“I started to gain weight soon after I got married in 1978. I was about 9st when I married. I had four babies and had difficulty losing weight after each one. After my second daughter I managed to get down to 9st 5 lb but that didn’t last long as I became pregnant again with my son and the weight piled on again. That was the pattern. I would lose some weight and then put it all back on again plus some.
“I tried all sorts of diets over the years, but the pattern was always the same. I was so physically tired of carrying all that weight around and not having the energy to do all the things I wanted to do.
“When I turned 50 I thought enough was enough. I looked into gastric banding. I made the decision to go ahead with the surgery thinking this would be the answer but sadly it wasn’t to be. It didn’t work as I had hoped and I was disappointed again.
“So then one day when I was reading one of my magazines I saw the story about Jackie Llewellyn Bowen. I was very impressed with her achievement and thought ‘why not me?’
“I checked out the LighterLife website and was delighted that there was a counsellor in my area so I had no excuse. I contacted her and made an appointment for a free introductory session. I then made an appointment on February 4 to be weighed, measured, and photographed. As it was my birthday on February 7 and I had a weekend away booked, I decided to start on the following Monday.
“It took a few days to get used to abstinence but then when the weight came off so quickly it spurred me on to achieve my goal. Being in abstinence didn’t stop me from going out with friends and family for holidays, meals, cinema, coffee, and all the usual stuff. I just brought my soup or bar and did my own thing. I had great fun trying to explain to waiters in Spain that all I wanted was a bowl and a teapot full of hot water to mix my soup.
“Losing the weight has made such a difference to me as now I can walk up and down stairs without pain; in fact I sometimes run up and down them. Also I can now take an airplane journey and be able to fit into the seat without having to ask for an extension belt. The new clothes are amazing, it feels great to be able to get into the clothes I could only look at before. Since I started this journey I have gone from a size 26/28 to a 12/14. I sometimes pass a mirror or shop window and catch a glimpse of myself and I have to look back and check that it is me.
“I would like to thank LighterLife and especially my counsellor, whose support and enthusiasm spurred me on.”
If you’ve always struggled with your weight and want to learn more about LighterLife, why not give Katrina call and see what you can achieve?
For more information about LighterLife, call Katrina on (057 ) 8678895 or (086 ) 2191077, or visit www.lighterlife.com/katrinajones Office is situated in Blyry Business and Commercial Park, Athlone.
