"I’m a huge advocate of the app - it’s like having the WW website with you all the time. I track, scan barcodes, find new recipes… It’s all there. "
Start weight: 21st 5.5lb | Weight loss: 8st 6.5lb*
Current weight: 13st 13lb
Height: 5' 10" | Age: 57
Studio: Hoddelsden, Blackburn
WW Coach: Melissa Freeman
When you’ve undergone a quadruple heart bypass and stared death in the face you can go one of two ways. You can vow to turn your life around and make healthier choices or you can think, ‘Life is short and I’m going to enjoy every last minute.’
Unfortunately, after my operation in 2001, I took the latter path. The shock of being told I needed heart surgery did nothing to change my eating habits and when I came out of hospital, I went from 15st to over 21st over several years. Curries, takeaways, pints of beer – I simply overindulged but I describe it now as ‘food abuse’. My waist was 46in, my collar was 20in and sometimes I’d struggle to get into XXXL clothing.
So at the end of March 2016 we all joined WW, my son Andrew and I online, while Karen went to WW Workshops. But I later joined Karen at her WW Workshop and really enjoyed it. It made us both realise where we’d been going wrong.
The weight was coming off and I was feeling so much healthier. But I was excited to try WW Freestyle™. I couldn’t believe how easy it was and how many foods were 0 SmartPoints®. I love making a three egg mushroom omelette in the mornings; it’s quick and so filling. I can add 20g WW grated cheese or three bacon medallions for 1 SmartPoint for variety too. And in the evening, I can still enjoy alcohol; I just track it. Before, I’d have a whole bottle of wine with a steak, but I’ve cut back and can now enjoy a couple of glasses without needing more.
I’ve now become a WW Coach and it’s a great way to keep motivated because I’m practising what I preach. I feel like a different person. I can walk up hills no problem and I bought a pair of jeans the other day that have a 30in waist. I’ve lost more than 100lb in weight – that’s a third of my bodyweight – and lots of people say I’m inspiring. But if I can do it anyone can.
ZeroPoint™ foods are great to bulk meals up. You can now add things like kidney beans to chilli or chickpeas to chicken jalfrezi and it doesn’t alter the SmartPoints value.
I’m a huge advocate of the WW app - it’s like having the website with you all the time. I track, scan barcodes, find new recipes… It’s all there. There’s a very supportive community on Connect and I found that particularly motivating when I was doing the programme online. I find looking at other people’s progress really inspiring.
*Ian joined Weight Watchers in March 2016.