How I Shed Three Pounds in Ten Weeks and Maintained My Weight Loss for Ten Years
I’ve battled with my weight for most of my life. The number on the scales fluctuated between 9 and 13 stones, and I had always been the larger buddy in my group since school.
I thought about my size every day, all the time. I wanted to lose weight badly, but I had no idea how to achieve it. I had tried every diet in existence, including Weight Watchers, Slimming World, and the ketogenic diet, but I had only managed to shed a few pounds that would soon return. I was constantly either gaining weight or dieting.
Since we started dating in my early 20s, Jim, my now-husband, has always been incredibly fit and healthy, and I’ve always felt large in comparison to him. I appeared double his size in photos.
I weighed about 13 stone and was a size 16 by January 2013, when I was 30 years old. This was a lot for my little 5’5″ body. I was motivated to take action by the idea of going down the aisle at that size in August, knowing that everyone would be watching and that there would be pictures that would last a lifetime. Having a strict deadline also helped.
The 1:1 Diet – A Breakthrough in My Weight Loss Journey
The 1:1 diet, formerly known as the Cambridge Diet, was recommended by my buddy. It entails consuming up to four meals a day of meal replacements, such as shakes, soups, and cereal, before weaning yourself off of them and returning to actual food. Along with assistance and guidance, you are matched with a dietitian, with whom I met once a week for weigh-ins.
I adhered strictly to the regimen, consuming three items daily in addition to a 200-calorie protein and vegetable lunch, drinking three liters of water, and abstaining from alcohol entirely. Despite not going to the gym, I walked a lot and consistently reached my 10,000-step goal.
I recall getting on the scales after a week and seeing that I had dropped six pounds. I shed an additional five pounds the next week. I simply couldn’t believe that after two weeks, I had lost eleven pounds.
I was never hungry, and the weight loss continued to be super fast—I dropped three stone and four dress sizes in 10 weeks, meaning I’d reached my goal weight in March, five months before my wedding.
I remember seeing the number nine on the scales, and I just couldn’t remember ever seeing a number starting with nine. It would have been when I was a child at school. It was a revelation.
The Lasting Impact of Weight Loss
The weight loss made such a difference for me. It was such a drastic change. My friends couldn’t believe it. You can go a couple of months without seeing some friends, and they couldn’t wrap their heads around how quick and shocking my transformation was.
I became so much more confident. Every time I went out, I would wear loose-fitting clothes since I didn’t feel comfortable wearing them. Despite my deep-seated dissatisfaction with my appearance, I would still enjoy spending time with my pals. However, I started dressing differently after losing weight, and I was now wearing a size 8 or 10.
It was my desire to be married in a dress that was a size 8 or 10. The dress was too huge for me, and I finally felt a little next to my spouse, so I had to have it reduced quite a bit during my last fitting.
Soon after, I quit my marketing position to work as a one-on-one diet coach, assisting clients in losing weight. I was drawn to the position since it allowed me to work from home, which helped me balance my family life.
Since then, I’ve continued to lose weight, maintaining my current weight of about 10 stone. I just gained a little weight and lost it in the weeks following the birth of my daughter, Bethany, even though she was born a few years after the wedding.
I tend to indulge in snacks and a little more booze during the festive season, which is always going to result in a little weight gain, so January, right after Christmas, is the one time I need to focus and take a little break.
But I don’t massively overindulge as I used to—I don’t binge; there’s no secret eating—and now I know how to rein it back in and get back to healthy habits, and the weight just falls back off.
Finding Balance in Weight Loss
Before losing weight, I used to secretly eat absolute rubbish at home and then, every time I went out and I was with friends, I’d find myself not having food and saying I was on a diet.
After I lost weight, I realized that I had it the wrong way around. I need to be disciplined and have a healthy routine at home, which is 80 percent of the time. This allows me to go out with loved ones 20 percent of the time and eat and drink what I want completely guilt-free.
On the weekend, I still love prosecco, pizza, and a roast dinner. But it’s all about the 80:20 rule. I finally feel like I’ve found the right balance.
Gemma’s Diet Before vs. After
Before:
Breakfast: Toast or a McDonald’s breakfast.
Lunch: A sandwich with crisps and chocolate.
Dinner: Very large portions of pasta or meat with some vegetables but mainly carb-heavy meals, always with extra cheese and sauces. Sometimes I’d have a ready meal.
Snacks: Crisps, chocolate, crumpets, toast, and anything else that’s quick.
After:
Breakfast: A vanilla protein shake with a shot of coffee.
Lunch: A chicken or tuna salad wrap; bagel thins with ham salad; or some chicken, rice, and green vegetables.
Dinner: Carefully portioned meat with vegetables and carbs.
Snacks: Greek yogurt and fruit.
Exercise Before vs. After
Before: Nothing.
After: I walk a lot (always hitting 10,000 steps) and, since entering my forties, I now go to the gym two to three times a week for strength training.
Gemma’s Top Tips for Weight Loss
- Get rid of the all-or-nothing mentality: Life isn’t about eating perfectly and being in a state of weight loss or eating rubbish and gaining weight. To achieve a healthier lifestyle, you need to change your approach and look at food differently. Then you can be pretty healthy 80 percent of the time and eat and drink what you want 20 percent of the time.
- Make weight loss non-negotiable: If you want to lose weight, you’ve got to have discipline and be prepared to stick with it.
- Don’t just focus on the number on the scales: Concentrate on the healthy habits you’re forming, like drinking more water, getting more steps in, and prioritizing sleep and how good that’s making you feel each day.
- Don’t start from a place of hatred: A lot of people start a weight loss plan as punishment and say that they hate their bodies. Switching that around and learning to give yourself the gift of healthy food is key. You’ll live a happier, healthier life.