Hayley's story
Name: Hayley
Weight loss: 4st 4lb
Start weight: 18st 7lb
Current weight: 14st 3lb
Age: 42
Time taken so far: 1 year
"The beauty of WW is that no foods are off limits. So as long as I’m creative, I can have my cake, and eat it, too.’"
All in the family‘I learned to bake from my mum, Val – she made birthday and wedding cakes for friends and neighbours as a sideline, and all my childhood memories are suffused with baking aromas from our kitchen. Now a mum myself, we still bake together, and I especially enjoy making cakes for my six-year-old son, Nathan. Baking is definitely my favourite hobby, but I also inherited a love of sweet foods.’
Moment of clarity ‘Before I joined WW, cutting the amount of sugar I ate was always a problem, and lack of willpower often got the better of me. In 2015, I realised that, instead of saving sweet things for treats, I was eating them regularly as a comfort. The result was clear: I was at my heaviest, and I hated it.’
Plan of action ‘A few months later, a colleague told me about WW and SmartPoints. The fact it flagged up food with high sugar content was just what I needed. I joined immediately and threw myself into cooking WW-friendly recipes for dinner. At my second next WW Workshop, I’d lost 6lb and was soon shedding a steady 2lb per week.’
Baking mad ‘But what to do about my love of baking? I discovered an oatmeal muffin recipe a member had shared on Connect, and it was just 2 SmartPoints. I bought some fancy muffin cases and baked one batch with added blueberries, another with apple, and a third using raw cacao powder. I couldn’t wait to try them out on Mum, and she was impressed! Soon I was hunting for WW cake and bun recipes everywhere, including the Sweet cookbook. Healthier baking required a little experimentation, but I loved getting more creative in the kitchen.’
Life is sweet ‘I discovered that, rather than denying myself, I could still enjoy the treats I loved by making little changes to the recipes, like substituting ingredients. And the pounds are still dropping off – I’ve got a bit of a way to go, but I’m on the right path and determined to get there.