{"id":3313,"date":"2023-10-04T09:48:14","date_gmt":"2023-10-04T08:48:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/slimmingworld.wpenginepowered.com\/blog\/?p=3313"},"modified":"2023-10-12T15:51:38","modified_gmt":"2023-10-12T14:51:38","slug":"alisons-photo-diary-my-60th-birthday-bucket-list","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/alisons-photo-diary-my-60th-birthday-bucket-list\/","title":{"rendered":"Alison\u2019s photo diary: \u201cMy 60th birthday bucket list\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For Slimming World member Alison Berry, losing weight has led to a full bucket list of milestone moments – from taking on a charity challenge to celebrating her 60th feeling full of confidence. Here, she reveals how she fought back from failing health to enter her 60s feeling fitter, healthier and happier than ever…<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I joined Slimming World in 2014, I was at my lowest ebb. A year earlier I\u2019d been rushed to hospital with a life-threatening flare-up of my diverticulitis (a condition affecting my bowel), and since then I\u2019d felt like I was living on borrowed time. Joining my local group with my daughter-in-law, Abby, felt like my last chance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve been at my target weight of 10st 9lbs for seven years now and I\u2019ve never felt better. I haven\u2019t had any symptoms of diverticulitis for years, my blood pressure is at a healthy level, and I\u2019ve got so much confidence. In 2019, I celebrated my 60th birthday by making a bucket list of all the things I felt I couldn\u2019t do at my biggest and I\u2019ve been enjoying ticking each of them off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thinking about joining a Slimming World group? Find our special offers here<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My 60th birthday bucket list<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ride the UK\u2019s longest zipwire <\/strong>\u2714\ufe0f<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
\n
\"zipwire<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

As I stood at the top of Penrhyn Quarry in Wales, about to ride the UK\u2019s longest zipwire, I thought about how I wouldn\u2019t have been able to do this when I weighed over 22st. Minutes earlier I\u2019d had to stand on a set of scales to check I met the zipwire\u2019s weight limit, and at my biggest I would\u2019ve been 4st too heavy to take part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back then I avoided stepping on the scales at all costs, and when I went to my Slimming World group for the first time I was terrified to get weighed. I\u2019d pictured my weight being shouted out to a room full of strangers, so I was relieved when I learned it was nothing like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, seeing 22st 1\u00bdlbs flash up on the screen made me doubt myself\u2026 my Consultant, Susan, encouraged me to trust the plan and assured me that if I read my member pack and followed the advice, I\u2019d start to see a difference. And she was right! As the weeks passed, the weight gradually came off. Now I never worry about stepping on the scales because I know I can handle whatever comes next \u2013 even if it means hurtling down the side of a mountain!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MORE ON THE BLOG: Find out what to expect when you join a Slimming World group<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tackle a rollercoaster \u2714\ufe0f<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
\n
\"theme<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

I remember, when I weighed more than 22st, taking my family to a travelling fairground and having to get off a ride because the safety harness didn\u2019t fit. I felt so embarrassed and I spent the rest of the day watching my family enjoy themselves while I stayed behind to look after their bags.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I started writing my bucket list, I knew I wanted to go back to that fairground \u2013 and this time I was going to get on every ride. As my husband, David, and I took our seats and I heard the safety harness clip into place, I squeezed his hand. \u201cI did it,\u201d I said. It was a real pinch-me moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Brave a firewalk \u2714\ufe0f<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
\n
\"firewalk<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

As I stepped onto the hot coals, the crowd gathered around me roared in support. In some ways, losing weight can feel like you\u2019re walking on fire \u2013 and I couldn\u2019t have made it to the other side if I hadn\u2019t been surrounded by so many supportive people in group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I remember feeling heartbroken the first time I put on weight during my journey. I was sure I\u2019d followed the plan to the letter, so when I saw that I\u2019d gained 1lb I couldn\u2019t understand it. I turned to Susan for support and she suggested that the small blip might be my body adjusting to my new-found active lifestyle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019d recently started swimming four times a week and Susan explained that starting a new activity can briefly lead to a slower weight loss as our muscles get better at storing energy. She reassured me that it was nothing to worry about and if I kept following the plan as I had been \u2013 and kept up my activity \u2013 the losses would soon follow. She was right again! I lost 4lbs the following week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Slimming World members will receive the support of a friendly, highly-trained Consultant to help them overcome any slimming setback<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
Find your local Consultant<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Try a treetop adventure course \u2714\ufe0f<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
\n
\"treetop<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Gripping the rope in front of me, I leaned away from the tree and began my 60ft drop to the ground below. Seconds later, I landed on the ground where my son, Scott, and grandchildren, Joseph and Aliana, were waiting for me. I wouldn\u2019t have had the energy to tackle a treetop adventure course at my biggest. Back then, I couldn\u2019t walk to the end of my garden without needing to pause to catch my breath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019d lost 5st before I felt ready to give Body Magic a try. Susan explained that I could build up my activity levels in small, steady steps, so I started by getting off the bus a stop earlier and walking the rest of the way. Once I felt comfortable with that, I got off two stops earlier, then three\u2026 until eventually I was walking the entire route, and I\u2019d often beat the bus home! Now I walk at least five miles a day and I\u2019ve even taken up wild swimming in the North Sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MORE ON THE BLOG: What is Slimming World Body Magic?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throw a 60th birthday bash \u2714\ufe0f<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

I didn\u2019t have a social life at my biggest. I\u2019d become so self-conscious about my size that I just preferred to hide away. Whenever my birthday came around, I\u2019d want the day to pass me by and would insist that I didn\u2019t want a fuss. I didn\u2019t feel I had any reason to celebrate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was determined that my 60th birthday would be different. I hired the local social club and invited all my nearest and dearest \u2013 including all the friends I\u2019d made at my Slimming World group. For my party outfit, I bought a beautiful purple dress \u2013 in a size 10! I can\u2019t tell you how good it felt to find a dress I loved in my size after so many years of feeling like I had to make do with whatever outfit I could find.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the party, I danced the night away without ever worrying about whether anyone was looking at me, and when I scrolled through Facebook the next day I was proud of how I looked in all the photos. Seven years ago, I was battling my worsening health and I questioned whether I\u2019d even make it to 60. Now, I\u2019ve entered a new decade enjoying life more than I ever thought possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can read Alison\u2019s full weight loss success story here<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Find out more about how Slimming World will help you stay slim for life here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Find your slimming support network <\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Whether you\u2019re new to Slimming World or you\u2019re rejoining after some time away, we\u2019re ready and waiting to welcome you with everything you need to get the long-term weight loss you want, including\u2026  <\/p>\n\n\n\n