Sophie Hardy, 26, has reached her goal weight, having lost over 4 stone with a popular weight loss programme. She's gone from a size 26 to a size 12 and today shares with us how she motivated herself to shift the pounds and how you can too. 

Health on Female First

Health on Female First

Decide why you want to lose weight Every weight loss journey is personal and having a clear goal can help you to stay motivated. Whether you want to lose the last few pounds of baby weight or to improve your overall health, kick starting your weight loss journey is the first step towards success.

Realise you aren’t on your own Taking the first step is the hardest, so don’t do it on your own, get the help and support you need to achieve your goal. Weight Watchers offers weekly meetings with nutritionally trained Coaches, support from online tools including the app with barcode scanner, so no matter where you are, they’ve got your back! With WW, you can lose up to 8X more than going it alone

Share your journey A strong support system is super important for your weight loss journey. Having a bad day is made much easier when you have someone you can turn to, whether it is your Weight Watchers Coach, other members of your local meeting, a friend or a family member. Connecting with others to share the highs and lows will show you that you’re not alone.

Understand your own personal relationship with food Take steps to understand your relationship with food. Are you eating through boredom at work, do you not get the chance to sit down to eat a meal and are instead snacking throughout the day? Make simple changes such as setting regular meal times, changing your snack to a healthier option, remember that with Weight Watchers nothing is off limits but it is about making smart food choices.

Education, education, education Learn the basics about food, by educating yourself about the options, you can still enjoy the foods you love by making small but sensible changes to what you are eating.  For example, you can opt for leaner cuts of meat or change the way you are cooking certain food such as try grilling over frying.

Set small, achievable goals You can’t change the world over night. By setting small and achievable goals, you can track your progress, without feeling like you’re far away from your ultimate goal. Make sure you celebrate each victory, no matter how small!

Learn the art of balance You can love food and still lose weight, the key is balance.  If you want to have steak, consider ordering the salad as a side instead of fries. Go out for lunch, but balance your daytime choices with a lighter meal in the evening such as soup. If you have a healthy meal and feel like a sweet treat after – that is ok too! Weight Watchers SmartPoints plan allows you to spend your daily and weekly allowance however you like without going overboard.

Don’t punish yourself If you restrict yourself to never eating out socially and cut out your favourite foods then you will set yourself up to fail. It is important to follow a plan that can be flexible and doesn’t restrict your social life.

Decide to make a lifestyle change Losing weight is not just about the food you eat; it is important to take a more rounded approach, focusing on your wellbeing as a whole. Exercise is proven to improve your mood so get out there and find something you love to do and that fits into your lifestyle. It doesn’t have to be running a marathon; perhaps walking for 15 minutes in the evening is what’s available to you right now. But set a goal to increase that over time and remember to pick something you enjoy you’re more likely to stick at it!

Find what works for you Everyone is different and there is no one size fits all way to lose weight and live a healthy lifestyle, so it’s important to follow a plan that works for you. There are several different ways to follow Weight Watchers from meetings to online support and tracking progress through the app as well as a No Count option, there is something to suit everyone.


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