‘Life is too short not to make memories' – Amie's story

Last September Amie McCormack joined Slimming World at size 26. She informed her leader that she would be the group’s Woman Of The Year 2017. Just 11 months later, and with 7 stone lost forever, Amie was crowned Woman of The Year in her group. This is Amie’s story so far.

 

I am a 36-year-old mother of three amazing children – one girl and two boys.

Before joining Slimming World my diet was not good! A typical day would start with no breakfast before doing school runs. After dropping the kids to school, I would head to the shops for milk and other bits, and buy myself a bar or sweets for the drive home – which was only five minutes away!

Once home I would clean the house and sit down to watch TV with a cappuccino, a few biscuits, a bar and packet of crisps. At this point, it was only 10.30am!

Lunch would consist of white bread sandwiches with crisps and a bar on the side. Dinner would be a quick fix – something fried, or frozen food, or a takeaway at least twice a week. I would finish with tea, which was a bag of crisps, a bar and a cuppa.

Often I went to bed feeling sick after shoving in so much, knowing it was bedtime.

I got married in March 2016 and even though I felt beautiful in my dress, I still put myself down on the day.

While getting into my dress I apologised to my sisters-in-law for having to try to pull my corset tight. When they said I looked beautiful I replied that the dress was, but I didn’t feel it was on me.

I even texted my husband-to-be on the morning of the wedding asking him if he was sure he wanted to marry me.

After that we went on a little holiday to Killarney. I sat every day behind a glass window squashed into a chair while wearing jeans and a hoodie to cover up.

While my family played and swam in the pool I was wiping sweat off me. I made excuse after excuse when my children asked me to join them – I would not have been caught dead in a swimsuit.

The turning point for me was last September. My regular jeans had ripped and so I went online to order new ones. The website I usually ordered from was out of stock and panic set in – at size 26 I had nowhere else to shop.

That was it – I decided to join Slimming World. The following Tuesday, with creaky knees and no energy, I weighed in for the first time in Mullingar Park Hotel.

I was so embarrassed and annoyed I had let myself get so heavy and unfit.

As it was my third time joining, I felt so ashamed, but I was made feel so welcome and motivated by group members and, most of all, my consultant, Lorraine.

I grasped the plan straight away and was shocked at how much I could eat in a day, from pasta to potatoes and lots of fruit and veg. I could even have treats once I syned them, which was so good, and I didn’t feel deprived.

I decided to stay going to group every week, which I recommend to everyone as great tips,support and motivation are shared.

Now, I feel amazing inside and out. When I started they were running the Woman of the year 2016 competition. I remember saying to my consultant that I planned on been Woman Of The Year 2017. I was determined!

I set myself little goals and I made them work. I have so much more energy and a lot more confidence in myself. My husband and children eat what I eat and each of them is full of energy also.

How life has changed! Now, breakfast is lots of speed fruit with fat-free yogurt. Lunch is salad, couscous with soya sauce, onions and peppers or my Healthy B allowance of two slices of Slimsters bread filled with lettuce, tomatoes, onions chicken or ham and some lighter than light mayo.

Dinner is chicken noodle stirfry with lots of speed vegetables or curry chips served with extra speed veg and chicken, all cooked with Frylite and plenty of seasoning!

Tea is a big bowl of speed fruit with fat-free yogurt, two Slimming World HiFi bars and a cuppa.

I still have a long way to go – but it is a lifetime journey. I can now play, run and have fun with my children.

I’ve had a hard few months which could have set me off plan as my mother, who is my best friend, was diagnosed with an illness at age of 59, and it has made me realise that life is too short not to make memories.

Slimming World is helping me every day to make memories. It’s keeping me healthy and teaching me brilliant lifestyle changes.

A special word of thanks must go to my husband Kieran. He has been such great support on my journey and when I feel like breaking with a giant bag of crisps or a bar, he reminds me how far I have come and how good I will feel standing on the scales with a weight loss.

I don’t hide away from photos now or make excuses not to attend functions.

I’ll stay in Slimming World for life, look forward to more weight loss, and here’s hoping for Woman of the year 2018.

Slimming World is part of my world, now and forever.

• Amie attends Slimming World in Mullingar Park Hotel every Tuesday at 9.30am. The group runs every Tuesday at 9.30am, 11.30am and 7.30pm. Call Lorraine 085 1613443 for information.