Janice pedals her way to a 2 stone loss!
Kellie Collins Meet Janice, another super success, who in only 6 months has shed a total of 2 stone and slimmed down to a size 8–10!
Janice has always been a keen cyclist and is a member of a cycling club. Her turning point came when she realised that the extra weight she was carrying, at almost 11 stone, was affecting her knees, causing her to be in pain each time she went cycling.
Now Janice weighs in at a trim 8 stone 13 lbs giving her a total loss of 2 stone. As a result of her successful weight loss, Janice has also reduced her BMI from an overweight 27 to a much healthier 22.
Janice is clearly delighted with her success. “I haven’t been below 9 stone since I was 21! I had been looking at your website as a guest for about a month and the final push came when I went for a physiotherapy appointment for which I had to wear shorts. I choose a pair which I thought would be ok, but when the physio was working on my leg, the shorts felt so tight and were cutting into me. As well as that I was feeling very frumpy, always wearing baggy sweatshirts, never wanting to go out and my work clothes were getting too tight. Although I’ve never not exercised, my knees where hurting all the time when I was cycling so something had to be done.”
The only problem Janice has with clothes not fitting her now is that all her old clothes are too big! She’s had to buy herself a whole new wardrobe. “I’ve had some items altered but on the whole, I more or less have a new wardrobe – size 8 skirts, size 10 jeans, trousers, tops and pretty underwear!”
So what aspect of the plan did Janice find most helpful with her weight loss? “Planning! Planning my meals for the week has been brilliant because I used to come home and eat my way to deciding what to make for tea. Now either me or my husband know what is for tea and know what we have to cook. I also liked the weekly charts – seeing my weigh in chart and BMI decreasing every week was so motivating.”
“One big habit I’ve broken is not stepping on the scales everyday (sometimes twice). I only weigh myself once a week now as this really is better for a more accurate reflection of weight loss.”
“Losing weight has made a tremendous difference to me. I feel fantastic in my new clothes and I want to wear something new every time I go out. I can cycle miles and miles and climb hills without having to get off and push. I’ve cycled 850 road miles in the first 4 months of this year and I don’t normally hit the road until May! I’ve also been able to extend the amount of lengths I do at the pool in a morning in the same amount of time.”
Janice has had very positive comments from her family and friends as a result of her weight loss. “My husband is proud of my achievement and he has helped me to follow the plan properly by helping out with the cooking. My brother lives in Canada and I haven’t seen him since September. I emailed some photos to him and he replied saying I look fantastic and trendy now! My son Lewis is really chuffed that he’s got a slim Mum at long last! Anyone who hasn’t seen me for a while can’t believe how much I’ve changed. Some people in the cycle club say I look like a different person. I was even wolf-whistled the other day by some youngsters, which made my day. I’ve had lovely comments from everyone!”
“One particular highlight was on New Year’s Eve when I had my bum pinched in the pub and rather than smacking the guy who did it, I was basking in the fact that I’d had my bum pinched!”
All these comments have boosted Janice’s confidence no end. “I feel brilliant! I’m so proud of myself because although I’ve lost weight before, I’ve never looked this great. I love wearing clothes that show off my new figure. Getting the zip up easily on a size 8 skirt was an amazing experience. My first size 8 purchase actually came about by mistake because the skirt I was trying on had been hung on a size 10 hanger. I couldn’t believe it fitted!”
Janice has also set herself some challenges since losing weight. “I decided to take part in a 55 mile bike ride that was to be completed in 5 hours. I would never have completed that if I’d been pedalling with the equivalent of 8 bags of sugar around me (I’d lost 16 lbs at the point). After that achievement I bought my first new bike in 22 years and I have some new modern cycling clothing. I’m now trying to decide if I have the confidence to enter a time trial later this month – I guess someone’s got to come last!”
Janice will always be a winner in our eyes!
