It was my 4th time to join Unislim. So for all of us who have not succeeded first time around please do not give up on yourself. I rejoined my local Unislim class in Gorey in January 2008 with my friend Sallyanne. We were both on a mission to lose weight and although I had not succeeded in the past the beginning of a New Year was an ideal psychological starting point for me.

With the help and support of our class leader Marlaina, weight loss became a weekly ritual of 1-2lbs per week. The Unislim units system to understand food types, portion size and low GI foods educated me to make the correct food choices. These choices combined with exercising 3-4 times per week provided me with the tools necessary to achieve consistent weekly weight loss.

I had learned from the mistakes of my past. Unislim showed me that it is possible to achieve target weight visualising a long-term perspective by making a number of positive changes in my lifestyle. It was goodbye to skipping breakfast and the hot scone with melted butter at the office desk, the coffee with several biscuits in the evening also got ditched. Getting up from the TV to go and put on a tracksuit and go for a walk, when I thought I was tired was all new to me. To be honest at times I hardly dared to believe it was achievable but it became a possibility and actual reality with Unislim.

I came to realise that attending my Unislim class each week was vital. My friend and I attending together was an important factor for me. The food menus, tips and weekly food diary I considered to be the resources at our disposal to achieve our weekly goal of “being down on the scales”.

Along with adapting to healthier food choices, the combination of this and exercise was vital. The treadmill gathering dust at home became a much loved piece of equipment. I had no more excuses of not being able to go walking. My excuses had included minding my 2 young boys, bad weather, and dangerous roads. The pace at which I walked was important as I was too used to strolling but the setting on the treadmill cured that one. The boys at home also did what they called the “sweat-test” on me to check that my forehead was wet with perspiration when I finished walking!!

Swimming made me feel hungry and that sabotaged my food intake so I switched to dancing Salsa once a week (much more fun!).

Rewards were vital

Rather than rewarding myself with biscuits and chocolate as I used to do I went shopping for clothes because my clothes were beginning to get too big. I no longer had to go for the size 20-22 at the back of the rack. Every few weeks I had to get a smaller size trouser or top. This was really an incentive to keep moving forward to target weight.

I can not find the words to express to you how much happier I am in my life at having a new body weight and shape. I am 34 years old and this is the first time in my life that I can wear a size 12 trousers!!

The benefits of weight loss are immense and being realistic one has to make changes and continue life embracing them, in no time it becomes second nature. Those short-term steps are so worth the long-term results. When friends began to notice, their support and encouragement helped me to realise that the changes were working for me.

Rejoining Unislim in Jan 2008 with Sallyanne was, thank God, one of the best decisions I have ever made. She now calls me “slim”! My rare occasions of going out are now fun because I do not have an issue with the size and shape of my clothes. Previous aches in my joints are gone. I now love my new way of living. If you are unhappy with being overweight there is no magic quick fix. Wishing to be 4 stone lighter needed focus and action.

The question was how? The answer was Unislim.