"Thanks to WW, I’ve remained focused and positive when life seems to be spiraling out of control!"
Start weight: 16st 13lb | Weight loss: 1st 13lb*
Current weight: 15st
Height: 5' 4" | Age: 47
WW Workshop: Repton, Derbyshire
WW Coach: Heather Evans
To say life has been stressful for the past year is an understatement. My father has been very ill and my mother, who is his carer, has been diagnosed with cancer, which thankfully we now know is treatable. I’ve been in hospital with severe asthma, so it’s been tough. Normally I’d be raiding the cupboards because that’s what I do when I’m upset. But thanks to WW, I’ve remained focused and positive when life seems to be spiraling out of control.
I’ve always struggled with my weight, but three years ago I had a hysterectomy and stopped exercising. I lost the confidence to go to the gym so it was a vicious circle. I was finding it very difficult to find clothes, my entire wardrobe was black and I was very lethargic. I’d tried all kinds of fad diets, believing I could lose weight on my own, but it was no good.
Then I saw a photograph of myself in a bar in Venice last summer. I looked nine months pregnant and I sobbed when I saw it. I knew I had to do something about my weight. It took me another nine months to pluck up the courage to walk through the doors of a WW Workshop but it’s the best thing I ever did.
With WW Freestyle™, I like the fact that so many foods are 0 SmartPoints®. I’ve joined other weight-loss clubs that offer unlimited pasta and potatoes in their plans and that would never work for me. I don’t have a lot of control when it comes to portion size but at least with WW I’m eating healthy proteins such as chicken and fish, which fill me up.
I still love my treats. I can’t deprive myself completely as I’d go off the rails. My downfall used to be crisps and I’d buy a large multi-pack and eat all six packets in one go. Now I just buy one packet at a time and have one or two a week.
I’m exercising again and I’ve joined a walking group. I challenged myself to walk 1000 miles in a year, but I’ve actually surpassed that and am now aiming for 1500. I’m also going on a cycling holiday with a group of friends from Vienna to Budapest next year. Losing weight makes me more focused and determined to put the past behind me and start looking forward again.
My favourite things about WW:
- I like being able to have ZeroPoint™ foods as an accompaniment. I’ll have cauliflower or broccoli rice alongside a meal that’s higher in SmartPoints.
- The barcode scanner in the app is great for finding new foods that are low in SmartPoints.
- I check my activity levels on the app and monitor my Fitbit. I’m hoping to do the Inca Trail before my 50th birthday, so I have to keep my steps up.
*Debbie joined WW in March 2017.