Walking tall and proud with success!
Looking back Natalie was always unhappy with her weight and “yo-yo” dieted since her early teens. In her late twenties her BMI had reached 32 so with her 30th birthday fast approaching she wanted to shift her weight in time for that. After attending a wedding and feeling very uncomfortable in her body she decided enough was enough and signed up to our online dieting site. 7 months later she has managed to lose 3 stone 8lbs on our Total Wellbeing plan, has improved her fitness and even owns a pair of skinny jeans!
Here is Natalie’s story…
How much weight have you lost?
Before I registered I weighed 12 stone 9lbs with a BMI of 32. I now weigh 9 stone 1 lb and have a BMI of 23. I've lost 26 inches in total but more importantly my hip/waist ratio has gone down from a high 0.90 to a safer 0.78.
Have you previously tried any other diets and were they successful? I think I started my first diet when I was in Year 9 (aged 13-14). All I can remember about that was the disgusting diet bread I ate. Yuck! When I was 21 I lost a lot of weight through healthy eating and swimming regularly, but the moment I left university the weight began to creep back up.
What part has exercise played in helping you to lose weight? When I started the Total Wellbeing plan I began to do some form of exercise every day. I started off using the Wii fit, and made a conscious effort to run up stairs whenever I could. Currently I swim, jog on the Wii fit, and do two high-intensity exercise DVDs a week. I try to vary the exercise I do to stop me from becoming bored, but also to give my body time to recover. For Christmas I am hoping to get some proper running shoes and then I can start pounding the pavement in the real world. I now look forward to exercising and get incredibly grumpy if something gets in the way. My fitness has improved incredibly! The other day I actually ran down the street to save myself getting a parking ticket! Before starting the Total Wellbeing plan I simply would have paid the fine! I think exercise has been a key factor in allowing me to have a weight loss every week.
Was your weight causing you any problems? Ultimately my weight stopped me from being the real me! Looking back I have always been unhappy with my weight. I went through stages of dieting which made me feel unhappy and deprived through to stages of trying to kid myself that I was okay the way I was and I should just accept it. Sometimes I felt like I just wanted to hide away in a corner where no one could see me.
What difference has losing weight made to you? When I started the Total Wellbeing plan one of my aims was to become comfortable within my own body. In the last 6 months my dress size has gone from a size 14-16 to a size 8 and my body fat percentage has gone from 39% to 26%! Before joining I was a trousers and tops gal, hiding behind baggy clothes. In the last three weeks I have worn dresses for a family function, work, and my birthday gathering. I even own some skinny jeans! I can now walk tall and proud in my new body!
What did you think of our online dieting service? One of the reasons I think I have been so successful is the non- judgmental, friendly service you get both from your support team and also from fellow losers. I have images in my head of other well known diet club leaders sucking air through their teeth as you jump on the scales in front of them. With online dieting everything is done in the safety of your own home! I’m absolutely certain that without all this support I would never have been as successful as I have been. The support boards have been a godsend as I can go onto the boards and rant if I’ve had a bad day rather than dive into the biscuit barrel. I can jump up and down with joy when I’ve had a successful weight loss and everyone understands because they are going through the same thing. I have made some true friends via the support boards.
Tell us about your diet before you joined us, and how has your diet changed as a result? In my 20’s I was a typical emotional eater and I wanted to change this relationship with food in my 30’s.I have begun to learn different strategies to satisfy my emotional needs and food is still an enjoyment as I love the taste and texture of different foods. With the Total Wellbeing plan there isn’t anything that I’m not eating! People keep asking me whether this has been hard to do, and I can put my hand on my heart and say no! I’m still eating chocolate! Before joining my typical evening consisted of me and my partner discussing what we would have for tea and we would end up getting a takeaway. We were probably having 5 take-aways a week. I also used to drink up to 3L of Diet Coke a day. This has become replaced with no-added- sugar squash!
How have your family and friends reacted to your weight loss? Initially, I think my friends and family thought it was just another diet and I wouldn’t stick to it. But with thanks to the Total Wellbeing plan it has been so easy! I describe it as meat and two veg and even my partner eats pretty much everything I do! I have made Total wellbeing recipes for both friends and family and they are always surprised that they are eating diet food! But now 6 months later I have proven to both them and myself that I could do this! On my 30th Birthday I received so many compliments about my new figure! Previously I would have shied away from them but instead the new confident me just lapped it up!
Any other tips you would like to share with those wanting to lose weight? I think my biggest tip is to believe you can and will do this!