Rachel's story
Name: Rachel
Weight loss: 8st 2lb
Was: 20st 5lb
Now: 12st 3lb
Age: 26
Height: 5'6"
How long it took: 2 years 3 months
How she did it: WW Workshop with her WW Coach, Claire
"I have more energy, my skin glows, my hair’s thicker – even the quality of my sleep is better."
Feeling enormous! Everything in my holiday picture was perfect: the powder-blue sky, the palm trees, and the sun glistening on the water. The only glitch was the woman on the rubber ring, spilling out of her swimsuit: me. We were on our honeymoon in Cancun, Mexico, and I looked and felt enormous, but tried not to let it spoil things. I kept telling myself that no one there knew me and I was with Simon, the love of my life, so what did it matter if I was overweight? But I didn’t feel comfortable.
Time to do something Even walking from the pool to the bar was an ordeal, imagining all the guests staring at my flesh as it wobbled. As a size 28, it was a feeling I was used to. Wedding dress shopping a few months earlier had been similarly humiliating, with two snooty women in one shop cramming me into a 90s puffball horror that made me want to cry. The experience was so awful, I decided it was time to stop messing about and do something about my weight. Simon was forever complimentary, telling me he didn’t care what I looked like, but I wanted to do this for me.
Determined to keep going I joined WW and, at first, it was hard as I was used to eating everything in the largest possible portions. It took a long time to start feeling comfortable in my own skin. But my will was strong, and I’ve stuck to the plan ever since. As more and more weight comes off, the benefits make me determined to keep going.
Feeling braver and happier I have more energy, my skin glows, my hair’s thicker – even the quality of my sleep is better. I can see in Simon’s face how happy he is with the results and it’s such a boost. I used to undress in the bathroom, but now I feel braver and am happy to strip off in front of him – it’s liberating. With so much to lose, I occasionally hit a plateau, but my friends at the WW Workshop motivate me to keep going. No one seems to understand me like they do.
Almost at goal! I’m almost at goal now, but the changes within me are permanent. I want to enjoy life to the fullest, and I will!