When did you start your WW journey?
I’ve taken the scenic route when it comes to my weight loss journey. In 2011 I weighed 17 stone. I lost 4 stone by myself and joined WW in 2013. I was 13 stone at the time and realised that I needed to completely overhaul my lifestyle. I was only 21 and should have been full of energy, but I had health issues and the GP said they were due to my weight.
I started piling on weight when I went to university and threw myself into the student lifestyle big time. I took advantage of all the student offers on takeaways and drank a lot of alcopops and cider. It didn’t help that I’d just had a dramatic relationship break-up and was feeling sorry for myself.
How has your relationship with food changed since joining WW?
I’m a big foodie - I have so many cookery books and I love to cook for friends and family, so I challenged myself to come up with hacks on how to bulk up my meals with ZeroPoint foods and adapt recipes to make them WW-friendly. None of my WW meals look like rabbit food.
Fat-free Greek yogurt became one of my go-to favourites. I eat it for breakfast with fruits, nuts and seeds and make it look really pretty. It’s great for adding to dips too and using in place of mayonnaise.
Tell us about your fitness journey.
As the weight fell off, I had more energy and started running. I’ve just done my first half marathon and I run 5K four times a week with a 10K run at the weekend.
Before I joined WW, I felt as if I was sleepwalking my way through life. Now I have so much energy, I’m more confident and excited to be alive.
Are you on your journey with anyone else?
I had to cancel my wedding last year due to Covid and it has been rescheduled to July this year. My fiance Alex has watched me transform and he also joined WW and lost two stone. He has had to have his wedding suit altered twice. I’m excited to be getting married to him in a size 8 dress.
Do you feel as though you've formed good habits for life?
I’ve maintained my current weight for a year now and it hasn’t been hard because all the great habits I picked up from WW have become second nature. I still have chocolate every day, but only a small amount. I still cook a lot and enjoy my food. I never feel deprived.
I’m glad to be alive and I want to stay healthy. Having suffered from health problems caused by being overweight, I realise I’m protecting myself from future ailments by taking care of myself in the way that WW has taught me to.
*Grace has lost 3st 3.5lbs since 2013.