5 women, 5 diets, 1 year: Top weight-loss plans are put to the ultimate test
When it comes to shedding the pounds, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Each of these five slimmers put a different diet to the test throughout 2013 – and here they share their honest weight-loss diaries with Andréa Childs
Five women, five diets
The Harcombe Diet
Jeanne at 19 stone
Jeanne Asquith, 46, a company administrator, lives with her partner Jason in Erith, Kent. She decided to follow the Harcombe Diet, which reduces carbohydrates and boosts intake of unprocessed foods. Height: 5ft 5in. Total weight loss: 5st 3lb.
January 2013 19st, size 26-28
At Christmas my partner Jason told me that he was scared for me. At 38, he is fit, slim and healthy. I’m only seven years older but sore knees caused by obesity mean I find it hard to climb the stairs. I struggle to get out of bed because of the after-effects of a prolapsed disc. Erratic periods mean I’ve been diagnosed as perimenopausal. I wheeze at night, I’m chronically tired and my skin is spotty. I need to take drastic action.
When I was 19, my dad developed terminal cancer and I began to comfort eat. I’ve tried every diet over the years, from cabbage soup to meal-replacement programmes, but I’d lose 10lb, then give up and all the weight, and more, would go back on. When I read about the Harcombe Diet, it was like a lightbulb switching on. With this plan, I don’t have to count calories and I can eat proper food – meat with the fat on, cheese, cream – and still lose weight. What it restricts are sugars and carbohydrates. If I stick to it, it could save my life.
April 2013 16st 12lb, size 20-22
It’s been a mix of huge frustration and slow progress. On the positive side, I don’t wheeze or struggle for breath now. I’ve lost almost 3st and that’s had a massive impact on my mobility. But in seven out of the 14 weeks, I didn’t lose any weight. I contacted Harcombe Diet mentor Zoë, who said that I was eating too much dairy and should cut it out for four weeks before reintroducing it gradually. I’ve been battling my body for 25 years; for the first time, I feel I may have the answer to my weight problems.
July 2013 15st 3lb, size 20
I won’t have any weight loss for three weeks, then I’ll suddenly drop 4lb. I rarely have dairy products. I have fruit for breakfast – which now tastes incredibly sweet, as I don’t eat any other sugars – but I get bored eating fish or meat with vegetables every day. I really miss bread.
But I feel the best I have ever done. I walk the dog for half an hour every day and I work on my allotment four times a week. My concentration has improved and my skin, hair and eyes are glowing. When I’m feeling down, I just remind myself that I’ve lost 11cm from my waist, 6cm off my hips and 5cm off my bust. I’ve never achieved that on a diet before.
October 2013 14st 10lb, size 18
My weight loss was painfully slow over the summer, so I contacted Zoë for advice. She looked at the issues that may be stalling weight loss, such as thyroid conditions, stress, cheating and reaching your natural weight. It turns out that dairy wasn’t really the issue, it’s that I’m very carb
'For the first time I feel I may have the answer to my weight problems'
sensitive. So I now track the levels of carbs in the food I’m eating on the Harcombe Diet website. By cutting out highly coloured and root vegetables such as red peppers and carrots, and substituting them with low-carb pak choi and spinach, I lost 8lb in a week. But as Zoë stresses, it’s unusual for someone to be so carb sensitive. Lots of people enjoy brown rice, porridge and potatoes on the diet and still lose weight.
I’ve now stuck to a very low-carb diet for the past three weeks and I’ve lost 1 stone. For the past six months, my periods have been regular and my night sweats have stopped. I feel like I’m giving my body the food it needs to get healthy. I did cheat when I went out for a meal for my birthday – and I felt dreadful the next day. I’ve just been made redundant so I know my resolve will be tested, but I’m determined to stick with it.
December 2013 13st 11lb, size 16
This is the first time in 20 years that I’ve weighed less than 14 stone. My family are amazed at my success. I’m still eating a low-carb menu of meat, fish and vegetables but I’m happy with that because now friends and acquaintances stop me in the street to tell me how good I look. My goal weight is 10 stone and I really feel I will achieve it – especially as Jason proposed last week! It will be brilliant to walk down the aisle in a size 12 wedding dress.
For details on the Harcombe Diet Club and Zoë Harcombe’s book Stop Counting Calories & Start Losing Weight (£9.99), visit theharcombediet.com
Now Jeanne ways 13st 11lb and has never felt so positive about her weight
Jane Dowdney at 12st 11lb
The FAST diet
Jane Dowdney, 47, is a civil servant. She is divorced and lives in Nottingham with her daughters Maddie, 18, and Ellie, 15. After a festive season of overeating, she began a fasting diet after reading The Fast Diet by Dr Michael Mosley and Mimi Spencer. Height: 5ft 9in. Total weight loss: 1st 7lb.
January 2013 12st 11lb, size 16
My weight has fluctuated over the years, usually when I get into a habit of snacking. I feel unhealthy and less confident when I’m bigger. I also suffer from heart palpitations, which are worse the heavier I am. The mass of food I ate at Christmas was the last straw. I read The Fast Diet on my Kindle. I like the idea that you eat 500 calories for two days a week and the rest of the time eat normally. I want to lose weight without it seeming like a punishment. My goal is to be 10½ stone and a size 12 by next Christmas.
My first fast day was 2 January and I ate butternut squash soup for lunch and chicken with tikka seasoning and a huge salad for dinner. I’m planning to fast on Mondays and Thursdays – that way I can still enjoy a glass of wine at the weekend. You can’t do that on a normal 24/7 diet.
April 2013 11st 5lb, size 12-14
I’ve settled into the plan now and it’s the best diet I’ve ever done. I fast for two days a week and sometimes add an extra half day if I’ve treated myself a bit too much on my eating days. I do say yes to chocolate and dessert when I’m not fasting – that’s the beauty of the diet. I prefer to save up all my calories and have one evening meal, such as home-made chilli without rice. I look forward to fast days as I actually have more energy and run around making beds or put on an exercise DVD.
I can see the difference in my body – my stomach and legs are smaller and I’ve got my waist back. I have a pair of size 12 jeans that I love. They’re still too tight but every two weeks I try them on and know I’m getting closer to wearing them again. Yesterday I put on a work shirt that I hadn’t worn for a year. I used to feel that I needed three meals a day but now I know it’s not bad to feel hungry.
'I want to lose weight without it seeming like a punishment'
July 2013 11st, size 12
I haven’t lost any weight for four weeks. I’ve had so many parties and leaving dos to go to, I haven’t always managed to fast for two days a week. But if I had been following a traditional diet, I think I would have given up and started to put weight back on.
Some days are difficult. If I’m struggling, I’ll have a Cup a Soup or a big glass of sugar-free squash with lots of ice. The good news is, I can fit into my favourite jeans again and I’ve just bought myself a gorgeous maxi dress for my holiday. I wouldn’t have picked that a few months ago but now I’ve lost 1½ stone, I feel confident that I look good in it.
October 2013 11st 3lb, size 12
I’ve gained 3lb. It was hard to get back into fasting after taking a break on holiday, especially as I’m in the process of buying a house and I’ve been really stressed. Then my brother committed suicide, which was devastating; I think about him all the time. I did comfort eat bread and other carbs, which just made me feel bloated. Despite the difficulties, I’m actually pleased that I haven’t given up entirely. It proves that fasting works for me. I’ve bought some short skirts that I wear with heels. I get so many compliments that it’s a real spur to carry on and see if I can make my 10½ stone target by Christmas.
December 2013 11st 4lb, size 12
Stress with my ongoing house purchase and issues with my ex-husband have meant I may only fast on one day each week, but I enjoy it. I haven’t lost any more weight but I still think that fasting is the best thing I have ever done. I looked forward to Christmas more this time knowing that I could use fasting to help me through the festive food overload. With fasting, I might be hungry one day, but I know I’m not going to be the next. After the fear and failure of trying different diets, I wish I’d discovered this years ago.
The Fast Diet by Dr Michael Mosleyand Mimi Spencer, £2.36 (Kindle edition), from amazon.co.uk
At just Nov 11st 4lb, Jane is slim and healthier than ever
Lauren Hillier's weight crept up to 14st 9lb
Dukan Diet
Lauren Hillier, 24, is a dance teacher and performer from Bournemouth. After putting on weight due to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), she began the Dukan Diet after noticing how much weight her boss had lost on the plan. Height: 5ft 4in. Total weight loss: 3st 5lb.
January 2013 14st 9lb, size 16-18
When I was 20 I put on two dress sizes in a year. I felt dizzy and depressed and was diagnosed with PCOS, which causes weight gain. I tried calorie counting but it didn’t work, which was difficult as I have to wear dance gear every day. When my boss recommended the Dukan Diet, it made sense to me. The low-carb plan is based on proteins and vegetables and consists of four phases: Attack, Cruise, Consolidation, Stabilisation. I’m a total carnivore but realised my usual diet was carb heavy, with cereal for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch and pasta or potatoes for dinner. Based on my current weight, I’ll do ten days in the Attack phase, eating meals such as egg-white omelettes with ham for breakfast, chicken broth for lunch, and chicken breast with low-fat cream cheese and ham in the evening. My goal weight is 10st 3lb but for me, it’s more about dress size. I’d like to be a size 12 when I finish the diet.
April 2013 12st 8lb, size 14
I’m pleased to have dropped 2 stone so far. The Attack phase was fine, although I felt tired and headachy on the third day. But it all went to pot when I moved on to the Cruise phase, when you alternate pure protein days with protein and low-carb vegetable days. I was working away a lot, which meant business lunches with wine and eating sandwiches on the go.
I found it really hard to stick to the rules. To get my motivation back, I did another Attack phase and then signed up for Dukan coaching, which involves uploading my measurements and weight each day on an online form and noting any lapses. The next day, I get an email with tips, such as having a low-fat yoghurt with added sweetener if I’m having a chocolate craving. Now I’m back on track and losing weight steadily.
'Friends I haven't seen for ages have been blown away by my new figure'
July 2013 11st 9lb, size 14
Friends I haven’t seen for ages have been blown away by my new figure. On other diets, I’ve found it much harder to shift weight from my middle. With Dukan, the weight has gone from my hips and stomach, so I look much better. It hasn’t all been easy. I gave up following the diet entirely for two weeks in June when I was teaching a dance summer school.
I found it really hard to organise my alternate protein and protein and low-carb veg days when I was working away from home, and I didn’t fancy the sweaty packet of ham or chicken leg that had been sitting in my bag all day in the dance studio. I’ve just finished another pure protein Attack week to get me back on track.
October 2013 11st 13lb, size 16
By now, I’d planned to reach my target, which is when you move off the Cruise phase and into Consolidation, which reintroduces fruit, cheese and some carbs to the diet. Unfortunately, my August holiday, followed by a really busy September and then my birthday, meant lots of eating out, grab-and-go foods and alcohol. I gained weight, so I’ve just done another pure protein Attack week before beginning Consolidation. I found the switch difficult at first as it meant more foods to be tempted by, but being able to eat bread or a banana makes sticking to the plan easier.
December 2013 11st 4lb, size 14
I reached my goal last month, but since then my weight has fluctuated. I’ve been working as part of a comedy duo, which means a lot of travelling in the evenings. And I’m now appearing in Oliver! in Salisbury, where there are always sweets backstage. I’ll need to do a pure protein week when it finishes to kick-start my diet again.
This has been a successful diet because I have lost 3½ stone, but if my lifestyle was different I think I could have lost more. The diet is easy to stick to when I’m at home. But my friends found it hard to understand, giving me chocolates and wine for my birthday. And it was tough watching my partner eat big plates of pasta at times! I’m now on the Consolidation phase until April but I think I’ll always follow Dukan to some extent. I feel healthier and have more energy. If you like meat and have lots of willpower, this is the diet for you.
Now at 11st 4lb, Lauren has got back her wow factor
Angie Hill at 17st 6lb
Gastric wrap
Angie Hill, 44, lives in Margate with her partner Elaine and their daughter Emily and two foster children. After trying many diets, she decided to have gastric wrap keyhole surgery in Prague, where costs are cheaper than in the UK. The procedure folds and then stitches the stomach to make a tube, restricting the amount of food that can be eaten. Height: 5ft 7in. Total weight loss: 5st 4lb.
January 2013 17st 6lb, size 22-24
I first heard about this surgery in May 2012, when I attended a meeting at Secret Surgery, which arranges procedures overseas. My partner Elaine had a gastric bypass then went to Poland for a tummy tuck in 2010. A gastric wrap is less extreme than a bypass, gives good weight loss and there’s a lower risk of vomiting than with a gastric band.
The only question was how quickly I could save the money for the operation – it cost £4,640 for the surgery, flights and accommodation, plus £350 for Elaine to go with me. My operation is booked for 15 January in Prague and I began my pre-op liquid diet of light yoghurts and soups on New Year’s Day.
My weight dramatically increased when I came out as gay, aged 14. Since then, I’ve yo-yoed. I’m a comfort eater, plus my portion sizes are too big, I snack and I have a habit of eating in the evening. I’ve tried every diet going and asked my GP for support but nothing has worked. My blood pressure is high, I get breathless easily and my joints ache. I also find I get emotional and upset about my weight and I hate wearing frumpy clothes.
April 2013 13st 4lb, size 16-18
I’ve lost 4st 2lb and I’m looking forward to getting even smaller. The surgery was straightforward. I spent two nights in hospital and three in an apartment in Prague. I was on liquid food for two weeks, followed by two weeks of purées, two weeks of mashed food, then soft foods such as porridge and eggs. Now I’m on normal food, but much smaller portions as my stomach is the size of a banana. I’ll have muesli or porridge for breakfast, soup or cheese and crackers for lunch, then dinner on a tea plate – such as haddock with a creamy sauce and vegetables. If I eat even a teaspoon too much I feel sick. I feel so much more alive now – I can actually play with the kids when I take them to the park. My knee doesn’t lock if I kneel. I’ve just been on an all-inclusive holiday and didn’t put on the half stone I usually would.
July 2013 12st 8lb, size 14-16
I only lost 3lb in May and 3lb in June so I’ve had to look at what I’m eating. I need to cut down on carbs and choose chicken and salad instead of a roast dinner. I do get very tired sometimes and I’ve had some hair loss, both of which are problems with gastric surgery. The follow-up to my surgery has been great. I log on to the Secret Surgery forum and I attend a monthly support meeting in Rochester, an hour’s drive away. I can also see my GP if I have any concerns, but I haven’t had to do that. My daughter Emily takes a photo of me every month, so I can see how much my body has changed. She used to call my bum my ‘bookshelf’. It’s gone now.
'Without the operation, I don't know what size I would have been by now'
October 2013 12st 5lb, size 14-16
I’m closer to a size 14 now because I’ve lost several inches. Elaine and I joined the gym two weeks ago. My operation has brought us closer as she has helped me learn how to eat post-surgery and we both feel better about ourselves. I used to be an apple but now I’m a pear, and it’s a thrill to be able to wear fitted clothes instead of my old baggy T-shirts and trousers.
December 2013 12st 2lb, size 14
I can walk into the gym with my head held high but there are some bits of my body that exercise can’t touch. My skin was stretched when I was bigger and it hasn’t snapped back so I’m having a tummy tuck in Poland next month, then saving for a breast reduction and to have some skin removed from my upper arms. Another problem is that surgery doesn’t remove the ‘head hunger’ that makes me want to eat when I’m not hungry. But without the operation, I don’t know what size I would have been by now.
I’m really positive about the experience. It was scary going abroad for surgery but I researched the hospital and the doctor, and I chose the procedure I felt would suit me best. I look at the portions being served in restaurants and I think, ‘How could anyone eat all that food?’ But I used to. I’m so glad that’s not my life any more.
At 12st 2lb Lauren is at a much healthier and happier place in her life
Natalie Wilkins at 12st 9lbs
Lighter Life
Natalie Wilkins, 34, lives in Yelverton, Devon, with her husband Robert and their children Evie, six, and Freya, two. After taunts from children about her weight, she tried the low-calorie meal replacement diet Lighter Life. Height: 5ft 2in. Total weight loss: 2st 9lb.
January 2013 12st 9lb, size 18
I’m an emotional eater – I eat when I’m happy, when I’m sad, when I’m stressed. Basically, I like food and I eat too much of it. Some of that stems from my childhood – my parents expected me to finish what was on my plate and also used food as a reward. I was always chubby and remember being teased at school. Recently, I was helping out in my daughter’s classroom and some of the children were giggling, calling me fat. When Evie asked why I didn’t look like the other mums, I was devastated. I don’t want my food issues to impact on my children.
April 2013 11st 9lb, size 16
I’ve lost a stone on my own but I need help to reach my 10 stone target. I’ve decided to follow the Lighter Life plan because it works fast and also offers cognitive behavioural therapy to get to the root of why I eat the way I do. I’ll start on the Total plan, which will replace my usual meals with four nutritionally complete food packs a day, totalling 550 calories. The aim is to put the body into ketosis, which is a really high fat-burning state. My husband Robert, who is a Royal Navy submariner, is being deployed in two weeks, so I’m going to follow the diet while he’s away. He has a dangerous job and in the past I’ve comforted myself with food. It’s dawned on me that I can’t control his safety, but I can stop risking my own health.
July 2013 9st 12lb, size 12
I lost 7lb in my first seven days on Lighter Life, and I’ve been steadily losing around 3lb a week ever since. The first two weeks were hugely difficult as I could still remember the taste of real food. It wasn’t that I was physically hungry – being in ketosis reduces the appetite – but I felt like a rebellious child. I have a sweet tooth but, surprisingly, it wasn’t cakes and sweets I missed but milk in my tea and fresh fruit and veg. I eat Lighter Life packs of porridge for breakfast, pasta carbonara for lunch, chicken soup for dinner and a toffee bar. I’ve been refusing invitations to go out as I don’t want to face the temptation of food.
The weekly group counselling with five other women was daunting at first. I’m used to putting up a façade and not showing how much my weight bothers me. One insight that struck me was that by refusing to waste food and hoovering up the children’s leftovers, I’ve been treating my body like a dustbin. I realise I need to treat myself with more care and respect.
October 2013 9st 9lb, size 10
I reached my target in July, so I moved from the Total programme to Management. I was proud of myself because I stuck to the plan even on a hen weekend and a family holiday. On Management, food packs are gradually reduced as real food is reintroduced – protein and veg first, then carbohydrates.
My body has changed but I’ve been careful to change my eating habits too, swapping to slow-release carbs such as quinoa instead of bread, and keeping portions small.
I hadn’t told Robert I was following Lighter Life, so it was a big surprise when he returned in September to find me several sizes smaller and brimming with confidence! We’ve just attended a Royal Navy ball and that’s been a standout moment. In the past, I would have made an excuse not to go. But I loved dressing up in my beautiful slinky evening gown.
December 2013 10st, size 10-12
I’ve started running a few times a week, which helps me to maintain my weight. I’m now following the Lighter Life Fast plan, which means I eat normally for five days a week, then have food packs totalling 550 calories on the other two days. It’s a really easy way to stay on track. I’m not the fat mum at school any more and, although some people were sceptical about Lighter Life and thought it was too extreme, most are impressed with how well it has worked for me. The counselling has really helped me to turn around my attitude to food, so I don’t snack or use it as a crutch any more. Because I was ashamed of my size, I would shut Robert out. Now that I’ve lost the weight, I feel he respects me more and we’re closer than ever. Lighter Life has transformed me and my relationship.
Counselling helped Lauren slim down to 10st
Have you lost a significant amount of weight over the past year? Email your weight-loss story and pictures to clare.geraghty@mailonsunday.co.uk
