Nicky has been on an incredible journey. She hated how she looked, avoided going out, her self esteem was low and she was constantly breathless. Not really believing she could stick to the plan, something made her try it anyway & she hasn’t looked back, losing a huge 6 stone*! Here, she shares how her life has completely changed and how it felt to be named the overall winner of our May June “Summer is Coming’ Transformation Challenge.
New You: Nicky, why did you decide to join the Transformation Challenge?
Nicky: I didn’t actually decide to join it at first. When I first started The New You Plan, I was in such a negative mindset, so I didn’t think there’d be any point joining the challenge. I didn’t think I’d be able to stick to the diet. But after about three weeks on plan and losing just over a stone, that started to change. I braved it and took my photos. But at that stage, I was still in a place where there was no way I was going to share them with anyone. But I took them and they were there just in case.
New You: How did you feel when you found out you were the overall winner?
Nicky: To be honest I really couldn’t believe it. I think I’m still in shock. To think I wasn’t even going to enter the Transformation Challenge and took those extra few weeks before taking my ‘I am in’ photos. It’s just incredible, I was on my lunch break at work when I got the phone call and my class was just about to come into the room. I couldn’t stop smiling and had several comments from my pupils about what a good mood I was in. I feel so amazing with losing the weight and getting to target and this is an amazing bonus on top. I’ve still no idea what I’m going to spend the prize on but I’m sure a nice spa weekend for myself and my daughter will be high on the list.
Getting started…
New You: What led to you starting the plan?
Nicky: I actually just hated the way I looked. I’ve always been big. I can remember at school when I was 11, when I went on to secondary school, the school nurse took everyone’s weight at that stage. And when I was 11 years old, I was 11st 4lbs So I’ve always been big. But basically, as an adult, when I walk into a room, I always looked around to see if there was anyone bigger than me. My self-esteem was that low that I wouldn’t go out. I couldn’t even climb a flight of stairs without being out of breath. I literally hated myself, hated my body, avoided mirrors, avoided cameras, avoided photos.
Last year, I had the most amazing opportunity. I went to Jerusalem for 10 days in the surrounding areas. I’ve got some amazing photos, but there’s only two of me. It was looking back at those photos and how much I hate myself and I knew I had to change. As simple as that. I had to change.
New You: And tell us about that first week…
Nicky: The first day was surprisingly easily. I think a lot of that was because I was really pleasantly surprised with how the packs tasted. My first pack, I can remember, was the Chocolate Shake. And as I was making it, I was like, Oh my God, it’s going to be like the old, (I won’t say another brand,) but it was going to be like these shakes that were a bit tasteless and just really artificial. I was just really pleasantly surprised. My first day was surprisingly easy. I think when you first start a diet, you’re also, Wooo, up for it.
The second day, I was so hungry. But I had a really busy day at work, so that wasn’t an issue. And day three, I woke up with the killer headache, which I know a lot of people get. I was on the Secret Slimmers group, reading all the advice, just drank lots of water, took paracetamol and got through it. And then it was like waking up to a whole different world on the Thursday morning. I had so much energy when I woke up, and that was it.
From then, I actually found really easy. I had this incredible energy. My house had never been so clean. My cupboards had never been tidy so much. I won’t say I was hungry. I wasn’t hungry, but I had cravings. It became about managing what you actually need and not what you think you need. It’s about listening to your body after those initial few days, because you’re not actually hungry.
New You: What are your go-to meals & snacks?
Nicky: There’s two: Spaghetti Bolognese and the Chocolate Brownie. I always end the day with a Chocolate Brownie. I might have been known to have Spaghetti Bolognese for breakfast once or twice. I could literally eat it for every meal. I absolutely love it. And with the chocolate brownie, I love a spoonful of the Orange Water Flavouring in it.
Life changing…
How would you say the plan has changed your life?
Nicky: Everything’s changed. I think the biggest thing is I’m genuinely happy. My confidence has gone up in a way that I didn’t expect it to. I always thought that I was quite a confident person, even though my self-esteem was quite low. The biggie from the beginning is I no longer judge myself against other people. I walk into a room, it doesn’t matter who else is in there. I’m just me. And I suppose I try and show myself the love and respect that I show other people. So I listen to my body more. I take time to analyse why I’m feeling the way I’m feeling. I spend a few minutes every morning just being me, thinking about how I feel, thinking of the day ahead, what could cause me those issues for the day, planning a lot more.
I started walking a few months into the plan as I was really motivated by New You Ambassador Anne-Marie’s running and the way that she’s so positive about life. It was like, Okay, I can do this. So I downloaded the Couch to 5K app and started running a couple of months ago. I’ve joined a gym, so I now run three mornings a week, at least. I’ve got up to 5K just like yesterday. I mean, it was slow, but I did it. My goal is to run a Parkrun 5K by in 35 minutes or less. But I just love it. When I come back in, I just feel so alive after doing it. I mean, I’m knackered and I literally melt when I get back in, but it just makes you so happy. It’s like, wow, I’ve just done that. Isn’t the body an incredible thing? I’ve abused it my whole life, and now I can go out and run. I can do stuff. This is me doing this. I never thought I would run. I never thought I’d enjoy running, but it gets quite addictive after a little while.
New You: What has being on plan taught you so far?
Nicky: It sounds really weird, but I’ve learned that I’m not a dog. I don’t have to reward myself with food. If you reward yourself with food, you feel so bad afterwards. How is that a reward? So it’s been about rewarding myself in other ways, not with food. And actually those ways make me feel a lot better. And the other one is, again, just taking that time for me. I think that’s a biggie. You deserve to give yourself that time, the same as you give other people.
New You: Any memorable non-scale victories you’d like to share?
Nicky: There’s been so many. I think the biggest one is sitting in the bathtub and literally having the water go around you, rather than backing up behind you like a dam. Being able to wrap a towel around you afterwards and managing to cut your toe nails. And public toilet cubicles tend to be so small, but getting around the door without getting stuck in the door. My whole life’s different. I’m flying to see my sister in a couple of weeks time. And for the plane journey, I know I’m just going to fit in the seat and the seat belt will go around me. It’s not going to be a problem.
New You: What are you most looking forward to when you reach your goal?
Nicky: I just want to keep feeling like this. I never want to go back. My only goal is to keep maintaining. Basically, I just want to stay under 10 stone. This is really silly, but I actually laugh when I walk past a mirror sometimes because I can’t believe it. I look at the mirror and just laugh like, whoa. I just want to keep feeling like that.
New You: What is the nicest compliment you have received since losing weight?
Nicky: It wasn’t a specific compliment but more the reaction. A man that runs a local garage, hadn’t seen me since December and he saw me and did a physical double take when I walked into the shop. He didn’t recognise me at all. And then he actually checked that it was me. I’ve known him since I was a teenager so that was just the best reaction ever.
New You: If you could go back in time to when you were beginning the plan, what piece of advice would you give yourself?
Nicky: I had to think so long about this one, and I honestly don’t know exactly. I think because I was on it for so long, the biggest advice would be, don’t be so hard on yourself, really. I’m an RE teacher in a secondary school, and one of the things that I’ve got on the wall in my classroom is treat others as you’d like to be treated. And I think it’s important to turn it around and treat yourself as you treat others. So that’s the biggie. Just be kind to yourself. You wouldn’t speak to others and treat others as you treat yourself. So just treat yourself as you treat other people and give yourself a break.
Whether you want to lose half a stone or 10 stone*, have a slimmer figure, or are just looking to get maximum nutrition in minimum time, then New You can make the perfect partner to get you to where you want to be.
Join Our £100,000 Giveaway… Make 2024 Your Year of MORE
Our Transformation Challenge is BACK for 2024 & it’s bigger & better than ever!!
Are you ready to make 2024 your healthiest, happiest year yet? This year we launched our biggest ever giveaway, and we’re inviting you to be a part of it. Join us on a journey of self-improvement, community, and incredible rewards.
The Lowdown…
- Enjoy 4 yummy meals a day: Kickstart your health journey with tasty meals that make a real difference.
- Share your story: Got a great update? Post it on social media and in our community. You could win awesome freebies just for sharing your progress!
- Snap & win: Every 2 months, send in your progress photos. You could win a share of £7000. Let’s celebrate your journey together!
- Go for the big prize: Create an amazing transformation and you could grab our top prize of £10,000 in November 2024. It’s all about the wow factor!
Exciting Prizes to be Won
This year, we’re giving away 52K in cash. £7,000 cash will be won every 2 months for our absolute favourite glow-ups! One overall winner will WIN £3000 cash and 4 more customers will each WIN £1000. And the grand finale? An epic £10,000 cash prize for one overall winner! Plus, if you’re a runner-up sharing your story, you’re in for a treat with thousands of pounds worth of awesome products!
Our next Transformation Challenge deadline is 30th June so it’s time to submit your I AM IN photos.
The post £100K TRANSFORMATION CHALLENGE: Overall Winner Nicky Lost 6st* & Won £3000 Cash first appeared on The New You Plan.
The post £100K TRANSFORMATION CHALLENGE: Overall Winner Nicky Lost 6st* & Won £3000 Cash appeared first on The New You Plan.
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