Elaine's story

How much weight have you lost and how long did it take?

At my heaviest (2013) I weighed nearly 21 stone. Although I lost a few pounds early 2016 I was a mess and morbidly obese at 19 stone. I joined Nutracheck in January 2016 and reached my goal weight at the end of May 2019 – so just over 3 years.

What prompted your decision to lose weight?

At my heaviest, I couldn't walk more than 100yds without having to stop for a breath. I was also taking 4 tablets a day for high blood pressure. I fell asleep in the chair every night (I lost track of the number of films/TV programs I missed the end of, lol). I was drinking about 4 bottles of red wine every week. I realised I had to do something if I wanted to see my grandsons grow up. Then following a traumatic incident in the car on a short journey because I couldn't walk any distance, I had my eureka moment! I decided I had to lose the weight. I then found the Nutracheck app and decided to calorie count using their allowance.

Has your weight stayed fairly consistent over the years, or have you always had to manage it?

I have always been overweight and used to go on a diet every January. I would always lose weight over the first few months each year, only to put it all back on again in the second half of the year. Generally, I weighed more each year than I did the previous one. So, every year I went on a diet and then came off said diet, but just went back to eating and drinking as I had always done.

How easy was it to fit the changes you made into your lifestyle?

I had always planned my meals, so that was easy – but I had never actually calorie counted them when making them. I realised my portion sizes were way off! I tried to increase the amount of exercise I did. I stepped on the spot, building up from 2 minutes per hour to 10 minutes. I ate plenty of fruit and vegetables and drank over 2ltr of water each day. I stopped drinking alcohol except for special occasions (it's now less than 4 bottles a year). I tried to stick to it every day, weighing and recording everything I ate and drank. It did seem a chore at first but now it's just something I do automatically. I did and still do have the odd bad day, but I put that behind me and start again the next day. I took it a day at a time. I also gave myself small goals, going for half a stone or similar. If I looked at how much I had to lose in total it was soul-destroying. My goal date for that was so far away I felt I would never make it.

What was the most difficult thing?

My family have been a tremendous support for me in this journey and I couldn't have done this without them. My husband however couldn't cope with the new confident person that was emerging and we separated last October. He moved away from York to be with his new love, who ironically is very overweight. However, I am coping, and the confidence I now have has helped me through the last few months. I'm making new friends, getting out more and I can honestly say that I am happier than I have been for many years.

How do you feel now compared to before?

I'm 68 and have never felt better. I take each day as it comes, if I have a blip I don't let it worry me. One bad day cannot spoil nearly 3 years of eating sensibly. I feel in control of my eating for the first time in my life, I don't ever want to go back to how I was.

Today 3 years later I feel totally different. I walk whenever I can. I make sensible choices when I go out for a meal – I still eat the food I like just smaller portions to fit in with my calorie allowance. I now rarely drink. When I do, I enjoy a glass of wine, but no more than two glasses. I am now maintaining my weight at around 9 stone. My weight loss is now just over 50% of my start weight. I have gone from a size 26 to an 8. I'm also now on my 3rd wardrobe. I love shopping now, before it was a quick look online and buy something. I think the one thing I feel best about is that, together with my doctor I have been taken off all my tablets. Having taken tablets for high blood pressure for just over 20 years I had to come off them gradually to stop any adverse side effects, but I did manage it.

Any non-scale victories?

In 2017 my youngest daughter got married (at Chester Zoo), I was determined I would fit into a 'normal' dress for that. Something I hadn't been able to do for the marriages of my eldest daughter and son (omething I now regret looking at the wedding photos) I managed to get into a size 14 for her wedding. I spent a lovely day with both daughters going shopping for my outfit. The difference it made to just be able to go into any shop and not the oversize dress store was amazing. I had never had so much choice. That day helped me to continue with my lifestyle choices and build up confidence in myself.

But my greatest achievement so far was when I took part in the Cancer Research Shine Walk in York (12 October 2018). A 10km walk around our beautiful city with my daughter for support. We also walked to the start and then walked home after, lol. I did just over 30,000 steps that day! We have already booked into this years walk.

What 3 tips would you give to anyone who has weight to lose?

1. Plan all your meals and try to stick to them when shopping.
2. Try to exercise as much as you can. Aim to do at least 10,000 steps each day and use an activity tracker to monitor steps.
3. It's never too late to lose the weight, take it a day at a time and above all be realistic with your goals. Stick to the calorie allowance given to you, don't give up if you have a bad day and you will get there. The benefits especially if you are older are amazing. I can now chase after my grandsons, I have more energy than I can ever remember. I feel well and have the confidence to do whatever I decide.