"I’ve always believed that life is for living – now I feel I truly am doing just that."
Weight loss: 6st 7lb
Age: 51
WW Workshop: Mercure Hotel, Ayr, Scotland
WW Coach: Christine Mitchell
Unhealthy habits
Fourteen years ago, I retrained as an A&E charge nurse. I love my job, but the 12-hour shifts meant I ended up relying on convenience foods. That, combined with all the chocolates, cakes and crisps left for us by patients, meant my weight quickly ballooned. I’d been a WW member on and off for years, but as soon as I stopped attending Workshops, the unhealthy habits would creep back in. Wearing size-22 trousers, I found it difficult to keep up with my fast-paced job, not to mention I felt like a fraud advising my patients to lose weight!
Working in wellness
I rejoined WW in 2016, and with the help of my WW Coach Christine, I learned to batch cook healthy dinners, so I could stay on track after a long shift. At work, I kept fruit to hand for times when I fancied something sweet. In six months I lost 3st – just in time for my first-ever girls’ holiday to the Spanish resort of Benidorm. I felt amazing the whole trip! Back home, I set up a Facebook group with six other members from my Workshop so we could swap recipes and supermarket finds. I found that I had plenty of freedom to enjoy foods I loved and meals out.
Fab at 50
I reached my goal weight in April 2018 and celebrated with another trip to Benidorm for my 50th birthday, joined by 12 good friends. I felt fab in my bikini – and years younger too! Not only do I feel more energetic, I’m also more active and able to manage the physical side of my job much better. I’ve even started helping out at my Workshops. I’ve always believed that life is for living – now I feel I truly am doing just that.