I’ve been overweight all of my life. My 20’s consisted of late nights, no exercise and eating what I wanted…

I was 29 , when January 2014 came around and I decided I wanted to change something. I was going to be 30 in 2015 and I wanted to be healthier & slimmer. A new Slimming World group was open song across the street from my house so I said I would give it a go. When I started I set a goal to lose 3 stone. I wanted to set small goals so it didn’t feel like a big task ( even though it was). I lost 4.5 lbs in the first week. So I was off to a great start.

I continued slow and steady with the weight loss and stuck to the meal plans. I went on the odd walk here & there but nothing too strenuous. I went on a 2 week holiday in Turkey in the July and had lost while on hols although at this stage I had only lost 2.5 stone. My 30th was 8 months away and I wanted to kick this weight loss into full swing. I started weight training with a friend in the Phoenix Park at 7 am , 3 times a week.

I really enjoyed it and got great energy from it. She then convinced me to set a goal of running a full 5k. Didn’t matter how long it took – continuously run it all. I signed up to the night run in November. Ran it all with my friend Siobhan and completed it in 45 minutes. I was super proud.

I now attend Body Conscious on the Ballyboggan Road 4/5 times a week & run 5k with Park run every Saturday. I completed the women’s mini marathon on the 2nd June (10k) in 70mins 13 secs so  was thrilled with myself. To date I have lost 7 stone 13lbs. I would like to lose another 2 stone for now but I’m sure that will change once I reach that.

“I feel absolutely fantastic although sometimes my brain doesn’t realise what I’ve done. Comparison pictures are a big thing for me. I have to do them for myself all the time. My friends love to see them also. ”

I would encourage anyone that wants to lose weight – set small goals at the start. It’s a LONG journey but definitely one that I have enjoyed. And always think of that “AFTER PHOTO”!

INSTAGRAM – @michelle100lbsdown

For all my pics and my journey

Thank you so much,

Michelle xx