‘I have never been happy with my weight,’ says Donna Duguid, ‘and now, looking back it was definitely getting in the way of me enjoying life."
Donna had seen it all and done it all when it came to dieting and healthy eating. ‘I had tried most diets but it wasn’t until a friend asked if I would be up for joining her and another friend with Scottish Slimmers that something just clicked. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done!’
Diagosed wth Graves’ Disease, Donna was put on steroids and that didn’t help her weight struggle either.
‘The steroids controlled the Graves’ but it meant my weight ballooned. In fact I’ve actually lost almost 6 stone in total but at first I tried to lose on my own,’ explains Donna. ‘I managed to lose 2 stone with exercise and cutting out some things but after that my weight just stuck. Whatever I tried it didn’t work and I knew I needed some professional help and support.
‘I suppose like a lot of overweight people I was just kidding myself on! I would put off going on girly holidays or weekends away because I was so ashamed of my body.’’
‘Something just clicked. It took a few weeks to get into the swing of a new way of eating but after meticulously recording every morsel I consumed I found I’d changed my eating habits, I was eating well AND losing weight!
‘I think it is easy enough as long as you
keep track of what you are eating and write everything down, certainly
to begin with.’
Donna found her motivation in creative and innovative new ways. ‘I heard about using motivational jars and thought, what a good idea,’ explains Donna. ‘I bought 2 jars and for all the pounds I wanted to lose – and there were a lot! - I put pound coins in one. The other one was empty but each week as I lost I would move the equivalent number of my pounds lost into the empty jar.
‘When I got to target I had a nice little clothes fund to treat myself with and every week it was good to see one jar empty and the other one fill up!’
Reaching her Target weight, Donna fills her time with boxercise, running and walking. ‘I have turned fitness into a fun hobby. I go out running most lunch times and I am out and about doing something most evenings, says Donna.
‘I feel so much happier and a lot more confident. Life is good.’