With her wedding date set, Angela
Shilingford, 34, from Reading, was desperate to lose weight but had no isdea
where to start- until a simple class changed everything
My challenge
‘Athough I weighed far too much for my 5ft
4ins, I would always been big and felt size 16 was normal for me. But I knew I
did not have a healthy relationship with food- I always piled my plate and
kept eating when I was full. I was a real snacker, too- crisps were my
downfall.
The crunch came when, after six years
together, my partner Stuart and I decided to get married. It was the push I
needed to finally change. I was not going to walk down the aisle squeezed into
a size 16 dress- I wanted to wear a s ize 12 and I had 11 months to reach my
goal.’
How I did it
I knew exercise was key, so I started
walking the 20 minutes to work every day, but I soon realised I needed to do
something more effective. I thought running on a treadmill would be boring, so
I searched online for something more fun, and found Curves (curves.co.uk)- a
women- only gym that offers half- hour circuit- training classes. It sounded
perfect circuits work your whole body and you do not have to go anywhere near a
treadmill. I could not belive how easy the workout was to follow, with eight
exercise stations that target all your muscle groups through a mix of strength
and cardio training. In half an hour, I could burn up to 500 calories- almost
double what I was burning on my gentle walk to work. Plus, it tackled my flabby
tummy, bottom and things, which have always been my biggest problem. I ached
all over the day after each class, but no pain, no gain!
I did it three times a week and after just
two months, I would lost a whopping 11lb. I made small changes to my diet, too-
reducing portions, giving up my crisp habit and making sauces from scratch
rather than using sugar- landen jars. I was weighed and measured once a month,
too, which helped me focus on my goal. By my wedding, I would diched two dress
sizes and could wear the dress I would always dreamed of.’
My lighter life
I would never go back to my old habits. I
have transformed myself into a healthy, active woman and feel so much better
for it. I was so thrilled with my wedding photos, I have has one blown up to
hang in our living room- it is a daily reminder that I am capable of anything
once I put my minds to it.
How angela makes it work
I
stopped buying crisps, which broke mu habit of snacking on them in front of
the TV
Find a gym or a class near you, so you can
not make excuses. I only had to walk ten minutes to my gym, which made it
easier to keep my training promises.
Set realistic goals for yourself. I gave
myself 11 months to lose the weight, which took the pressure off, yet I still
had a deadline- my wedding.
Make your food choices in the supermarket,
not at home. I stopped buying crisps, which broke mu habit of snacking on them
in front of the TV
