How I Stopped Dieting & Shed 4 Stone

NEALE HAYNES

Deborrah Biggs, made small, healthy changes and dropped five dress sizes

NEALE HAYNES

After years of 12-hour shifts as a nurse, Deborah Biggs, 35, made some small, yet achievable tweaks to her diet and lifestyle which helped her slim down from a size 18 to a size 8.

Then

I could eat whatever I wanted when I was growing up, thanks to an intense schedule of ballet and swimming.

But when I qualified as a nurse in my early twenties, the drastic lifestyle change – 12-hour shifts, often at night and at weekends – and my consequent lack of routine caused me to gain 3 stone in two years. I'd grab crisps and chocolate from the vending machine and gorge on cheese toasties when I got home.

Attempts at restricting my calorie intake failed and my waistline kept expanding. Getting a regular nine-to-five job in 2014 made me realise that, at a size 18, I was out of excuses.

How

I decided to avoid yet another diet and instead used the app MyFitnessPal to get honest with myself and see how much I was consuming and how little I was moving.

Weighing all my food got my portions under control. My meals gradually switched to cereal with yoghurt for breakfast, salads with spiralised veggies and avocado, and chicken with vegetables for dinner.

After a month, I had the confidence to add in circuit and spin classes three or four times a week, as well as weights sessions. Making small, healthy changes worked – I lost 2 stone in three months and reached my goal weight nine months later.

Now

Ditching a life of stop/start dieting for a longer-lasting healthy lifestyle means I'm now pulling on size 8 leggings.

I listen to what my body needs, I reduced bread and rice because I wasn’t digesting them effectively, but I'll have a curry if I'm craving one. After a strict start, I'm learning to relax.

The same goes for workouts. I do something most days: weights in the morning and classes in the evening, but I’ll skip a session for a night out.

My husband calls my fitness obsession my midlife crisis – it makes me look and feel great though, so it's quite a nice one to have.

Weight to go

KILLER MOVE

Squats because they target the whole lower body, and press-ups for back definition.

FIT KIT

Sweaty Betty for their bright, patterned leggings and Nike for their plainer staples.

FITSPO

The weightlifter and Instagram star Zoey Wright. She overcame a bowel condition to become a bodybuilding champion.

Article source: https://www.womenshealthmag.com/uk/fitness/fat-loss/a706339/stop-dieting-fat-weight-loss/