Success Stories

Louise is 27 and an occupational therapist. Less than five months into her BootsDiets.com plan, she's lost 38lbs and dropped from a size 18 to a size 12.

What was your reason for joining BootsDiets?

I joined BootsDiets to help me lose weight before I go travelling. I'm going to South East Asia for 8 weeks with my best friend and, as the date was getting nearer, I was getting more and more upset with how I looked.

I have a suitcase full of holiday clothes that were two sizes too small for me when I started BootsDiets. My aim was to be able to fit into them again and now I can!

I really didn't want to look back on my photos and see a 'fat me' next to all the wonderful places I would be visiting. I also wanted to be fitter so that I could cope with the heat and lugging my backpack around.

Have you tried other diet plans?

I've always struggled with my weight and I've never been happy with my size. I would always get so upset when I went clothes shopping. My friends are all slim and gorgeous. I just wanted to blend in a bit more. My problem was that when I got upset I'd eat junk food to feel better, but it just made me feel worse.

I'd try to eat healthily but I'd lose a few pounds and put them back on again the week after. I signed up for a free trial on BootsDiets.com and I was amazed by how much support complete strangers were offering me and I lost 3lbs in my first week.

What's been the key to your dieting success?

Support from fellow dieters on the forum has definitely been the biggest help. If you fall off the wagon, someone will be there to help you get back on again. It's helpful being able to talk about fat content and the number of calories in Jaffa cakes without your friends rolling their eyes and getting bored of diet talk.

The food diary is invaluable. It was such an eye opener to actually see everything I was putting into my body every day. The foods I'd filled up on thinking they were healthy, weren't that good. It was an education to learn about the nutritional content of common foods and portion control. The diary does it all for you so it couldn't be easier.

How have you made the diet fit into your lifestyle?

I haven't had to make too many major changes, apart from eating healthier. I still eat out regularly, have a glass of wine or two and eat what I want. The difference is that I do these things in moderation and I know how to make better choices for myself. This diet has made me think about things differently. For example, I walk more and reward myself with a yummy yet healthy treat.

Have there been any success milestones?

My main goal was to fit into my two bikinis. As of this week, they both go on and one is actually a little too big! That makes me feel so good. I honestly thought I'd never ever get back into them. One of them wouldn't even go past my knees before the diet!

I also set myself little goals to keep me motivated. I was having a hard time finding anything to wear for my friend's wedding. I'd dropped from a size 18 to a 16, but still wasn't happy. In a mad moment, I bought a gorgeous orange dress in size 14 and hung it on my wardrobe door so it would spur me on each day. I managed to get into the dress for my friend's big day and I felt fantastic when my friends commented on how good I looked.

What are your top three pieces of advice for other dieters?

1. It's ok to have a blip. Just get back on the wagon and persevere. It's too easy to give up after a bad day, but you need to break that habit and remember why you're trying to lose weight in the first place.
2. Use the forums. I wouldn't have got as far as I have without the support fellow losers have given me. If you have a question about a food, exercise or pretty much anything else, someone on there will have the answer. I think this is why BootsDiets has worked for me over other diets. I almost feel like I can't let my fellow dieters down as they've given me so much help, I want to prove that I can do it.
3. Set yourself small goals rather than one big milestone. Rather than thinking about the three stone I want to lose, I thought about getting into my old jeans. I focused on losing half a stone at a time and dropping one dress size at time.

Why not try BootsDiets yourself? Take a 7 day free trial