A self-confessed snack addict became so large she struggled to walk before her DOGS helped her drop seven stone.
Animal lover, Jane Mews, 63, was addicted to biscuits, chocolate and crisps and tipping the scales at 15st 3lbs. Comfortably fitting into a dress size 22, she became less mobile and found it difficult to walk her two golden retrievers for long periods.
Jane became reluctant to attend social events and to participate on outings during family holidays. But after making excuses not to leave the house with her beloved pooches, in October 2022, the mum-of-three, decided ”enough is enough” and joined weight loss programme LighterLife.
Her new diet, coupled with walking the dogs, Bonnie, 10, and Harvey, nine, every day, enabled Jane to drop to 8st 3lbs – within just nine months. Jane, from Bubwith, East Riding of Yorkshire, said: “I’d always try to make excuses to not take the dogs for a walk because I found it tough.
”It would leave me in pain and I always felt so guilty. The times I did try I’d be really sweaty and out of breath.
“One day something just clicked, and I knew that I couldn’t carry on this way. Cutting out snacks and taking the dogs out all the time has changed my life.
“My dogs were a huge motivator for me as without them, I may not of made the change.”
Jane, a mum-of-three, first struggled with her weight after becoming pregnant but it was working as a community nurse which made her weight “spiral out of control”.
She said: “I wasn’t working on a ward so I wasn’t as active. I’d get a meal-deal every day, and munch on bags of crisps and chocolate.
“I was always snacking and didn’t pay much attention to what I was eating. When I’d get home from work, I’d have a cup of tea with biscuits and spend the evening on the sofa.
“I knew I wasn’t happy and that I needed to lose weight but I didn’t have the drive to make a change.”
The mum-of-three even stopped going shopping as she was too embarrassed to try on clothes because of her size. Jane said: “It wasn’t just walking the dogs I couldn’t do.
”I would miss out on social events because I hated how I looked. On family holidays to Cornwall, I’d act like I wasn’t interested in coastal walks because I knew I couldn’t keep up.
“It was a vicious cycle and I almost convinced myself that I was just meant to be over weight.”
Jane says joining the weight loss group was “the best decision” and quickly began to enjoy her new routine. She ditched the snacks and started a meal replacement diet which consisted of four food packs and three litres of water daily.
Only nine months into her weight loss journey, Jane has lost a whopping seven stone after completely changing her lifestyle.
She said: “When I started to lose weight, I looked at my diet beforehand and realised I was eating 3,000 calories a day. My only bit of exercise was walking the dogs three or four a week because I physically couldn’t do anymore.
“But when I started to eat heathier, I realised that I actually could do more exercise if I took better care of myself. I now walk my dogs daily for an hour-an-a-half, sometimes longer, and that makes me feel a lot better. I’ve become more confident and I love shopping for clothes – something I thought I’d never enjoy.
“My children nor husband would ever say that I needed to lose weight, but they tell me I look amazing now. My life has just drastically changed for the better, and I know I’ve made my family, and dogs, proud.”
DIET BEFORE
BREAKFAST: Muesli, and toast as a late morning snack
LUNCH: Sandwich and a packet of crisps
DINNER: Shepards pie
SNACKS: Chocolate and packets of biscuits
DIET AFTER
BREAKFAST: Porridge with skimmed milk and sweetener
LUNCH: Salad
DINNER: Chicken, fish, vegetables
SNACKS: Fruit
ADDITIONAL: Meal replacement day once or twice a week
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