January is a time when lots of people decide to get in shape and anyone thinking about losing weight this New Year will find incredible inspiration in a Lewisville woman who is 73.5 pounds lighter than she was last January.
When Amanda Metcalf decided to lose weight at the beginning of 2013, little did she know how successful she would be by the end of the year.
The 24-year-old had struggled with her weight all of her life. She tried to lose weight before but struggled because the programs didn’t allow for flexibility. In fact, she’d often end up regaining the weight she lost – and more – after she gave up. At her heaviest, Amanda wore a size 24 and she would feel exhausted after every shift at the medical center where she works as a nurse.
After trying a different well-known weight loss plan last January and having fallen off the wagon by February, because she wasn’t able to live with counting and monitoring everything that she ate and drank, Amanda joined her local Slimming World group, which is run by Shannon Monahan every Thursday at 9:30 a.m. at Slimming World’s Weight Loss Center in Lewisville. She heard about the program from a friend who was successfully losing weight there.
Amanda says: “I was really nervous about walking into the group that first time and hoped I’d be able to blend into the background and not have to speak to anyone. Now I find it funny that I was so scared because I got such a warm welcome and I soon realized there was nothing to be worried about because we were all in the same boat – we all just wanted to lose weight. I honestly haven’t looked back since that day. I look forward to going to group every week now, it’s my ‘me’ time and I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
She couldn’t believe it when Shannon explained how Slimming World’s Food Optimising healthy eating plan worked and she discovered that she could eat lots of everyday foods without weighing and measuring, as well as still enjoying her favorite treats in moderation. Amanda adds: “I was really doubtful that it would work for me and in my first week I thought “there is no way I’m going to lose weight eating all of this food” as I hadn’t felt hungry or like I’d missed out at all. But I lost 7 pounds that first week and now I’m 73.5 pounds lighter. It’s not a diet, just a healthy way of eating that I know I can keep up for the rest of my life.”
After starting to slim down, Amanda felt confident enough to start being more active, too. Now she walks every day at work and is able to finish her shopping in one day, rather than having to return the next day as she was too tired to walk around the whole store.
Changing her eating habits and becoming more active hasn’t only transformed Amanda on the outside, she feels like a new woman on the inside too. She says: “I might have lost 73.5 pounds but I’ve gained so much more. I feel happier, healthier and have a lot more confidence – confidence to voice my opinions, which I feel will make me a better advocate for my patients. I can’t believe the difference in me in just 12 months – and neither can my family and friends. I would recommend Slimming World to anyone who’s thinking about trying to lose weight this New Year, after all, if I can do it anyone can!”
Shannon, who runs the Thursday morning Slimming World group that Amanda attends, says she’s extremely proud of what Amanda has achieved over the past year. She says: “Amanda is proof that if you make small, manageable changes to the way you cook and eat and get the right support, it is possible to make your New Year’s resolutions a reality. It makes me feel sad to think that so many people will embark on unhealthy, restrictive plans this January because I know that they won’t be able to keep them up for longer than a few days or weeks, so they’ll soon be right back where they started and feeling like a failure when actually it’s the program they’ve chosen that’s failed them. I hope Amanda inspires people in Lewisville to choose Slimming World this New Year, and everyone’s guaranteed a warm welcome at any of the groups.”
To join Slimming World in Lewisville simply visit a group or call a member of the support team at 972-899-8700 for more information.
For further information on this article or to speak to Amanda Metcalf please contact Shannon Monahan Capek at 214-868-7398 or email texascapeks@verizon.net.