I lost a stone in 14 weeks by doing weights, walking and yoga

After 14 weeks, I’d lost a stone and was down to 7st 8lbs, and my tummy had shrunk back down. In addition, my biometric scales were also showing me how much fat I was losing and muscle I was gaining. My skeletal muscle mass has always been low – I’ve been warned about it before by my GP, and I knew that I was in danger of getting osteoporosis. Now my muscle mass is above average, and it makes me so happy to think that I’m future-proofing my body. I don’t want to be that little old lady that falls over and snaps. Pleasingly, the machine at the gym which measures metabolic age (body composition), tells me I’m down to 38 years old.

I’ve just bought the dress I’m going to wear to my daughter’s wedding this summer, and I feel amazing in it. It’s very unforgiving, and I wouldn’t have had the confidence to wear it before, but now I can’t wait to wear it and to thoroughly enjoy her beautiful day.

Exercise

Before, I walked and did a bit of yoga or Pilates, but not regularly. Now I have five resistance sessions per week, either with a personal trainer or using an app called Sweat; I do things like kettlebell swings, squats with weights, and weighted lunges. I do the odd Park Run, which I hadn’t done for 15 years, and have started doing a few 5k runs on the treadmill before a session. I also do lots of walking, which really helps clear my head.

Oona’s top tips

• Don’t fall into a guilt spiral: If you indulge in a treat, don’t waste time feeling guilty about it – as I used to – and then write the rest of the day off with mad eating. Just think, I ate or drank that, I enjoyed it, now it’s time to start again.
• A little bit of planning really helps you stay on track. That could be quickly jotting down what you’re planning to eat that day, to help you stick to it, taking a snack in your bag, or batch cooking some meals in advance.
• Visualise where you want to be, be that an event in the future like a holiday or feeling strong in your later years. It helps you stay on track when your motivation is waning.

 As told to Jessica Salter