My story, by Maureen Holland
I had been a chubby baby, a round dimpled toddler, which continued to a ‘well built’ child and a larger teenager. I told myself I had a big frame, my shoe size was larger than my friends and I was always a couple of sizes bigger in my dress sizes.
I was, however, very active, playing sport, walking and cycling everywhere. I was happy with myself and accepted my size and I put up with the ribbing and the giggles when I wore a swimsuit, the cat calls from some I called friends with their jibes and innuendo’s. It hurt, but I smiled it off. I really didn’t eat huge meals, I rarely had fried food; yet I stayed that larger than life figure.
As I went from teenager to young woman I tried dieting, and I did lose a couple of stone on a couple of occasions. But it crept back on as soon as I stopped trying.
As I got older I had a number of health problems, the arthritis is in all of my bones, and I have medication to ease the pain. Of course with being less active the weight crept up and up. I was diagnosed with all sorts of complaints and over the last 7 or 8 years have been in and out of hospital. Really I was out of control.
My doctor said do you think we should look at this weight?
I knew he was right, but truly I didn’t hold out a lot of hope, I’d tried dieting and felt it just did not work. However my daughter had been attending Slimming World and had lost 4 stone, so she encouraged me to try.
So on 4th September 2008 I signed up with Yvonne at the Hadleigh evening group. I read the book through, underlining things I liked with their ‘a’ or ‘b’ choices, the healthy extra’s, their syn values and what seems like hundreds of free food. I was totally satisfied, I ate larger meals than I was used to, and I enjoyed my food so much. The first month I’d already lost a stone, but I was still very large and had a spell in hospital with sceptic arthritis. I tried to watch my food intake, but was not able to control the way my food was cooked.
After my operation I was unable to walk very far or drive, so it wasn’t until March 2009 I rejoined my Slimming World group. My first weigh in was a joy to me. I had started Slimming World weighing in at 19 stone 1½lbs, I now weighed 16 stone 9lbs, having lost 1stone 6lbs whilst being ill.
Each week I’ve been losing from 2½lbs to only a ½lb, but it’s been continuous. Occasionally I have gained a ½lb and over Christmas 3½lbs, but I’m not going to let it beat me, this week I’m at my target weight again.
Six stone makes a huge difference to my looks. I’m not a young woman, I will be 76 this year, and I feel totally in control. I’m not going to be satisfied with the weight I am. I know the less weight I carry the better it will be for me as I get older with my medical problems.
If anyone thinks they can’t do it, just come along and see. Its such a friendly club, we all support each other, and are thrilled to see the change in our friends and fellow slimmers
Yvonne our consultant never mentions we have gained, never revealing what weight we are; she is very discreet for the over sensitive. She is very popular, because we are all losing those excess pounds regularly.