Mum-of-two, Jessica Allsop from Whitley Bay is bursting with energy and enjoying life to the full – 10½ stones lighter! Read her story here…
“I’d always been overweight. When I was 10 I saw a dietician and at 11 I joined my first slimming class. My mum used to tuck me in at night and I’d cry to her that I hated being fat. She used to say to me ‘you’re not fat, you’re pleasantly plump’. Mum passed away when I was 12 and I gained even more weight.
“My family and friends worried about me and tried to get me to lose weight, but the more they persisted, the more I rebelled. I went along to a Slimming World group with my dad when I was 16 and lost 3½ stones. At the time I was going out a lot with friends and more interested in partying than eating healthily, so it quickly crept back on.
“At 18 I met my partner and we were soon expecting a little girl. Through pregnancy I put on 2st, then when Lily was just five months old I found out I was pregnant again! My weight continued to escalate thanks to my unhealthy eating habits. I’d skip breakfast and would eat lots of fast-food like McDonalds and pizza.
“At 21 I weighed more than my age and I knew I needed to do something. I was petrified about joining Slimming World – embarrassed about how big I was and scared what the scales would say. I almost didn’t go, but it was the best thing I ever did. In my first week I was so full I didn’t expect to lose anything. When I lost 7½lbs I knew Food Optimising was for me!
“The Extra Easy plan is exactly what it says on the tin – extra easy! In the morning I enjoy full English breakfasts with low-Syn sausages, bacon, eggs, beans and toast. For lunch I love jacket potatoes stuffed with tuna and salad, followed by a Mugshot and fruit. For dinner I enjoy gammon and egg or Bird’s Eye baked to perfection salmon with Slimming World chips and vegetables.
“Staying to group gives me so much motivation. June was my Consultant and also a friend; I’ll never be able to thank her enough. Even though I’m at target I won’t stop going to group – they’re my extended family now!
I feel like a different person and my entire life has changed for the better. I was 21 inside but living and feeling like an old woman. I can now do all the little things in life like putting my shoes on easily and having room to move in the bath. Finally after years of feeling trapped, I have my life back.
“The best bit is I’m a model mum now, setting the best example I can for my kids and they’ve finally got the mummy they deserve. Nothing beats cuddling up on the sofa with my family on a Saturday night watching TV and tucking into a homemade chicken curry followed by a big bowl of fruit salad.
“Since losing the weight my ring size has gone down by two sizes and my fiancé proposed again, so next on the agenda is a wedding! I never thought I’d fit into a beautiful dress and I’m just so happy!”