A few months ago, Co Antrim woman Ann Drummond was suffering from shortness of breath when walking and even struggling to bend down to tie her shoelaces.
She hated the way she looked, had no energy and felt that clothes looked terrible on her. She felt she was getting bigger and bigger.
One day Ann, 52, came across a photo of herself from back when she had lost four stone with Slimming World and decided that she wanted to look and feel like that again.
Read more: NI woman now helping others to achieve their dreams after weight loss
So she headed off to her nearest group in Randalstown, run by consultant Elizabeth Hauxwell, and this time she is doing things a little differently. Previously Ann made lots of meals using the Slimming World recipes but now she's using the Iceland meals for her dinners.
“I don’t have to think about what I’m going to eat everyday, and for me that’s a bonus, as now I’m not constantly thinking about food,” Ann said.
“I make Speed Soup for lunch most days, other days a salad, and my breakfast is usually fruit.”
Ann said her biggest challenge is sticking to the plan: “When out and about, it's really hard to food optimise, but once I'm back home I just go back to my new normal. I don’t let myself think I’ve ruined things.
“I’m in it for the long haul this time, making changes to my behaviour and habits and working on having a healthy relationship with food.
“My group is teaching me how to identify situations that are tricky, and unhealthy habits. Then we work on strategies for protecting myself and changing my behaviour.”
Ann added: “I don’t want to put weight back on this time and have to start all over again. I love going to group so that I can learn how to apply my new lifestyle in the real world.
“I can now bend over to put on my shoes, and climb a flight of stairs without getting out of breath and I'm two or three sizes smaller in clothes!
“Remembering how sore my joints and knees and ankles were with the extra weight I was carrying, I can’t believe how the pain has eased with my weight loss.
“As an extra bonus, I didn’t need any work done to my teeth on my last visit to the dentist as I’m no longer eating the same amount of sweet stuff.
“Overall I feel better and my self confidence is growing. On the weeks when I don’t lose weight, I’m usually still losing inches, so I don’t beat myself up about the scales.”
Food is now just fuel for her body, a necessity. Ann no longer thinks about food and eating all day long and is now working on getting more active.
Up until now, she has lost weight without exercising and is now ready to start challenging herself more.
"The best advice I can give anyone who wants to lose weight, is to find a group and to stay. This is what makes the difference,” she added.
“I learn something new every week and am now equipped with the knowledge to change my life for good. No more going back to my old habits! This is the new me!”
For more information about Elizabeth’s group, you can contact her on 074 81777 803, join her at her weekly group in Randalstown, or head over to the Slimming World website for more group information.
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