Alison lost 35.5kg

 

The devastating loss of both her parents in quick succession left Alison reeling. That was around three years ago and her bereavement triggered a range of drastic life changes, including comfort eating (which didn’t comfort at all). There were also bouts of binge drinking. Yet it was the love of family which returned Alison’s health firmly back to the fore. And, with a little help from The Biggest Loser Club, she’s over 35kg lighter and finding happiness in so many ways...

Two years ago, it was Alison’s son’s 18th birthday. She says, “It all hit me then. I thought ‘he’s grown up and has his own life’. But, I also realised that I really wanted to continue to be a part of his life, to see him into his adult life, to know my grandchildren when they came along.”

Alison decided to apply for Season 2 of The Biggest Loser. She didn’t get a place and things went along much as they were until Alison applied again for Season 3. But, this time, she knew it was no more excuses; it was time to make some big changes. Alison went through a series of interviews and got down to the last 30 contestants. And, while she didn’t get into the White House, she did become a member of ‘The Club 11’ – the group of 11 contestants who achieved amazing weight loss at home with the help of The Biggest Loser Club.

The ‘no-going-back’ moment came when she was battling sand dunes with the Commando. Alison says, “I was gutted out there at not getting into the White House – so near and yet so far. But, I didn’t have much time to feel down. I wasn’t alone – some of the other ‘Club 11’, Craig,  Darryl and Misi dragged me up to the top of those sandy mini mountains and helped me get things into perspective again. Perhaps it was fate – it was my son’s 19th birthday, these guys were firing me up and I just thought ‘I can do it!’ I began to feel empowered. This was it...

“Back at home, I planned my routine and used The Club religiously. The first two weeks, I used just about every feature on the site and really got to know it inside out. But I especially like the diary section; I could type in exactly what and how much of a food I had eaten and it automatically worked out the calorie and nutrition profile. And, at the end of the day, it was plain to see that I was on track (and when I wasn’t) with my recommended daily calorie target. For me, time was important, too. I spent some time setting up my diary, i.e. researching foods and creating ‘combos’ (the combinations of food I eat regularly such as sandwiches or a made up meal). This made using the diary on a daily basis very quick and efficient.

“I was so determined to lose weight, and another feature that really helped was the Results page. Here, I could see where my hard work was taking me. Another way I measured my success was with a photo: I took a photo each week and uploaded it into my diary. This kept me motivated during my journey and is really brilliant to look back on.

“The diary also allowed me to record thoughts and feelings about my progress. I regularly look back over the day and read about not just what I ate, but my feelings, too. If I had a bad week, I would look up a good week, revisit, re-live it and read the tips that worked for me.”

Alison’s biggest tip is to be accountable. She urges anyone wanting to make a change to, “Use the diary and always be honest – put everything in it and don’t cheat yourself. How much longer do you want to keep doing that? Just don’t waste any more time – there will always be an excuse, choose not to make any more.”

Now that Alison has lost 35.5kg (she weighed 124.4kg at the start of her journey and now weighs a shapely 88.9kg), she says that the confidence is just ‘glowing’ out of her. Alison manages a hotel and now finds that she works much more efficiently and effectively, and she’s having loads more fun, too. She says, “Once a year, the staff at my work go Go Karting – I had been 15 times but never got into one of those things. This year, not only did I get in the Go Kart and race, but I ended up coming 2nd in the competition!”

Alison is delighted with the success of her Club 11 friends and her own transformation. She urges everyone who wants to or needs to change their life to just do it.  She finishes by saying, “This is something I have done for me and for my family, for the long term and it is something that is sustainable – so many months after I started my journey up there on the sand dunes, that’s something I know for sure. I won’t ever go back. I don’t want to be unhappy; I want to continue to enjoy life. My journey continues and success is tasting so good!”