![\"holly](\"http:\/\/slimmingworld.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/holly-bolton-before-succes-story-slimming-world-blog.jpg.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nAlthough I desperately wanted to change, no matter what I tried \u2013 from diet shakes to cutting out entire food groups \u2013 my weight kept creeping up. My GP had referred me to a dietitian who encouraged me to cut back on sugary foods. By now, though, I was getting constant attention from the bullies, and I continued to turn to chocolate and crisps to make myself feel better. It was a vicious cycle that I just couldn\u2019t break out of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At my next appointment, the dietitian told me: \u201cIf you don\u2019t lose weight, the next step could be a referral for gastric bypass surgery.\u201d I glanced at my mum and felt a sting of shame \u2013 had things really got that bad?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mum had gently encouraged me to slim in the past. Now, though, I wanted to do it for me. When she told me she was joining a Slimming World group that had just opened near our house, I didn\u2019t need any encouragement. \u201cI\u2019ll join with you,\u201d I said. Even so, there was a huge part of me that was nervous about the idea. I knew I\u2019d probably be the youngest person there, but what if I was the biggest, too?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As soon as Mum and I walked into group, I realised I had nothing to worry about. Everyone was really friendly, and I discovered that I didn\u2019t need to get hung up about what I weighed or how much I wanted to lose. I followed the Free2Go eating plan*, which was all about focusing on healthy food swaps rather than weight loss, and I loved it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I started having overnight oats with fruit for breakfast, followed by a pasta salad or an omelette filled with peppers, mushrooms and tomatoes at lunchtime. I also helped Mum in the kitchen, learning to make Food Optimising versions of spaghetti bolognese<\/a>, hunter\u2019s chicken<\/a> and cajun chicken pasta<\/a>. They were all really filling and, because I wasn\u2019t hungry, I didn\u2019t need to reach for snacks to lift my mood after school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having the support of my Consultant, Karen Barker, and other members in group made a big difference. Whenever I had a week where I felt like I\u2019d struggled, they rallied around to help me get back on track. They would set me fun challenges, like trying different fruits and vegetables or walking at least 10,000 steps. It never failed to fire up my motivation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I noticed the difference in myself quicker than I expected. After losing 1st, my clothes felt looser \u2013 and the more I could see the weight coming off, the more motivated I felt. When my size 24 jeans no longer stayed up, it was time to go clothes shopping. It was exciting to go to all the high street shops and not feel restricted in my choice of outfits \u2013 I bought tight-fitting crop tops and dresses in a range of colours, and I couldn\u2019t wait to show them off to my friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Losing weight inspired me to get more active, too. Before, even a short walk was enough to leave me breathless and with sore feet, so I started off gently by taking the stairs instead of the lift and walking wherever I could. As my confidence grew, I signed up for a Zumba class and then strength-training sessions at the gym, and before I knew it, I was exercising four times a week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After I\u2019d finished my GCSEs, I decided to move to a new school to start my A levels. Although I was nervous about stepping out of my comfort zone and meeting new people, as soon as I got started I felt like a completely different person. The shy, anxious girl was gone and in her place was a confident young woman who felt comfortable making new friends and speaking up in lessons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve been at target since December 2019, and, while the past few months have been challenging, seeing Karen and my fellow members in My Slimming World Virtual Group<\/a> has helped me stay focused. I got some great ideas for how to have a Food Optimising barbecue<\/a>, and I\u2019ve kept up with Body Magic by skipping and lifting weights in my back garden, as well as going for runs with my brother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was supposed to be taking my exams this month, which sadly isn\u2019t happening, but I\u2019m not going to let it hold me back. I\u2019m currently filling out my application to train as a police officer and I\u2019ve already secured a university place starting in September. Losing 8st 5\u00bdlbs has opened up a whole world of possibilities for me, and I know this is just the beginning of a bright future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can read more about Holly\u2019s journey here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sadly, Holly isn\u2019t the only one who\u2019s been bullied for being overweight. Unkind remarks from others <\/strong>\u2013 or even from ourselves when we don\u2019t like what we see in the mirror <\/strong>\u2013 can have a big impact, as our Mind Your Language report<\/a> showed. It\u2019s incredibly inspiring to hear how Holly has rediscovered her confidence and reminds us that kindness is key to breaking that negative cycle.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If confidence and negative self talk is something you struggle with, you\u2019ll find lots of understanding, help and support in a My Slimming World Virtual Group<\/a> or our encouraging Online Community<\/a>. Together, we\u2019ll help you find your brighter, happier future, just like Holly has.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n And if you\u2019re currently on your weight loss journey or have already achieved your weight loss dreams with Slimming World, we\u2019d love to hear your story.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n *Children aged 11 to 15 can attend a Slimming World group when accompanied by a parent, guardian or family member who has most responsibility for their meals at home. They\u2019ll follow the Free2Go plan, especially created to help young people make healthy food and lifestyle swaps, with access to their own Free2Go app. If you\u2019d like to find out more about Free2Go, your local Slimming World Consultant <\/a>will be happy to help.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Holly was bullied through her school years for being overweight. We find out how she lost over 8st to become our confident, clothes-loving Young Slimmer of the Year 2020<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":1924,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[23,26],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1794"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1794"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1794\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1924"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1794"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1794"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1794"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}