I lost 3 stone after quitting smoking!
After being a smoker all her adult life, Christine gave up smoking over 2 years ago. She felt fitter and healthier, but soon the weight began to creep on and she didn’t feel so good anymore. She gave herself a chance to get used to not smoking, and then decided to tackle her weight. Christine is now over 3 stone lighter and is delighted with her fantastic new figure!
Christine’s starting weight was 13 st 2 lbs, and at 5’4”, this gave her an unhealthy BMI of 32. One year later, her new weight, of 10 st means her BMI is a much healthier 24.
Christine admits that although she had lost weight successfully in the past by herself, she needed a little extra help this time. “I have always had a tendency to gain weight but in the past when I put my mind to it, I had managed to lose it again by myself. Recently it was more difficult so I decided I needed some help. I turned to the internet for some ideas and found this online programme. With the wide variety of plans on offer, I thought there must be something to suit me, so I signed up. It turned out to be the best thing I could have done!”
As a result of the weight she had gained after quitting smoking. Christine was finding it more difficult to find clothes to fit, and this was another incentive to lose the extra weight she was carrying. “If we were going somewhere special, I hated having to buy clothes because I couldn’t find anything nice in my size. Clothes always look nice when you see them on display in the smaller sizes, but they look completely different when you pick the same things up in a size 18!”
“I never felt confident about how I looked and I was always buying clothes that would cover up as much as possible. Now I feel so much fitter and healthier, and I can wear lots of nice clothes without having to hide myself away. My husband who has been very supportive and encouraging says I look fabulous! I’m much more confident in myself and don’t feel like I have to stand at the back anymore.”
Christine really enjoyed the meal plans and sees her new way of eating healthy as “normal” now. “I found the meal plans and shopping list very useful in the early days. Soon eating healthy became normal for me and I didn’t feel like I was on a diet anymore. I just needed to get used to the new portion sizes. It’s a way of life now and I enjoy what I eat. There were no fads or strange foods – just everyday meals and lots of water.”
Ah yes, water – one of Christine’s secret weapons, it seems! “I used to drink gallons of tea and coffee. I used to say I could never give them up. Well I haven’t given them up completely, but I have substituted most of them for good old water. We have a water cooler at work and I have a filter jug in the fridge at home. I drink at least 2 litres of water a day , and I feel so much better for it.”
Christine finishes by mentioning how she had balanced giving up smoking and her weight loss. “When I gave up smoking I felt great – until the weight started going on and my good feelings started to wane. A friend told me to concentrate on one thing at a time, and that I would be able to deal with the weight later. I kept this thought in mind, and once I had the no smoking under control, I concentrated on the weight loss. Now that I have achieved both goals, I feel incredibly proud of myself and I am so glad I joined this programme. I am happier, more confident and I can’t wait for the summer so that I can show off my new figure!”
