Katie^* lost a massive four stones and changed her life by making small changes to her diet and exercise levels. She’d tried to lose weight in the past, but says the help she had from Healthy Lifestyles Coach Vince made all the difference this time round.

She admits that she slips up from time to time but her key to keeping the pounds off is never to give up. Here’s her story.

Getting motivated

Like many of us, Katie had struggled in the past to keep the weight off after losing it. Though she had lost a little weight once before with help from her local GP surgery, she kept putting the weight back on.

She wanted to feel healthy again but was finding managing her weight really hard. This wasn’t helped by medication she was taking for her mental health which was slowing down her metabolism. She was also suffering from back pain and had stopped going for walks, which she used to enjoy.

In need of a change, Katie was recommended to get in touch with us by the Independence Trust and hasn’t looked back since!

Small steps and a food diary!

Our coach Vince started by sitting down with Katie to discuss her diet and ways to exercise more. It was all about making small, manageable changes.

Vince encouraged Katie to keep a food diary - which helped her see areas she could improve - and then to set some small goals. She set herself an overall goal to lose one stone over three months. Vince then helped her break this down into smaller goals: to cut down on cheese and eat more protein.

She knew she had some bad habits such as snacking and over-eating and this was worse of an evening when, feeling tired, she would often reach for the chocolate.

So, she set a goal to eat healthy snacks in place of sweet snacks: “Instead of having sweet things like chocolate I’ve swapped it for one piece of bread with a veggie sausage, things like that. It’s a good source of protein too. I also drink a lot more water now.”

Eating out is a time when we’re often tempted to indulge and this can be a challenge when trying to lose weight. Katie tries to choose restaurants which show the calories, and this helps keep her on track and avoid the fatty meals on the menu. Before, she loved milky drinks, but now she chooses an Americano over a latte:

“I always choose the diet option of drinks and have cut down my milk intake quite a lot – small steps! I try to buy from the places where they tell you the calories so I know what’s in it.”

Getting more active

Vince also helped Katie to improve her exercise, starting with small goals of walking for five to ten minutes.

“When I first started I couldn’t do five minutes without stopping. Now I do about 35-40 minutes non-stop. Keeping a written diary really helped too.”

Support from friends and family

Having support at home makes all the difference and Katie was encouraged by her partner - who also lost half a stone. They planned their meals together at the start of the week and shopped for fresh vegetables to include:

“He really enjoys cooking so he finds it a good challenge.”

Keeping on track

Like we all do, Katie does have the odd slip up, but explained it’s more controlled now because it’s an occasional “treat”. She makes sure that it doesn’t control the rest of her week with the positive attitude of, “Start again tomorrow. Never quit”.

Asked what motivated her, she said, “Getting my dress size down and getting moving. I really wanted to be able to walk again. Now I want to get in the gym more because I know it will help too. I want to get down to my safe BMI. I’m motivated to get to that.”

Katie's tips for success

With the help of HLS Gloucestershire, Katie has come a long way. Her friends and family have noticed a massive improvement in her confidence and Katie says she feels “much happier” in herself.

Her advice to other people who are thinking about losing weight is:

“Get the support from HLS Gloucestershire – it really helps – and don’t give up. It’s better to do it slowly instead of losing loads at once and then putting it on again quickly.”

Start your weight loss journey now

Start your journey today with free tailored help and support from HLS Gloucestershire. Call us on 0800 122 3788 or pop in and see us – no appointment necessary.

* Client's real name has been changed for confidentiality