I joined Unislim in January 2011. I guess you could call it a New Year’s resolution, but to tell the truth, I’d just had enough. I’d tried to lose weight before and had done so successfully at times, but it always went back on again. This time, I was in a different frame of mind, and I was ready.
My sister had joined Maureen Gallagher meeting in Belmullet and had lost a stone, so I decided to go with her. Things were different from the start. To begin with, it was my first time slimming with a group, and I loved the team spirit – everyone supports each other. Meetings are fantastic because you’re answerable to more than yourself, which helped me a lot.
Before Unislim, I’d start a diet, and then slip quickly into the “this won’t hurt”, or “I’ll start again tomorrow” way of thinking. I now know it’s not a diet, it’s a way of eating to get the most from life and a way that I’ll feel great, and be the person I want to be. And if I am up on the scales one week, well I know exactly what I need to do to change it, and I have all the support from my leader and the other Unislimmers in the group. I also quickly noticed how my portions had been so wrong.
At Unislim, you can eat plenty of really delicious, filling foods, but it’s about getting the quantities right, and about being prepared. So far, I’ve lost almost five stone and I feel incredible! And this time, it’s staying off. I know it will because I’ve done it properly, and in the right timeframe – no crash diets or deprivation. I’ve also learned to eat differently by eating proper meals and not grazing on rubbish.
I have porridge for breakfast, made with skimmed milk, chopped apple and cinnamon; lunch is a pitta sandwich with plenty of lean meat like chicken, ham or turkey; and salad, usually with soup from one of the Unislim recipes – carrot, parsnip and coriander is a favourite; and then I cook a family meal for dinner, like a big stir-fry or chicken casserole. I also have begun to love exercise. In 2013, I did the Couch to 5k programme with Unislim, and it completely changed my life. Now I run 5k every day, six days a week, usually after I’ve dropped my daughter off at school in the morning. I do it because I know I’ll feel better afterwards. And I’ve also learned to swim and head off with my daughter twice a week.
Best of all, I still enjoy my treats. If I’m socialising, we’ll share a dessert, and I’ll have a drink, usually vodka and Diet 7Up. I enjoy all of my favourite treats using my Bites and it doesn’t hinder my weight loss goals. And I enjoy going out so much more now, especially as I can wear anything I like – that’s been the biggest thing. I used to dread shopping; now I can pick what I want, knowing it’ll work without even trying it on.
