Lauren's weight-loss story

Determined to improve her own health and wellbeing after giving birth, Lauren tried a few different diets to lose weight, but as well as feeling hungry all the time, she didn’t feel healthier and knew any weight she lost wouldn’t stay off. Then, when her daughter was six months old, she had a lightbulb moment and knew she was ready to lose weight ‘properly’ and for good. She joined WW and hasn’t looked back.

What was your ‘why’?

“In 2020 I was diagnosed with endometriosis, which turned my life upside down. After having surgery to remove it, I couldn’t exercise and I put on weight fast. I then fell pregnant at my heaviest weight and had my daughter in July 2021. Life was pretty chaotic after Layla was born and I continued to turn to food as comfort. I was eating a lot of ‘easy options’ like takeaway, too, purely for the convenience of it all. In January, my daughter was starting to eat solids and I remember thinking to myself that she’s watching me eat unhealthy, packaged foods and she’s going to want to do the same thing. She was grabbing at the chips and biscuits! I needed to set a better example, to be a good role model for her so that she’d want to eat healthier food like Mummy. I was also unhappy with my body after my pregnancy and was struggling with my mental health. I knew that eating better and losing weight was going to improve not only my physical self, but my mental health, too.”

Has WW changed how you think about food?

“Definitely. I’ve learnt that there is no such thing as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ food. You can enjoy anything in moderation and the WW program gives you that flexibility. I can eat anything I want, as long as it’s within my Points budget, which is suited to me. I’ve also learned that one ‘bad’ snack or one ‘naughty’ meal out isn’t going to ruin anything, and it doesn’t mean I’ve failed and so I might as well not bother. Instead, if I’ve gone out for a meal with my family or I’ve eaten some Easter chocolate, it’s okay – I’ve tracked it, I’ve enjoyed it, and I’ve moved on.”

What are you most proud about after losing 20kg?

“I’m proud of a lot of things but one of the most important is that I’m now able to pick up my 11kg baby from her cot and off the floor, without it hurting. I’m also able to wear my engagement, wedding and eternity rings again, and I fit back into my pre-pregnancy underwear. My internal thoughts about myself and my body have improved so much, too. I’m now proud of my body and what it has been through over the last two years – endometriosis surgery, pregnancy and a c-section! Feeling that way – proud of my body – is very different to how I felt when I first joined WW.”

How’s your health these days, Lauren?

“Physically, I feel like I’m in the best shape I’ve been in since my honeymoon in 2019! I’m fitter, I have so much more energy to carry my 10-month-old daughter and I can play with her without feeling out of breath or uncomfortable. I’m able to fit into clothes that I haven’t worn in years, which is such a confidence boost. My acne has also improved dramatically since starting WW. I’ve suffered with acne since I was a teenager and have been on all kinds of medications for it, most of which didn’t really help. Since putting better, healthier food into my body I’ve seen such a huge change in my skin and I’ve stopped taking my daily skin supplements, which weren’t only expensive, I don’t think they were doing very much either.”

And what about your mental health?

“Mentally, I’m in a really good place right now, which is fantastic. I’m slowly gaining back the confidence I once had and I feel a lot more like myself. I’m happy to jump out of bed in the morning and get on with my day, which is a very different story to how I was feeling at the beginning of the year.”

What's your best advice to someone who’s thinking about joining WW?

“Put yourself first. Make yourself a priority on your to-do list! We are all so busy with work, families and life, that we often don’t even take five to think about ourselves. I had to prioritise myself in order to be better for everyone else around me. My family is now benefiting from me making that decision all those months ago.”