[Customer Interview] Michele Loses 76lbs with The New You Plan

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Hi my name is Michele Wickham, I am originally from South Wales but have lived in England for 15 years. I now live Berkshire to be exact. However you will never be able to take the “Welshness” out of me and I haven’t lost my accent!

I am a 52 year old mother, I have a daughter who is 31 this year (time flies!) and a step mother to an 18 year old girl and a 21 year old boy. They would tell me off if they knew I called them boys and girls! I have always been overweight. I come from an overweight family and being Welsh the insistence of “eating all your food up” (despite being full) or eating meals that were mainly potatoes and bread based became a way of life.

I remained over weight for a number of years and my job didn’t help matters.

I work in the child protection field and have done for 21 years…this is also very scary how time has flown by! As you can imagine the job can be stressful and frustrating but despite what you read in the press it is also very rewarding and positive and it is this that keeps me going back each day! I work from home mainly now and that has its temptations especially with the readily available food and drinks in the house, but working in the office is twice as bad with the never ending supply of cakes and sweets and chocolates on offer. All I can say is if comfort eating and stress eating were an Olympic sport my colleagues and I would have the gold medal in that sport!

Tell us about your weight and lifestyle before you started the plan

My starting weight was 23 stone 9 lbs and I wore anything from a 24 to a 30 depending on the style and cut. I kidded myself the increasing sizes were as a result of the manufactures using less fabric etc. but if I am honest it was because I was putting on weight. I always wore black or grey (black is slimming right?!) and the outfits were usually long and flowing to cover the bumps!

Have you tried other diets?

I did once I left home, manage to lose a lot of weight through calorie counting and exercise but when it came to me only eating an apple or a few slices of cucumber at a time so I didn’t go over my calorie allowance and exercising seven days a week, I realised how dangerous this approach was. At the same time my problems with my underactive thyroid kicked in and this started a number of years of yo-yo weight loss resulting in me losing motivation, focus and basically undoing the initial weight loss big time!

Why do you feel you put your weight on and what have you struggled with before starting the plan that stopped you from losing weight?

I could blame my underactive thyroid but in reality it was the amount of food I ate and the lack of movement. I do realise having an under-active thyroid can slow weight loss down however if I had been totally honest with myself at the time the fact I was probably consuming over 3000 calories a day with little or no exercise was probably the reason the weight crept back on. My biggest struggle is keeping focussed and the need to see fast results. I am aware that any diet will work if you work at it hard enough and boy did I try some odd things as well as some healthier eating plans, but the fact it can take so long and often needs a degree to work out what you can and cannot eat, when you can and cannot eat soon puts me off.

How did you feel before you started the plan?

I thought I had a good work/home life balance but as I have reflected over the past 12 months I could see how my home life was dictated to by my work life and my health suffered as a result: I would come home exhausted and flop on the sofa, watching hour upon hours of mind numbing TV before falling into bed and doing it all again the next day. Whilst on the sofa I would eat crap, stuffing my face and then some and not really looking or tasting what I was eating. As a result the weight crept up and up and although I have always been overweight it got to the point I was constantly breathless, aching, had painful joints and my confidence was at an all-time low. I had been diagnosed with high blood pressure and my life mainly consisted of waking, working, sleeping and eating. I knew something had to change.

Tell us about when you started the plan

What moment or event started your weight loss journey?

A friend told me about the New You plans. It was my birthday on the 22^nd June 2015 and I knew that would be the end of my old lifestyle and the start of my new. So I enjoyed the weekend, made plans and preparations and started on the 28^th June 2015

How did you hear about us?

A colleague and friend in work was trying the 2 week plan and kindly let me taste some of the products. I was hooked!!

What made you decide to join The New You Plan?

I had had enough of feeling my life was over. I am generally a social person, I like a good gossip, a fun night out, trying new adventures but my weight had rocketed and my confidence and plummeted and anything I planned was always around considering would I have to walk, would I fit in the seat, what places were there to eat. I was addicted to food and like any addiction it impacted on the whole of my life.

What plan have you been following through The New You Plan, Fast Focus, Fresh Focus or Family Focus?

I have followed full TFR for the past 12 months with the recommended re feed periods, although this hasn’t always been the recommended 12 weeks but more when an event has meant I needed to eat or it would have been difficult to be on plan.

Why did you choose the plan option ie Fast focus?

As I said I am addicted to food, it is a drug and I know my limitations. I know at this stage I couldn’t balance the introduction of food into my eating unless it’s refeed.

How long have you been on the plan?

I have been on The New You Plan for 12 months.

How much weight have you lost?

I have lost a total of 5 stone 6 lbs which is 76lbs (and the figure I like reading most!)

How many jean sizes have you lost?

I am now wearing comfortably a size 18 top and size 20 bottom (yep I am pear shaped!)

Tell us about what you enjoyed while doing the plan

How has the support of the New You team helped you?

The customer service at New You office is second to none. Any queries etc I have, have been answered quickly and sensitively. The packaging and delivery of products is fast and so pretty (the staff obviously take their time packing the boxes!) The ongoing support via emails and communications is also really beneficial not just to me but to those who may need it more than I do.

Tell us what meals you enjoyed and why?

I love the majority of the meals but my faves are: pancakes (who wouldn’t!) and the veg risotto (yum!) I like to double up in the evening so often have the risotto with the chilli which is a good amount and keeps me full. I find the flavours of the meals are lovely and though some add herbs and spices I often don’t.

What is your daily menu- please provide breakfast lunch dinner tea and favourite snack?

I tend to not eat until lunchtime and this is usually a veg soup (although this has now got to move to the asparagus soup!)

I then have another product around mid-afternoon usually omelette or pancakes

Then because I am over 17 stone I have three products through the evening which is my trigger time: usually the veg chilli and risotto combo or double veg risotto and then I usually finish with a bar (coconut or strawberry are my faves) to nibble on when I am reading in bed.

I tend not to have the snacks because they are so good I know I wouldn’t be able to stop myself at one or two.

Would you recommend customers to join secret slimmers? Why?

Most definitely!! I was amazed and still am at the stories of other people, their ups and downs, how I can relate to so many of their issues, means I don’t feel I am the only one in the world feeling as I do at times. Inspirational and motivational are the two words I think sum up this online group. It has been even better being able to meet some of these special people in real life and it is always my go to lace when I am struggling because I know sooner rather than later someone will come along and give me the push to keep going!

Did you enter the weight loss challenges ie leader board? If yes explain how this helped you stay focused?

Have done although it can be variable due to my availability. The ideas are great and when I am doing a challenge I really enjoy it. It’s not about being a competition but just a way of keeping you going so you do get to your end goal.

Tell us about how you feel now?

How do you feel now after losing your weight?

I am much more my old self. I have a way to go but even losing the amount I have done so far has turned my life around. I feel more confident, have done things I have wanted to do but been put off in the past because of my weight and I feel healthier which was my main goal for losing weight. I am more active although am still “allergic” to exercise, I do consider how active I am and when I need to increase it. I am for the first time in a long time enjoying shopping and have even done some girly things like paint my nails and buy make up! I have plans for the future that I know I would never have put in motion being the size and weight I was and even if they don’t materialise I know I have tried.

What weight are you now?

I am now 18 stone 13lbs. Because of my recent holiday I gained a few pounds but first week back and I feel the difference already and I know sticking to the plan for a week will get that surplus off. My weigh in day is a Saturday so I will know then!

What dress size are you now?

I am wearing a size 18 top and 20 bottom and shrinking!

Have you reached your goal?

Not yet although I don’t have a goal in mind as this I one of the triggers for demotivating me…so small steps will get me there.

If you have not reached your goal what is your goal and how much more do you want to lose?

I do not have a goal in weight terms but I have a non-scale goal which is to have a hot air balloon ride which I cannot do due to the weight limit at present

How has your weight loss impacted positively on your ever day life?

I am more confident, more eager to get up and about, have had the opportunity to travel alone and met strangers who are now friends and I am generally healthier with my daily medication being reduced considerably!!

What was the nicest compliment you received since reaching your weight loss goal or current weight loss?

One of the children I work with said to me “you aren’t fat any more now you can take me to the park”…out of the mouths of babes as they say! My closest friend recently said to me that she is “liking the old me coming back to life” which sums up my journey so far I think.

Do you feel your mind-set has changed with following the plan for example do you feel you have a better understanding of food and this will help you not to go back to old habits?

I do feel my mind-set has changed. I am more conscious of what I am eating. Don’t get me wrong I will always have an addiction but I am now learing how to control it and if it do go off the rails I know how to get back on quickly and deal with the fall out

Tell us more

Do you have any favourite sayings, quotes, or anything that inspires you?

If you ask my family and friends my saying is “it is what it is” I apparently always say it…so if I gain a few pounds I don’t beat myself up over it now I just say “it is what it is” and make the necessary changes to lose those pounds. Without sounding like a cliche our lives are what we make them and I am making mine change.

If you were to give advice to anyone considering starting a weight loss journey, what would you say?

Go for it, prepare, read up, do your research and plan. Small steps and achievable goals look at what’s working well what’s not working as well and what you need to do to change things. Write these down and read them again and again especially at those tough times.

What tips would you offer someone who is thinking about starting their weight loss journey but has not yet made the decision to join the new you plan?

Try it you will never know. What have you got to lose apart from those nasty pounds? What have you got to gain….everything!

Below I have attached my Measurements that I had taken at the start of my journey and the measurements I have taken in the last few weeks

weight	Starting measurements: ins/cms331lbs/23st 6lbs	Current Measurements: ins/cms255lbs/18st 3lbs
bmi	50	38
waist measurement	46/117	39/101
hips measurement	59/150	51/132
left thigh	31/80	23/66
right thigh	32/81	26/67
top of knee left leg	24/60	19/50
top of knee right leg	25/62	20/51
calf left leg	23/57	18/48
calf right leg	23/57	18/48
chest	51/130	45/116
left arm around biggest part	18/45	14/38
right arm around biggest part	17/42	13/35

Total lost to date: 74/187

Thank you all for reading

Michele

xxx

START YOUR TRANSFORMATION TODAY

If you’re just starting out on your journey, or coming back to the plan then we would recommend our 60 TFR bundle. This bundle will last you for 14 days. You’ll be able to enjoy 4 meals per day and 2-3 snacks per week.

What’s even BETTER is that with The New You Plan we’re more than just a diet company. We are a total lifestyle change: meals, mindset, motivation and maintenance. With unrivaled customer service, a 100% money back guarantee and unlimited online support you’ll be able to get in the zone and smash your goals in 14 days.