... that's what I was wondering Joanne. Your profile says you've lost 2.5 stones since January, but you certainly look as if you've lost more than that since your photo last summer. Well done - a different person!

You look amazing Joanne - and sooooo happy! A great success and really well done. Do stay that size forever now!

Lucy, just have to say that no matter the weight, you clearly have a lovely, feminine, curvy figure - and I just hope you are not trying to get rid of this.
So said it and now have to say how great you look in the latest photo. Charts etc may be telling you something else, but you look as if the only thing you might want to do now is a bit more toning on your thighs - and I'm saying this mainly because I did read your blurb and I understand your feelings on this.
Good luck with any further losses you want to achieve, but I think you've done most of the hard work now. You look healthy and really great - and well done on the bikini shots.

And I'm not surprised, Joanne, you look absolutely marvellous. Good for you. I want to ask the same questions as everybody else, so I'll just wait till you answer.

Joanne
Wow you look fabulous! well done on all your hard work!

sat at key board feeling a bit showy offy, but also thrilled to receive such lovely comments.Thankyou everyone!!
here's how i did it......
1/ hit 40 and thought its time to get a grip!
2/ had 1 session of hypnotherapy costing £50 which somehow has rebooted my will power.....
3/cut carbs (especially bread), cut booze and late evening snacking and weekend take away (husband a bit nonplussed!)
4/ diet is low GI, now fruit and yog for breakfast, fruit mid morning, oatcakes, veg soup and fruit for lunch, salad and seafood for dinner.
5/ started jogging as absolute beginner, and now go for 5-6 miles 3 times a week- love it1
Now have 1000 times more energy but find i feel awful if i have a big plateful and bread makes me feel v uncomfortable. i do sometimes miss my old party ways, but have just thrown out all my big Bridget Jones pants which more than compensates!!
Just hope i can stay this focused, not pile it all back on, but also don't want to be so in thrall to food- i'm in control at the mo, but is it still the boss??
any way, good luck to all, keep on going xxxxxx

So how long did it take to get such a fab figure?

Very impressive Joanne. And not at all showy-offy! But how much did you lose between the "before" and "after" photos? As others said, the transformation is stunning that we can't believe it was only 2.5 stones.

And well done you for realising that you still have to pay attention even after you have reached your target weight. You can probably afford to relax a little, and if you feel you have had a few "heavy days", then follow these up with a few "lean ones". Don't beat yourself up every time you have something tasty, but just keep an eye on those scales. Have a maximum weight and everytime you approach it, cut back until you lost the extra pounds.

You can let us know how easy it is! I know personally I find it easier to avoid all cake rather than having one slice (when I want more, more more!).

I'm the same. I have no chocolate as I doubt I'd stop if I started.

ooh yes... carrot cake!!! can't remember the last time i had some, but the thing is, now i tell myself "you KNOW it tastes delish, so therefore you don't need to taste it" .... so i don't!
btw, have lost 3 1/2 stone since my "before" pic taken last summer.

Good strategy, Joanne!

Joanne
Sounds like you have it sussed! and are doing all the right things. Glad you are in control good feeling isnt it. I have yet to get to a 2 stone loss nearly there and still need my bridget jones pants. My aim is a 3 stone loss. You obviously like running! I am almost at the 5 - 6 mile stage and love it! Congrats again and lovely pic of you!

keep going Pippa, then we should have a ritual burning of all the bridget jones pants!!

Yes! I bought two packs of new ones just before Christmas and althought trying to get as much wear as possible out of them, will have to switch to my older, smaller ones. So a ritual burning would be great. Perhaps we should set a time and date - and see how many other fires we can spot

Jackie, why don't you keep them and wear them OVER your normal ones next winter when it's cold?

Like it Fiona! Would definately suit me as my other half says I have a 'broken thermostat'! Am always cold and winter is sheer misery for me.
At the moment, it may say summer on the calendar, but I am sitting in the conservatory with one jersey and a knitted jacket on! The awful weather shows absolutely no sign of abating here in Perth and yesterday was the absolute pits - torrential rain for fifteen hours. Even Boots was closed because of the flooding!

Strange - it's not been too bad here in the west. However I did notice a plane flying in the wrong direction yesterday - I wondered what was going on until I realised the prevailing wind was from the north-east as opposed to the west, so everything taking off from Glasgow airport was going in the opposite direction from normal!

What and look stupid Like Jeannie I have a "broken thermostat" - but in my case I'm nearly always hot, and summer can be sheer misery for me. Well down south it is. We had wind from north for couple of days - think it was Thursday and Friday. But very little wind today, and nicely warm without being too hot (despite labouring in garden all afternoon).

Mmm, not sure about mine at the moment either! The days seem so hot, well above all humid, but I've been wearing winter pyjamas at night. Weird!

As I'm bashful I've uploaded my pic to a website so I can rip down the photo if I lose my bottle. But I'm fairly chuffed with the progress so far although I still have about 3 stone to lose. I'm currently 4 stone lighter than the pic on the left which was taken in May 2007, the right was taken today. I started the health kick at the beginning of December last year.

http://jacaranda.me.uk/apache2-default/11august08. jpg


Hope that inspires some of you.

Julian

What a difference Jullian - you look just terrific - do keep up the good work! Logging on will keep you focused and give you lots of encouragement - do have a look at Abfabs, they are great for keeping you going! All the best.

DON'T ever 'rip down' that photo Julian - in fact print it off and place it somewhere prominent as a constant reminder of how fantastically well you have done and how you are NEVER going back there again (the one on the left!). Wow.

Wow Julian - what an amazing transformation - brilliant!

Really well done !

WOW, well done, keep it up, keep it off

Julian: you should be over the moon and not just fairly chuffed. And no need to be bashful. You've transformed yourself, and looking at the difference must act as an added incentive to spur you on to reach an even more healthy weight. Well done - and keep up the good work.

Thanks for the positive words everyone. I'm much happier with the body image on the right but there's still a massive disjoint between the body image in my head and that which stares back at me from the mirror.

I've come along way, don't want to go back yet have it all to do over again.

It's all tough stuff but I think I'm going to set that page as my home page so I'm reminded what's been achieved so far.

Cheers

J

Which way? Does you head still tell you that you're overweight?? I think that's quite common! I still worry about fitting into seats on fairground rides!!

Well in my head I'm eligible for a walk on part in Baywatch. In my head I'm muscular and toned but in reality I have big rolls of fat. Which is how I got so big in the first place I just couldn't see (partly due to the fact I didn't have more than a shaving mirror) the massive size I got to.

Gosh what an amazing difference. Now you need to get some slinky T shirts to show off your new figure! You look like a different person!

Hi Julian, you have done so well! You are unrecognizable - but I'll believe it's you!

Pic as a home page sounds like a great motivator for you. I put my profile picture as wallpaper on my laptop a couple of months ago to get me used to looking at myself in photos. Only then could I bring myself to post it. Familiarity sometimes breeds acceptance, both of who and what you are, and in your case of what you can and have achieved.

Good luck and keep up the good work.