Be Inspired: Alison.

I had always wanted to lose ‘that last 5kg’, but never really tried. Five months after giving birth to my beautiful baby girl Lila I still hadn’t lost much of the weight I had gained during pregnancy.

I decided it was now or never. I wanted to be healthy. For me. And I wanted to pass on healthy eating habits and a healthy body image to Lila. And we are getting married so to achieve my goal weight by our wedding day would have been a bonus.

When I reached the milestone of a 5kg loss it was a huge mental and psychological boost for me. Also when people starting commenting on how I looked.

Setting goals had been my downfall in the past. This time I decided that if I wanted to succeed, I would take it one day at a time. That meant one meal at a time. One minute at a time. Being in tune with my feelings and the conection between them and every piece of food that went into my mouth! This ensured that I put into practice what I learned each week in my meetings and also through the use of the eTools.

I love chocolate and ice cream, and I ate them both the entire time I was losing weight. The difference this time was that it was in moderation and factored into my daily points allowance.

I focused on getting out for a walk whenever I could. I didn’t focus on a certain number of walks per week, as I knew from past experience if I missed one it would be a mental defeat for me. And having a young baby and working part time I had to be practical about what I could realistically manage!

What exercise do you do now?

I walk usually three times a week, sometimes less and sometimes more. Incidental exercise plays a much larger part in my day to day life now, and is such a simple thing to achieve.
How did it feel when you reached your goal: Elated! I felt such a sense of achievement, and almost a relief that this time I did it. Really did it!

Nothing is impossible. The best piece if advice I can give is to take it one day at a time. Think about everything you are putting in your mouth. If you are tired, do you really need a block of chocolate or could you do with a nap or even a slow walk around the block? Changing the way you think is the key {as well as the way you eat and move}.

For me the biggest changes have been mentally – I set out to achieve something and after 10+ attempts at Weight Watchers, I finally achieved Life Time membership. Reaching this milestone, as well as all the small ones it took to get here aving more confidence in my body, has led to a more positive attitude to life in general.

What can you do now that you couldn’t before?

Feel confident in my body and the way I look for the first time in my life. I have let go of all the body image issues I had carried for so long.

In such a positive and encouraging way. Everyone’s support – family and friends, even the parents from my work have been full of praise which has been a wonderful motivator for me. And I have loved sharing every second of my journey with them, hopefully inspiring someone along the way.

I have so many to choose from, but here is a simple one I made up to satisfy my sweet tooth! Nestle Chocolate Mousse eaten with Weight Watcher Cookies instead of a spoon.