Where do you see yourself in 10 years time? How do you picture yourself looking, will you have maintained your weight loss or will you have gone back to your bad habits?
People who have lost weight often say that the most difficult part is keeping the weight off. Suddenly, your focus switches and it’s often the undoing of a lot of people who mistakenly believe they can go back to their old, unhealthy ways with no repercussions. So to hear of someone losing weight and keeping it off for ten whole years is astonishing. It’s no mean feat, and this week’s Amazing Loser chatted to us about how he did it – and how he’s kept the weight off.
Name: Gary Williams
Age: 57
Start weight: 15st 11lb
Total weight loss: 6st
Maintaining: 10 years
Diet before
Breakfast: Very often skipped breakfast
Lunch: Triple pack sandwiches, crisps, six pack of donuts
Dinner: I’d have two double cheeseburgers after work, then I’d have a big portion of homemade food when I got in.
Snacks: Crisps and chocolate
Diet after
Breakfast: Overnight oats with blueberries
Lunch: Two boiled eggs, spinach, bagel
Dinner: Tray bake chicken breast with lots of vegetables
Snacks: Fruit with peanut butter
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It was when Gary’s doctor tried to put him on medication for high blood pressure that he realised he had to do something. He was only 47 and knew if he lost some weight he probably wouldn’t need to start taking tablets. So in September 2009, Gary got in touch with his local LighterLife Counsellor.
“I joined my local LighterLife CBT mindfulness group and the other men and I had some great banter on our weight loss journeys. The weight came off so fast following the Total plan, that within six months I’d lost 6st. The main thing that still helps me today is the Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) activities we did each week. I learned that I was a rebellious child, feeling entitled to have whatever I fancied. Because of this realisation, I no longer treat myself with food.
LighterLife Management trained me in mindful eating, portion control and nutrition. Management is what separates LighterLife from its competitors. These days I stick to a healthy eating plan, I avoid processed food and cook from scratch. I still enjoy a beer at the weekend, but I know how to counteract it by eating better the following day.
I keep in touch with my Counsellor and other LighterLife clients via Twitter and Facebook. I absolutely love inspiring people to stick with it, and I always offer advice to people starting out. They also inspire me to stay on track. It’s a great support network.
2019 is my 10-year anniversary of starting LighterLife, and although the weight-loss itself only took six months I’m so proud to say I never returned to my old eating habits. I have always believed that the key to success is focusing on the mental side and the science will take care of itself. You will lose weight and LighterLife can give you the tools to keep it off – trust me!
I have so far completed 18 marathons over the last decade, from Bremerhaven in Germany to Chester in England, my running trainers have taken me all over the world. I absolutely love the thrill and discipline it takes to work towards a goal, be it weight loss or crossing a finish line.
This year I became a grandfather for the first time, with another due in December, and I’m so thankful that I decided to turn my life around and become a fit and healthy person with so much zest for life.
Where do I see myself in the next 10 years? Staying slim, getting more marathons under my belt and enjoying every moment life has to offer. For anyone thinking that a very-low-calorie diet is just a quick fix, I’m proof that it’s not. If you commit to going to your meetings each week and really working on your relationship with food, you really can change your life for the better. I now view food in a completely different way having come through the programme. If you’re thinking about starting a LighterLife plan I’d say stop thinking and start doing, it’s the best decision I ever made!”
Thanks to Gary for sharing his thoughts on his amazing weight loss with us! For more information on LighterLife’s free Xpress meetings, you can visit their website here.
