{"id":2535,"date":"2021-01-04T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-01-04T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/slimmingworld.wpenginepowered.com\/blog\/?p=2535"},"modified":"2024-07-08T16:28:08","modified_gmt":"2024-07-08T15:28:08","slug":"i-never-thought-id-enjoy-exercise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/i-never-thought-id-enjoy-exercise\/","title":{"rendered":"“I never thought I\u2019d enjoy exercise”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If the new year has got you thinking more about your health, now\u2019s the perfect time for a fresh start. Our programme is based on over 50 years experience, expertise and science, and is used by the NHS to help people achieve real and lasting weight loss. We’re proudly partnering with Public Health England to offer \u00a320 off Slimming World Online membership as part of the NHS Better Health campaign.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To inspire you towards enjoying a slimmer, fitter, healthier lifestyle in 2021, we\u2019re also sharing the story of Ashli Sterling, who lost 3st 7lbs by Food Optimising and discovered a love of fitness that\u2019s benefitting her entire family…<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

More on the blog: Find out about our involvement in the NHS Better Health campaign<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOver the years, I\u2019d sometimes thought that maybe I ought to get fit, but I knew I didn\u2019t actually want to. I\u2019d lost count of the number of gym memberships I\u2019d taken out, only to go once or twice and never again. I\u2019d convince myself there was always a reason why I couldn\u2019t go to the gym or out for a walk: it was too cold, too late, I was too busy. I knew deep down the reason was that my weight made it feel too difficult. Just walking up two flights of stairs in our three-storey house would leave me gasping for breath.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Then my partner Danny\u2019s mum joined Slimming World, and seeing how well it was working for her spurred me to join, too \u2013 and I lost 4lbs in the first week! Things were going well until, a few months later, some happy news took me off course\u2026 I was pregnant. When I told my Consultant, Alicia, she explained how Slimming World works with the Royal College of Midwives<\/a> to help expectant mums like me carry on Food Optimising during pregnancy. So I followed her expert guidance, and after my son, Joey, was born in October 2017, I only weighed 10lbs more than when I\u2019d found out I was pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gradually getting active<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Now that I was a mum, those niggling thoughts that I should be more active took on a new importance. At group, Alicia had told us about Slimming World\u2019s activity programme, Body Magic<\/a>, and how we could build up gradually to an active lifestyle. I set myself a challenge of walking 10,000 steps a day, no matter what. Each day, I\u2019d put Joey in his pram and head out with our dog, Penny, for a slightly longer walk than the day before. Some days I was shocked to realise I\u2019d done closer to 20,000 steps by the time I headed to bed. Meanwhile, Food Optimising<\/a> was still giving me great results \u2013 by June 2018, I\u2019d reached my target weight, and two months later I hit my second target weight of 9st 4lbs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MORE ON THE BLOG: How Karen Darler lost 7st by making time for herself<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was proud of my 3st 7lb weight loss, so when the first lockdown happened I was determined that the change in routine wouldn\u2019t send me off course. Danny and I headed out with Joey, Penny and our new dog, Martha, for their daily walk, and we also started doing online workouts every morning. We were surprised at how tricky we found it, and were amazed we both kept going! Soon, we decided to step things up a bit and both downloaded the Couch to 5K app<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Ashli<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

We decided to each try the app on alternate days, so one of us could stay home with Joey. On my first day, I pulled on a pair of old trainers, a baggy T-shirt and leggings, and plugged in my earphones. The app told me I needed to run for 60 seconds, then walk for 90 seconds. \u2018I can\u2019t run for 60 seconds,\u2019 I thought. \u2018This is pointless.\u2019 And if I couldn\u2019t run for 60 seconds, how was I ever going to run 5K? I didn\u2019t want to go home and tell Danny I hadn\u2019t even tried, though, so I gave it a go. And it was hard, but I just about managed it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Loving my new lifestyle<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While Danny struggled with injuries and had to give up, unexpectedly, I kept going. And, little by little, I found I could run further each time \u2013 until one day I was running solidly for 30 minutes and completing my first 5K! As I rounded the corner, Danny was waiting at the front door for me. \u2018You did it!\u2019 he said. \u2018Amazing!\u2019 I felt incredible. How had I managed to run for 30 whole minutes when I could barely manage a minute not so many weeks ago?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not just when I\u2019m running that I appreciate being so much fitter. As a family, we\u2019re always out and about, and I can\u2019t wait until Joey, now three, is old enough to ride a proper bike, so he can cycle alongside me as I run. I love the fact that I only have to step out of my front door to head off on another adventure. There\u2019s no more wasting money on gym memberships I never intended to use or special equipment to buy. These days, as well as feeling fit, I love every second of my active new lifestyle. And I honestly never thought I\u2019d say that!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MORE ON THE BLOG: Cycling helped Lois through her son\u2019s cancer treatment<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a320 off Slimming World Online membership<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019d like to kick-start your journey towards better health, we\u2019re offering \u00a320 (\u20ac25) off Slimming World Online membership if you sign up before midnight 13th March 2021. Click the link below and enter the code PHE2021 to take up the offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take that first step<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

FREE Fresh Start menu planner in Slimming World groups<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019d like to find out more about joining your supportive local Slimming World group, you can contact your nearest Consultant here<\/a>. When you join, you\u2019ll get a FREE copy of our That Fresh Start Feeling<\/em> menu planner, while stocks last. Packed with 28 days of Food Optimising meals, plus helpful hints and tips, this planner has everything you need to achieve a smashing weight loss in your first week \u2013 and beyond!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Discover how Ashli Sterling went from doing anything to avoid activity to getting out for a run come rain or shine \u2013 and learn about our involvement in the NHS Better Health campaign<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":2538,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[22,14,16,26],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2535"}],"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=2535"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2535\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9261,"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2535\/revisions\/9261"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2538"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2535"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2535"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2535"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}