Elayne's elated - and it's easy to see why!

Elayne Morgan from Wiltshire has lost a tremendous 3st 2lbs with bodyOptimise. We caught up with our bodyOptimise star to find out more about her journey…

“My weight has been up and down since I was a teenager. The first time I went on a diet was when I was at college - I lost some weight on a healthy eating plan but then piled the pounds back on. I then lost weight when I got married to my husband, Alistair.  I’ve probably yo-yoed four times since that first diet. I’ve always been a comfort eater and snacking was my downfall. Whenever I slimmed down, I got pregnant (we have three children) and put it back on.  

“Being bigger definitely affected my confidence. I wasn’t able to find clothes I liked, which made me self-conscious; I’d always go for stretchy jeans, big jumpers and baggy shirts. The major turning point for me came when I stayed in a holiday cottage that was full of mirrors - it was quite a shock to see how big I actually was.

“When I got home from that holiday, I joined bodyOptimise. Straightaway I found it easy to use - I’d lost weight in the past using another slimming website, but I’d soon put it back on as I didn’t learn much about healthy eating.

 

“We used to eat so much processed food from the freezer, but now we have a lot more vegetables and fresh food. I still snack, but I have a cupboard full of healthier options.”

“I made some big changes to my eating habits and I’ve also learned to improve menus for the family. We used to eat so much processed food from the freezer, but now we have a lot more vegetables and fresh food. I still snack, but I have a cupboard full of healthier options.

“The amount I lost varied from week to week, but my weight always went down. I reached my original Target in April this year; I then lowered it and reached a new Target in June. I’ve now set another Target – to lose another half stone!

“Since losing weight I feel like me again. When I look in the mirror, I’m seeing how I always pictured myself.

“A couple of my friends have been inspired by my success and one has now lost over a stone. We’re a similar height, so when she reaches my weight, we’re going to push to see if we can lose the last half a stone we’d like to reach our Target. It will be great to do it together!”

Elayne’s top bodyOptimise tips:

• The daily food diary is a great motivator – it helps remind me what I’ve eaten throughout the day. When I’m maintaining my weight I don’t use it as often, but as soon as I feel I need to lose a few pounds it helps to focus my mind again.

• Weighing in each week and seeing my weight progress helps a lot! I can see the pattern to my weight loss and if there’s ever a time where I haven’t lost weight, or gained a little, I’m not despondent as I can see the times where this has happened before, and I’ve then got back on track the next week. The advice and motivation after weigh in is really useful too.

• As I often have my computer on I frequently use the Syn calculator to work out Syns, which I’ve found really useful. I’ve certainly had a shock at times when I thought an item was low in Syns, and it was a lot more!

• I also have a look at the recipes to get some inspiration. Some have really been a hit!

• I’m currently looking at what sort of exercise I could do to boost my weight loss so I'm finding features such as the activity fact files really useful.

Elayne lost a tremendous 3st 2lbs with bodyOptimise!

• menu before
  • Breakfast:
    Shreddies with skimmed milk and sugar
  • Lunch:
    Ham sandwich on white bread with butter, crisps, chocolate bar
  • Dinner:
    Fish fingers and oven chips
  • Snacks:
    Crisps, biscuits

• menu after
  • Breakfast:
    Shreddies with skimmed milk and Splenda
  • Lunch:
    Jacket potato with beans and cheese, Müllerlight yogurt
  • Dinner:
    Chicken with mixed vegetables and
    potatoes, Müllerlight yogurt
  • Snacks:
    Fruit, rich tea fingers, low-fat crisps