ASKED TO BE A GODMOTHER for the first time, Dale MacDonald could not have been happier – but that happy feeling soon changed when she had to get something to wear for the event.
Dale had to order online as there were not many clothes stores in Elgin that did bigger sizes – her outfit came, but the trousers being a size 20 didn’t even come close to closing. She said: “Maybe it’s just the style – so I then take them back for a 22, then low and behold they didn’t fit either. OK, a 24? No – it was a size 26 that I had to pop myself into!
“It was a horrid feeling – and that’s when I thought I was going to find a weight watchers and get to it sorted.
“I knew that it worked as tried it for a few months when I was 17. Searching online I was delighted to find a meeting in the mornings – as I was on my own with my young children and didn’t drive I was always worried about taking them out in the cold dark nights.”
Shocked at that she weighed in at just over 19st 2lbs, Dale was determined that she had to get straight into sorting things out – and was then delighted to find that things fell into place quickly and easily.
“The weight started to fall off – I gave myself six months and was feeling good as by then I was down to 15 and a half stone. Pro-Points was great – I felt that I could eat anything at all within reason and still lose weight, so I followed the plan for 11 months and lost another three and a half stone.”
As is often the case, a setback followed as Dale found herself suffering from stress and for three months hit herself away, hardly moving from home.
“To the kids delight it was movie nights every weekend consisting of pizza, crisps, chocolate and popcorn. After that I knew if I carried on I would not fit into my work clothes – so it was back to weight watchers.
“I was so nervous when my leader remembered me, she said my name and I just burst out crying because I felt so ashamed at how much weight I’d put back on in such a short space of time – the entire three and a half stone I’d just lost.”
Losing the weight again seemed a lot harder this time for Dale, more because of her own mindset than anything else. For the following year she was a ‘yo-yo loser’, one week losing weight then gaining it again.
“My head was not quite in it,” she said, adding: “But I was determined not to give up, then I saw myself in a mirror from a different angle one day and I was disgusted. I just could not believe the time I had wasted – so that was it, I got all my tools out to help me along the way.”
Good days – and bad days – followed, but then Dale was urged to be a weight watchers leader for Elgin and Lossiemouth: “I did not think about it long and applied that day – and got the job. But I was struggling myself with trying to eat at the right times each day because of meeting times. I sorted that out and the ‘Smart Points’ was announced, and I was honestly worried.
“But I loved it – I felt I could eat more on this plan and still lose weight. I lost 18lbs since it was launched and now over seven stone has gone.
“I love helping others with weight loss and even when they come in and say I have had a really bad week, I know exactly how they are feeling, I’ve been through every single emotion along the way.
“So I can honestly say I can relate to them! and that is why I love being a weight watcher’s leader.”
Weight Watchers classes are held throughout Moray – for details visit www.weightwatcherslocal.co.uk.