I’m Tracey! I am a Slimming World Consultant in Tallaght but most importantly I am a Slimming World member. I have lost five stone following the plan and words cannot convey just how much it has changed my life in every single way. I was a comfort eater, a secret eater and miserably unhappy for all of my teenage life. Since becoming a parent something clicked for me. 

I want to be around for my son for as long as I can be. I don’t want him to grow up seeing food as the enemy and as a reason to hide his emotions. Slimming World has changed everything for me and I want to help others do the same.

One of the questions I get asked time and time again is how people can find the motivation to lose weight. They might be feeling really down and stressed about their weight and health but they struggle to bridge that gap between wanting to do something about it and actually doing something about it. Firstly, you are not alone and you are not losing the plot. It is extremely normal to spend a lot of time feeling upset about something and to actually do nothing about it. Finding the motivation to address the issue is not always straight forward.

As a slimmer myself and from my work as a Slimming World consultant, I have learned a couple of strategies which may help you take that very first step to being proactive about weight loss, if that is something that you want to do.

1. Try to ditch the “I’ll start on Monday” mentality because it can actually create more anxiety and a kind of daunting “count down” to something that may feel like a negative rather than a positive. My advice is to start eating healthier food at your very next meal.

2. Do some research and find a group that will suit you personally. Look at your work schedule, commitments and family life and see if there is a day and time that you will be able to commit to. Simply doing that research and coming to a conclusion is really helpful in moving forward with your goal. It feels proactive.

3. Write a for and against list. What would be the benefits that might come from losing weight in a healthy way? More energy, better sleep, confidence and meeting new friends are some of the most popular. Sometimes we need to see things in black and white for them to resonate with us.

4. Follow some weight loss accounts on social media. There are some amazing Slimming World members who document their food diaries in picture form and this can be hugely motivating. Seeing other people eating curry, burgers, chips and pasta bake is really inspiring when in the next photo you see their amazing weigh-day result from that very week.

5. Try to look at this as a positive thing. It is NOT a punishment or sentence. It really is possible to eat amazing food, have a social life and still get a brilliant weight loss every single week.

6. Join with a friend. Is there a friend or family member who is feeling similar to you? Joining together can be a powerful thing. You will motivate each other throughout the week and attending group together will feel like a social occasion. A nice cuppa, catch-up and sharing recipes and motivation in a room where everyone else knows how it feels.

7. Try to break your goal into smaller ones. Sometimes it can be a little bit daunting to look at the bigger picture. Deciding on smaller more manageable goals can be a great way to motivate yourself without feeling overwhelmed.

8. Read some weight loss success stories online and in the magazine. Reading other people’s stories can be really motivating. People with jobs, families and daily stress just like you and I. Seeing how they managed to make a weight loss plan work for them is a great way to feel confident that you will be able to do it too.