Sue discovers a love of exercise
Sue was always overweight, but because of her height she felt that she could carry off the extra pounds. However, when Sue went to visit her GP and he explained the increased risks associated with her weight she was shamed into action. Sue lost 3 stone 7 lbs and became a fitness fiend.
Here she tells us her story…
Have you previously tried any other diets?
I have dieted a few times in the past. On one diet I even lost 3 stone; however I became pregnant soon after that and gradually regained the weight over the years. I also dieted using Slimming products but this didn’t teach me about normal eating or portion control, so the weight crept back on and more besides.
What weight and clothes size were you before you joined us?
I weighed 14 stone 5 lbs and wore a size 16-18. I had previously weighed over 16 stone and wore a size 18-20 at my biggest. Now I weigh 10 stone 12 lbs and wears a size 10-12.
What made you decide to join us?
I have been overweight since I was a child. Looking back, I can’t understand why I didn’t take proper control of my diet years ago. I used the fact I was tall as an excuse for carrying extra weight. When I look back at photos of myself at my heaviest I know I was deluding myself. In 2009 I had an appointment with a consultant about a routine check up. The doctor I saw was a locum and he weighed me and questioned me about the exercise I took. I felt ashamed to tell him how inactive I was. He told me what I should have heard years ago – that if I carried on like this, I was putting myself at risk of several diseases including Diabetes. This was an epiphany moment. I woke up to the fact that exercise was the norm and not the other way about. This time I was going to change my life, not just lose weight. That decision has probably extended my life by several years.
What part has exercise played in your weight loss?
It has played a huge part. I always had low self-esteem about my appearance and worried about my performance in exercise classes. When I moved to Wiltshire I joined the Kinetika Blue Pool Gym in Melksham. The instructors have been fantastically supportive and set me a gym programme, which they review regularly. As time has gone on I have gotten more used to the exercise and now I really do feel the ‘buzz’ that I have heard people talk about. I am working to reverse the effect of all those years of slouching around, trying not be noticed.
Was your weight, causing you any problems?
I had little self-confidence about my body and I always felt that I didn’t belong in certain clothes shops as I knew that nothing would fit. At my heaviest I used to buy most clothes in a similar style that concealed the bulges. I loved clothes and spent a lot of time and money trying to make myself look better-crazy to do that when losing weight would have done it anyway.
What difference has losing weight made to you?
I cannot begin to tell you how much it has changed my life. I know that life is full of ‘if onlys’, but how I wish that I had lost weight through such sensible and sustainable means years ago when I was younger. I took beta blockers for 9 years to regulate high blood pressure, and since losing weight my GP has taken me off the medication as my blood pressure and pulse are now that of someone in their twenties. Shopping is so much more fun now that I know that I can walk into any clothes shop and find clothes to fit. I look for clothes that show off my new figure instead of concealing the bulges. I had fun wearing some things that I would never have considered trying when I was bigger. Now I look forward to dressing up for special occasions – it’s our Summer Ball this weekend and I have a beautiful new dress that I can’t wait to wear.
Tell us about your diet before you joined us?
After my sons left home I was still cooking for 4 people and sharing that with my husband. I couldn’t leave food on my plate and an open packet for me was an empty packet. The Gi diet balances out blood sugar and energy levels so that I don’t feel the need for a sugar rush to get me through certain times of the day.
How do you feel about your weight loss?
I feel as though my life has started again. I look like a different person and every day I am amazed when I see myself in the mirror. I am learning to accept compliments about my appearance – it is a novelty to be described as slim. After so many years trying to hide in the corner I am learning to stand tall and proud. And to have all this energy has taken years off me. I am looking forward to setting myself some new challenges now that I'm physically fit.
How do you feel about maintaining your weight loss?
I'm on the maintenance plan to guide me through the stage of recognising what normal portions of foods should be. Life doesn’t have to be about deprivation – but I would sooner put something inside my body that is going to do it good than stuff it with junk.
Have you any other comments or tips you would like to give?
Don’t buy too many clothes on your way down to your target weight, as you will soon be out of them and needing the next size down. Try drinking a glass of water or have a cup of tea if you feel peckish. Sometimes you think you are hungry, but it is really a need for water that gives you that feeling.
