Marie's story

How much weight have you lost and how long did it take?

I lost 4st 10.4lbs 66.4lbs 30.5kg in total. It took me just over 7 months to lose it.

What prompted your decision to lose weight?

I have a social anxiety disorder and my weight was making it worse. Due to my anxiety, I am already very self-conscious in public but being overweight was making me more so. I was constantly paranoid that people were judging me by the way I looked which was making me increasingly withdrawn in public. I knew my weight was affecting my mental health but I tend to binge eat when my anxiety/depression is bad so it became a vicious circle that I knew I needed to break. The final straw came in December last year when I was trying on clothes while out shopping. Everything I tried was in the largest available size but none of them fit. I was devastated and decided that things needed to change if my mental and physical health were to improve.

How did you hear about Nutracheck?

I saw an ad for Nutracheck on Facebook and decided to sign up for the free trial. I loved the app and decided to subscribe.

Has your weight stayed fairly consistent over the years, or have you always had to manage it?

My weight had been steadily increasing for the last 6 years. I have struggled with my weight for most of my adult life as binge eating has always been a big problem for me.

How easy was it to fit the changes you made into your lifestyle?

I found it really easy as I used the app to plan each day's food to help me stay within my calories allowance. I found it worked best to plan my meals for the week in advance which prevented me making bad choices and going over my allowance. The app also made me conscious that I need to exercise more to burn calories. I started to go for 8 mile walks every day during lockdown, which also had a positive effect on my mental health. Since losing the weight I have continued to use the app as I feel it helps me control what I consume and avoid binging.

What was the most difficult thing?

The most difficult thing was trying to control the urge to binge.

How do you feel now compared to before?

I feel so much healthier. I can now run up the stairs at home without getting out of breath. I had also been struggling with pain in my knees but I hardly notice this anymore. The best thing however is the improvement in my confidence. I am much less paranoid about how other people view me and I now have a completely new wardrobe in sizes 8-10!

Any notable milestones to report?

It was when I fit into size 12 trousers for the first time in years. My goal was to get down to a size 10 so it made me realise how far I had come and how near I was to my target.

What 3 tips would you give to anyone who has weight to lose?

1. Don't give up if you have a bad day and go over your allowance, just start afresh the next day and keep going. I still have the occasional binge, I just make sure that I eat a little less for a few days after to make up for it.
2. Find out what exercise you enjoy doing. During lockdown I tried loads of different online exercises but I really didn't enjoy them. Instead I started going for long walks everyday which I love. If you force yourself to do something that you don't enjoy, you probably won’t stick to it, so find something that isn't a chore and make it a part of your daily routine.
3. Set yourself mini targets. I had outfits in my wardrobe in various smaller sizes. Every time I could fit into something a size smaller, it made me really feel that I was progressing and made me more determined to continue.