Alison's story
Name: Alison
Weight loss: 3st 6lb
Was: 13st 13lb
Now: 10st 7lb
Age: 35
Height: 5'5"
How long it took: 2 years 9 months
"The walls are down and I’m ready for love."
Always the bridesmaid, never the bride! You know that movie, 27 Dresses? The one about a bridesmaid who’s never the bride? Well, my bedroom was starting to look like an outtake. Draped in the corner of my wardrobe were three gowns – I’d been asked three times to be a maid of honour. That, of course, made me proud and happy. But I can’t pretend that looking at the dresses made me feel great. I couldn’t help wondering if I would ever find love. I did date, but the fact that I was always so uncomfortable with my size meant I never felt that I was pretty or worthy of love.
Changing my old, bad habits for good So I joined WW soon after my friend Karen asked me to be her maid of honour in November 2012 and decided to change my old, bad habits for good. It wasn’t easy. I had to reduce my portions, control my mindless eating and learn how to prepare and plan my meals instead of just grabbing snacks on the go. But I had my goal in mind, and kept going.
Brimming with confidence By the time of the wedding in October 2013, I’d lost 2st; I’d had to have the dress I was wearing altered a number of times. It was a gorgeous, strapless design in black and I wore my hair up, showing off my slimmed-down shoulders. That entire day, I felt myself walking taller, smiling more and brimming with confidence.
Happy ever after.... It took me another two years to reach goal, but I always had my eye on my own ‘happy ever after’ – a slimmer, happier me. And now, I’ve met someone special. I know that it’s not because I’m slimmer – it’s because I’m happy within myself and I’ve finally felt able to let someone in. The walls are down and I’m ready for love.