Ally Wainman, a 55-year-old healthcare worker from Warwickshire, has lost an amazing 7st after her daughter Chloe, now 29, begged her to prioritise her health. Ally, who works at a private hospital in Birmingham, gained weight after being diagnosed with a lung tumour and later losing one of her lungs.
Ally, who also has a son Joshua, 33, says her relationship with food had become unhealthy, using it as a comfort after years of battling cancer and the death of her father. At her heaviest, she weighed 18st 8lbs at a height of 5ft 4ins.
A daughter's plea
It was Chloe's gentle intervention that finally prompted Ally to take action. Ally recalls the moment her daughter suggested she lose weight.
“I’ll never forget the way Chloe looked at me when she gently suggested that I should try to lose some weight,” says Ally. “I know it can be hard to hear sometimes, but it was genuinely coming from a place of love. I’d had a tough few years fighting cancer – followed by the death of my beloved Dad – so prioritising myself had really taken a back seat.
“I knew I had an unhealthy relationship with food. I used it as a comfort – eating huge amounts of sugary or greasy foods and then feeling awful and guilty afterwards. I’m quite petite at 5ft 4ins, so weighing 18st 8lbs took a huge toll on my body, especially my knees and hips.
“Our family had been through so much – I knew I couldn’t have Chloe worrying about how long I’d be around, especially when I’d already lost one of my lungs. I decided to visit my doctor to see what weight loss options were available to me.”
A new approach to food
Ally's doctor referred her to a 12-week programme with her local Slimming World group. Having seen a friend succeed with the plan, Ally was nervous but hopeful. Her consultant Jacquie was also starting the same night.
“I knew a friend who’d got on well with Slimming World, so I figured I had nothing to lose – especially as I’d been referred by my GP so I trusted that it would be a healthy and sustainable way to lose weight. I was so nervous on my first night, but it happened to be my consultant Jacquie’s first night in group too, so we got each other through those first-day jitters.”
Ally, who had previously lost three stone in three months on a shake diet only to regain it four months later, discovered that Slimming World's plan focused on ordinary meals.
“I’d tried lots of diets in the past and once lost three stone in three months on a shake diet. Four months later, I’d put it all back on. What I loved about Slimming World was that the food was just normal everyday things – spaghetti Bolognese, curries, stews, baked potatoes… it was so easy to stick with it. And because there were no big extremes, I lost weight steadily and easily without obsessing over food every minute of the day.
“The group support was also something totally new for me. I was used to losing weight alone – so to be surrounded by people who were all on the same journey made the whole experience much more enjoyable. I’ve since moved away from the area, but I love Jacquie and my group so much that I commute the 40 minutes each way for my weekly dose of support and inspiration.
“Everyone there is just amazing and has helped me through so much. I learned I’d easily go off track if I didn’t have a meal planned for when I got home from work – so I started keeping a stash of meals from the Slimming World range at Iceland in the freezer, which helped no end.”
Dancing in high heels
Part-way through her weight loss journey, having already lost around six stone, Ally was told she needed a hip replacement. She was determined to recover quickly and be back on her feet.
“I’d lost a fair bit of weight, around six stone, yet my hip still caused me a lot of pain and needed replacing. I told the surgeon that I wanted to be dancing in my high heels afterwards. Well, just three months later, I was! I have no doubt that being lighter aided my recovery. I was prepared for it to take a while but honestly, I breezed through it.
“As well as all the dancing, I’m more active now than I ever have been. Slimming World’s active lifestyle programme helped me think about how I could weave exercise into my everyday life. I used to avoid stairs because of the pain it would cause for my joints – but now I can run up a set of stairs – sometimes even two at a time.”
Ally says she now feels like a different person, embracing life and dancing whenever she gets the chance.
“I feel like a different person. I’ve gone from someone who hid away at home to the first one on the dance floor, especially if I hear a bit of Beyonce. I couldn’t have done it without the support of my amazing Slimming World group – their tips, support and love have helped me enormously. Staying to my group each week has been the key thing for me – that’s my top tip for sure.
“These days I’m looking forward to the future – I don’t know what lies ahead but I know I’ll be dancing along whatever happens – in really fabulous shoes.”
A proud daughter
Chloe is delighted by the transformation her mum has made.
“I’m so glad I had that conversation with Mum about her weight. It wasn't an easy one but seeing how much her life has changed makes it all worth it.
“She's happier, healthier and so much more confident. Joshua and I call it her ‘life glow-up’ because she genuinely shines now. We're incredibly proud of everything she's achieved.”
Before and after menu
Ally's diet has changed completely. Here is what she used to eat versus what she eats now:
Before
- Breakfast: Big bowl of sugary cereal with milk
- Lunch: A canteen lunch of a panini or burger with chips
- Dinner: Shepherd’s pie with a few slices of bread and butter
- Snacks: Sweets, chocolate, biscuits, cakes
After
- Breakfast: Fat-free Greek yogurt with fruit
- Lunch: A large homemade salad with cold meats, pickles and a low-fat dressing
- Dinner: A frozen meal from Slimming World’s range at Iceland, such as Marry Me Chicken Pasta
- Snacks: Slimming World Hi-Fi bars, meringue with yogurt and fruit, rice cakes, grapes
