout my journey. Always asking me why I was eating something and if I could eat it and also stopping me from ordering the slice of carrot cake in a coffee shop.
But I’ve also had great support from my fellow members at Turnhams Farm. We constantly support each other through the ups and downs, I’ve made some great weight watcher friends along the way. Together in Dec 09 we complete a 3k Santa walk in Reading
By February 2010 I’d lost 50lbs and I was over the moon when Hannah presented me a certificate to mark my achievement in front of everyone. I couldn’t believe how far I’d come.
A Few weeks later Hannah asked us again to set ourselves a small goal and the only thing that sprang to mind for me was I wanted to be able to wear a dress for the annual trip to Ascot.
By June I’d lost 66lbs and I was finally back to a size 14, a size I’d not been since leaving school.
I was finally able to shop in the skinny peoples shops along side my best friends. We had a great girlie day out at Westfield finding the perfect Ascot dresses. For me this was what made losing all the weight worth while!
In July 2010 along with the girls from work again I took part in my second race for life. As I was now fitter than I been in years we all decided to try and jog it, twice a week for 8 weeks we meet up after work and trained together and that year we managed to complete the 5k in 32 minutes, knocking off 21 minutes from the year before. I was so proud of what I’d achieved
By the end of August 2010 I’d lost 75lbs and once again Hannah presented me with a certificate. All my certificates from Weight Watcher are now kept in my wardrobe along side a photo to remind me of where I’ve come from and a size skirt 20.
By September I was a size 12 and weight 9st 13lbs. I confidently went on my 1st girlie holiday in a long time. I had a great time as I was no longer the fat friend! I was now the same as all of them.
It took me 581 day but finally on the 9th December 2010 I reached my goal weight of 8st 11lbs.
I’ve had my ups and downs, shed a few tears, had a few gains and 4 new sets of clothes but now I’m happier than I ever have been and proud I can say I’m a gold weight watchers member.
For me the biggest thing has been not seeing weight watchers as a diet but as a way to change the way you eat forever and that’s why I think I have been so successful. I’ve always been honest with my self about what I’ve put in my mouth and have always pointed everything no matter how bad I have been I’ve had great support throughout my journey from my husband, my family, Hannah and my other fellow members at Turnhams farm.
