I’M CONFIDENT I’LL KEEP THE WEIGHT OFF NOW HEALTHY HABITS ARE PART OF MY LIFE
Kelly Stevens, a 39-year-old design manager from Manchester, said:
BEFORE I started The Fast 800, I was three stone overweight.
I felt out of breath walking, I hated being the chunkiest of my friends and I felt so self-conscious in swimwear.
Last year, I watched Dr Mosley’s Channel 4 show, Lose A Stone In 21 days, and saw people were achieving quick results, so I signed up to the online programme and lost 10Ib in the first seven days, going from 14st 4Ib to 13st 8Ib.
I stuck with it for another four weeks, losing 22Ib, but then hit a bump in the road. I had some social events, plus work was stressful, so I’d open a bottle of wine at night to relax and I started to regain weight.
My sister asked me to be a bridesmaid at her wedding in spring this year, which gave me an incentive to tackle my weight again, so in January I set myself a 75-day challenge.
My starting weight was 13st 12Ib and when I entered my goals into The Fast 800 website, it recommended The Very Fast 800 stage of the programme, which means having around 800 calories a day for a maximum of 12 weeks.
The first week was the toughest but it helped seeing the weight come off quickly. My boyfriend Mark and I cooked meals from the programme every night. I’m vegetarian and there are loads of tasty recipes, which makes it easier to keep going. I was surprised I wasn’t hungry during this very fast phase and I actually had more energy.
At the end of my challenge on March 17, my weight was 11st 5Ib – I’d lost two and a half stone. I had to have my bridesmaid dress taken in – what a great feeling.
I’ve taken up running again, which is easier now I’m not so heavy and I’ve transitioned to The New 5:2 phase of the programme. Some days we’ll eat from the plan but other days we’re less strict. It’s a good balance. Now I know what to eat and I enjoy the food, I’m confident I’ll maintain the weight loss. Healthier habits have become part of my lifestyle.
I’m going on holiday soon and have bought a bikini for the first time in five years, and I look pretty good in it.