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22nd January 2017
07:39pm GMT
For many of us, January is an opportunity for a fresh start and a chance to make some positive changes in our life.
Whether it's making our bank balance a little less scary or kicking the cigarettes for good, there's something about a new year that makes things seem a little more achievable.
Losing weight is one of the most popular New Year Resolutions but it can seem like an uphill battle when you're in a constant battle with the scales.
This week, we caught up with Louise Butler-Byrne who lost 6.5 stone in 2016 to get her top tips for shedding those pounds – and keeping them off!
When I think of all the times my weight interfered with my life over the years, I wonder why I didn’t change things sooner.
I got to a point where I realised that if it was my weight that was causing all these problems, then surely the answer was simple? Was I ready to admit that I had caused this myself? I began to look at why I was eating and soon realised that not only was I eating when I was feeling down, I was eating for all my emotions! I celebrated with food and I comforted myself with food. Once I was honest about my eating patterns, it was much easier to control them.
I think my local takeaways are gone into liquidation, as the first thing I did was give them all up! I then educated myself on the type of food that my body needed, rather than what my head wanted. I ransacked the shops for everything my new healthy life needed.
At first, I was eager to embrace my new lifestyle and was regularly left with gone off fruit and veg at the end of each week because I was buying so much. Another big change was my alcohol consumption. I totally cut back and was more aware of what I was drinking.
Minus the cankles and a varicose vein or two, my legs work just fine and have done so my entire life. I was the type of person who parked closest to the door when going to the shop and had been known to sit there and wait for a closer spot to become free. Needless to say, at such a heavy weight, I needed to get moving to shift the pounds.
During my first few sessions, I remember thinking to myself “how do people do this?” and “why do people do this?”. However, as my fitness levels increased so did my passion for exercise. It gave me a thrill like no amount of food ever had.
The support I have received from everyone was amazing. It was only when I was six months into my new healthy lifestyle that my family and friends could tell me how worried they had been.
I had so many fights with my mam about my weight and would always take such offense if she commented on what I was eating. I now know she was only trying to look out for me. I feel you owe it to yourself and those in your life to be as healthy as you can be.
Over the past few months, the pounds have been coming off but we all have those weeks of disappointment on the scales. For me, these weeks are very dangerous as it’s times like this that make me feel disheartened and want to give up.
Of course, I have had weeks where I have gained as this is real life and I'm not perfect but I learned to deal with these weeks by not overthinking them, acknowledging them and moving forward. I stuck at it and all the ounces turned to pounds and all the pounds turned to stones.
I have learned that meal prep is SO important. There are days when I come in from work starving and if I don’t have dinner organised, I could have four or five biscuits munched before I've even decided what I’m in the mood for.
I leave my breakfast out the night before and I also make my lunch the night before. I leave the house in the morning knowing what I’m having for my dinner that evening. I even plan, prepare and freeze meals in advance so there are always a handy few dinners ready to go in case of emergency. I know this seems like hard work, but if you take a bit of time out (just two or three times a week), your life will be made so much easier.
Up until last year, I lived on takeaways and convenience food. With my new lifestyle, these all had to go. I discovered a new passion for cooking. I decided if I was going to be eating meals that might not have been my first choice on a menu, I was going to make them as appealing as I could.
I started to record myself on my Snapchat and made healthy versions of my old favourite meals. The most popular ones are my healthy homemade Big Mac and Spice Bag. I posted them to social media and got so inundated with messages that I decided to set up a website!
I was so scared I would fail and quit when things got tough. I set myself little goals and targets every few weeks and as I ticked each of them off, my confidence in myself grew. I realised I was much stronger than I thought I was.
If you told me in June 2015 that I would be competing in the Women’s 10k Mini Marathon within twelve months, I would have laughed in your face. But there I was, crossing the finish line bursting with pride. Five months previous, I had been struggling to get in and out of my car.
There are so many people out there who are in the same position as I was this time last year. I get daily messages from these people crying out for help and quick fixes. I wish I could wave a magic wand and help them all but the truth is there are no quick fixes. It requires dedication and willpower.
It has taken me a year to get where I am today and the journey hasn’t been easy at times. However, I wouldn’t change any of it as it has made me the person I am today. I only hope my story can inspire even one person to want to make a change to their life like I did mine.
You can follow Louise's journey on her website and Instagram.
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