Woman determined to be ‘fit at 30’ loses 4st in 4 months without restricting her diet
A woman has shared how she quit binge eating and swapped takeaways for meal planning to see a 4st weight loss.
Emma Seeney, 31, from Solihull, West Midlands, says her weight crept up to 15st after turning to binge eating and drinking to help her through the pandemic lockdowns.
But with a milestone birthday approaching the assistant portfolio manager set herself the goal of becoming "fit and fabulous at 30", overhauling her diet and fitness regime to celebrate the occasion feeling body confident in a tight-fitting dress in New York.
Seeney says her weight was impacted during the pandemic when she lost her job and left a bad relationship.
"I was in a bad place during the lockdown so I was eating and drinking for those short quick fixes of happiness," she recalls.
"I'd easily order myself takeaway pizza four times a week, with two glasses of my favourite wine each night, more at the weekend, and I'd constantly be snacking on share bags of crisps, large bars of chocolate, cakes and biscuits."
The turning point was seeing a picture, taken by her niece, where she didn't recognise herself.
Having gained around 4st within a year, Seeney says she no longer felt confident about her body.
"I'd just turned 29, so I made it my goal to turn 30 while feeling happy with how I looked," she says.
In January 2022 she started her health and fitness journey, initially by calorie counting, ditching alcohol and meal planning to ensure she wasn't ordering takeaways for convenience.
Having lost her first stone, she started to incorporate long walks into her routine, which helped her lose another stone.
After also joining a gym, which she had never been a fan of, Seeney was able to celebrate her 30th birthday in New York in April last year with a new level of confidence, wearing a black bodycon dress, which she says she would never have worn before.
"I finally felt like me again after so long," she says.
"I wanted to go [to New York] feeling amazing about myself, and I did.
"Turning 30 was a milestone and I wanted to enter with a new body and a new mindset.
"I used to hide myself away in oversized t-shirts and baggy jumpers, and now I can wear whatever I want with confidence," she continues.
"I feel amazing and I am so proud of myself for doing this."
Seeney says she never fully restricted her diet and still allows herself one cheat meal a week, which could be a meal out or a takeaway, as she believes it is about making a lifestyle change rather than being on a diet.
As well as her body transformation, Seeney says her weight loss has impacted other areas of her life.
"It was such an emotional journey because it was scary to see how much I had been self-sabotaging myself," she explains.
"Everything has changed for me. I have turned my life around."
Seeney's before and after food diary
Before
Breakfast - Sausage and egg sandwich, or a fry up, or McDonald's breakfast
Lunch - Fully loaded meat sandwich and sauce from Subway or make a cheese baguette, with a share bag of Doritos, chocolate bar, and sugary fizzy drink
Dinner - Takeaway pizza - half margarita and half meat feast with stuffed crust or Chinese takeaway
Snacks - A share bar of Galaxy chocolate, two glasses of wine a night, cakes, and biscuits
After
Breakfast - Protein shake or Weetabix or porridge
Lunch - Avocado and poached egg on toast
Dinner - Stir fry or Thai green curry - lots of vegetables and protein
Snacks - Cup of tea in the morning, 2l of water, and a sugar-free fizzy drinks.
NHS recommended weight loss rate
The NHS recommends losing weight at a safe and sustainable rate of 0.5kg to 1kg (1lb to 2lbs) a week.
For most men, this will mean consuming no more than 1,900kcal a day, and for most women, 1,400kcal.
The health service has put together some suggestions for helping you lose weight safely including:
getting active for 150 minutes a week
aiming to get your 5 A Day
aiming to lose 1 to 2lbs, or 0.5 to 1kg, a week
reading food labels – products with more green colour coding than amber and red are often a healthier option
swapping sugary drinks for water
cutting down on food that's high in sugar and fat
sharing your weight loss plan with someone you trust to help keep you motivated
Additional reporting Caters.
