Mary is Feeling Fit and Fabulous after losing 7.5 Stone with Slimming World
MARY Davey from Carraroe weighed 17st 11.5 lbs at her heaviest. She is now a fit and healthy 10st 4lbs.
Mary always knew she had a weight problem and had tried every diet out there, pills, shakes, starvation, you name it, she had tried it, and they all left her feeling miserable. A friend had successfully lost weight with Slimming World so she thought she would give it a go. However, it took her 18 months to work up the courage to actually go to her local group.
“I used to drive by the group on my way home from work, I knew I should go in but I just wasn’t ready. Eventually, in January 2015, I decided that it was time. Even then, I sat outside in the car crying while I worked up the nerve to go through the doors. I had an idea what I weighed and the thoughts of someone else seeing that number filled me with dread. However, I needn’t have worried, I was welcomed into the group and immediately felt more at ease.”
She learned all about the fantastic Food Optimising Plan, and even though it sounded far too good to be true, she went home with a plan, and came back the following week with 4.5 lbs off. This was a real lightbulb moment, as she knew that she didn’t ever have to be hungry, she could still have treats in moderation, she never needed to feel deprived or guilty. She could still have proper family friendly meals and even takeaways if she wanted.
From then on Mary continued to lose weight at a steady rate of 1-2 lbs a week, while successfully dealing with potential hazards like holidays, birthdays, Easter, Christmas etc. Even on occasions when she did have a small gain she would just put it behind her and look forward to the next week.
In June 2016 Mary hit her target weight and has never looked back.
Although she was too self-conscious to exercise before she got to her dream weight, her new-found confidence meant that in January 2017 she signed up to take part in the local parkrun. Although nervous the first time, she completed the course by walking a bit and jogging a bit and felt so good afterwards that she knew she’d be back the following week. Over the weeks and months that followed Mary focused on getting a little bit faster, and as she became fitter she found it easier and found that it was another great way of meeting people. She loved it so much that she is now involved in organising Sligo parkrun every week.
In April 2017 Mary joined a local Couch 2 5k group, and trains twice a week with them. She ran her first official 5k in April 2017 and with their help and encouragement, she ran the Cara Bundoran 10-mile run a few weeks ago.
She also signed up to St Johns GAA Club Operation Transformation program in January and attends circuit classes twice a week with them. She has been well and truly bitten by the fitness bug!
Mary says “With the right support and the right team behind you, anything is possible. The ongoing support of my weekly Slimming World group, in The Clayton Hotel on Mondays with Tina, keeps me motivated and it allows me time to focus on myself. For that one hour a week I’m able to concentrate on what I need. We have a lot of fun, and I’ve made some really good friends. The encouragement and support of my running & exercise buddies has been fantastic too, I still have to pinch myself when I realise that I, the person who couldn’t climb a flight of stairs without getting seriously out of breath, ran 10 miles without stopping!”“For anyone out there in a similar situation, I’d urge you to take that scary step through those doors. That is the hardest part. What have you got to lose, only the weight that’s been holding you back.”
“My life is so much better, I’m far happier, far healthier, I have far more energy, I sleep better, I have so much more self-confidence and self-belief. I’m no longer hiding away from life, I’m out there living it to the max.”
Tina’s Slimming World group is on in The Clayton Hotel Sligo on Mondays at 3.30, 5.30 & 7.30pm. For more information contact Tina on 087-9495091 or check out our Facebook page “Tina’s Slimming World Sligo”