{"id":2037,"date":"2020-08-13T09:47:37","date_gmt":"2020-08-13T08:47:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/slimmingworld.wpenginepowered.com\/blog\/?p=2037"},"modified":"2026-03-09T13:53:02","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T13:53:02","slug":"inspire-erika-spiller-weight-loss-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/inspire-erika-spiller-weight-loss-success\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cMy 5\u00bdst weight loss photo diary\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

At Slimming World, we believe in celebrating every weight loss milestone. It\u2019s because we know that every pound you lose can make a big difference to your life and the way you feel about yourself. That\u2019s definitely been the case for our inspiring member Erika Spiller, who\u2019s experienced many life-changing moments on and off the scales on the way to losing 5\u00bdst. Below, Erika takes us step-by-step through her weight loss journey and reveals how she\u2019s transformed her health and confidence, a stone at a time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Find out about our latest Slimming World offers here.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

March 2019: Starting my journey<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"Erika<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Sitting by the sea in Lanzarote, I should be having the time of my life. Instead, I\u2019m feeling uncomfortable and overheated in my too-tight, size-20 shorts. Plus, there\u2019s something that\u2019s really playing on my mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few days ago, I was walking along the beach and asked my friend to take a photo of me in front of the ocean. As he snapped a few pics on my phone, I twisted and turned, trying to contort my body into a pose I thought would flatter my figure. When he handed the phone back, I scrolled through the photos and my heart sank. I looked so much bigger than I\u2019d imagined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve struggled with my weight for as long as I can remember. As a teenager, I missed out on swapping clothes with my slimmer friends, and if someone took a photo of me on a night out, my eyes would be immediately drawn to my chin or tummy, wondering if they made me look big. When I started getting painful boils on my stomach, caused by a skin condition called hidradenitis suppurativa, I became even more self-conscious about my body and turned to food for comfort. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every so often I\u2019d try to lose weight by cutting out food groups, but I\u2019d quickly get fed up with feeling hungry all the time. And as soon as I returned to my old eating habits, the weight would go back on again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seeing that photo on the beach has made me realise how unhappy I am about my size, though, and I know I want to give slimming another try. A friend recently told me how she lost weight with Slimming World, and she ate proper food, too. As soon as I get home, I\u2019m going to find my local group<\/a> and join.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

May 2019: 1st lost<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"Erika<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

I got my 1st award in group tonight! I\u2019ve been surprised by how much I\u2019ve enjoyed receiving a certificate for every half stone I\u2019ve lost. The other members are always delighted when I get a new award, telling me how well I\u2019m doing, and it definitely spurs me on to achieve the next one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s already a world away from the way I felt when I first walked into group a few weeks ago. Back then, I sat in the new-member area listening to my Consultant, Sharon Grove, explain how Food Optimising<\/a> worked. Although there was a fair bit to get my head around, it was all straightforward \u2013 and when I got home, I read the Food Optimising book from cover to cover before I started to sort my meals for the week ahead. I loved all the filling recipes straight away: chilli con carne, cottage pie<\/a>, even a lightened-up version of my takeaway favourite, crispy chilli beef<\/a>. I was enjoying the food so much that I even stayed on plan on my birthday, saving my Syns for a celebratory drink in the evening. And when I went back to group a week later, I\u2019d lost 6lbs!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since then the scales have kept going down, this healthy way of eating is definitely working…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

September 2019: 2st lost<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"Erika<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

This weekend I was maid of honour at my cousin Georgie\u2019s wedding. When she first asked me, I\u2019d said yes straight away, but my thoughts quickly turned to how I\u2019d look in the photos. My nerves didn\u2019t get any better when I tried on the size-20 dress Georgie had bought for me online and found it didn\u2019t fit. I felt so happy for my cousin, but part of me was dreading the big day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After four months of Food Optimising, though, I\u2019m 2st lighter and I feel completely different. Not only did the strapless dress fit \u2013 I had to keep pulling it up because it was too big! It felt fantastic to be celebrating the occasion with my family and friends without worrying about how I looked. When I saw a few photos on Facebook the next day, I wasn\u2019t thinking about how everyone else was slimmer than me \u2013 all I could see was how much happier and more confident I looked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

November 2019: 3st lost<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"Erika<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The last few weeks have been tough. I\u2019ve lost 3st, but recently my weight loss has stalled and I just can\u2019t seem to get my head in the game again. Tonight I finally shared my struggles with Sharon and the other members in group. Chatting things through with them made me realise that one of the things I\u2019ve been doing is forgetting to measure out my Healthy Extra portions of milk – and the amount I\u2019ve been drinking might have affected my weight loss. I\u2019ve come away from group feeling motivated, and with lots of new recipe ideas to try, too. It\u2019s time to get back on track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

March 2020: 4st lost<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"Erika<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Sharon\u2019s advice really did the trick! Now I\u2019ve got a new challenge to face: the country has gone into lockdown. Rather than worrying about the changes that are out of my control, though, I\u2019ve decided that I\u2019m going to focus on my weight loss journey. I\u2019ve already started cooking extra portions of my meals so that I have some healthy, filling lunches while I\u2019m working from home. And if I can\u2019t find all the ingredients I want in the supermarket, I\u2019m challenging myself to try a fruit or vegetable I\u2019ve not had before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luckily, I still have the support of the other members now that Sharon has launched a temporary virtual group. Although it\u2019s different to a real-life group, it\u2019s great to see everyone\u2019s faces again and hear how they\u2019re getting on. Plus, Sharon is posting my 4st award out to me, so I can still stick it up on my fridge!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MORE ON THE BLOG: Phil Kayes shares the moments that helped him lose over 21st<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

May 2020: 4\u00bdst lost<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"Erika<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Today I got the call from my doctor that I\u2019d been waiting for: I can reduce the medication for my skin condition. I haven\u2019t found a boil in months and the doctor said my weight loss has definitely helped. If I keep going like this, pretty soon I\u2019ll be off the tablets altogether.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

June 2020: 5st lost<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"Erika<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

My body is changing dramatically now. I recently bought my first ever co-ord outfit online \u2013 in a size 12! When it arrived, I was nervous that it would be too small\u2026 but as I slipped on the matching shorts and crop top and stood in front of the mirror, I was amazed. It fitted! As I stood admiring my reflection from every angle, I couldn\u2019t stop smiling. I even did a little dance in my bedroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then I did something that really surprised me \u2013 I took a photo and posted it on Instagram. I\u2019d started my profile a few months ago, but only felt brave enough to post pictures of my meals. With my growing confidence, I\u2019ve started sharing my transformation with my followers. I love all the encouraging comments I get whenever I post a new photo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve had another small breakthrough this month \u2013 I\u2019ve downloaded the Couch to 5K app and I\u2019ve been for my first run around the estate where I live. My eyes were darting around the whole time in case I ran past someone I knew, and my lungs felt like they were going to explode by the time I\u2019d finished, but it felt good to get moving. I\u2019m enjoying the challenge and I\u2019m going to see how far I can get with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

August 2020: 5\u00bdst lost<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"Erika<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

I\u2019m definitely a runner now! This morning I ran for a solid 28 minutes \u2013 in my fastest time yet! I\u2019ve only got one more week to go before I complete the programme and I\u2019m going to keep it up afterwards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve got another reason to be excited today. Sharon has told me that my real-life group is reopening! As much as I\u2019ve enjoyed attending a virtual group, I can\u2019t wait to get back to the real thing and see everyone\u2019s faces again. I\u2019m only a stone away from my target now, and I\u2019m glad that I\u2019ll be able to celebrate with everyone in person when I get there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Life is so completely different now I\u2019ve lost 5\u00bdst. I feel fitter and healthier than I have in a long time, and my confidence has never been higher. Once it\u2019s safe to travel again, I\u2019m going to book a girls\u2019 holiday with some friends. I\u2019m excited at the thought of striding across a beach in a bikini, feeling happy and confident about my body. And this time, I know I\u2019m going to love seeing the photos afterwards!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can find out more about joining Slimming World here.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What an amazing set of photos showing Erika\u2019s progress! It\u2019s great to hear how she\u2019s transformed her confidence during her weight loss journey. You can find out more about joining Slimming World here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019d love to hear about your weight loss journey, whether you\u2019re just starting out, have overcome a slimming setback or are nearing your target. Tell us your story<\/a>!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Done with feeling unhappy about her size, Erika Spiller was determined to lose weight. Here, through a series of weight loss snapshots, she reveals how she rediscovered her confidence<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":2034,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[22,23,26],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2037"}],"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=2037"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2037\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15890,"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2037\/revisions\/15890"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2034"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2037"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2037"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2037"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}