'Weight gain made me look pregnant - a simple exercise helped me lose four stone'
21.01.2024 - 16:33
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
A woman who says hula hooping helped her lose almost four stone says she decided to lose weight after fearing her friends thought she was pregnant.
Philippa McCleod, 30, decided to slim down after tipping the scales at 12st 4lbs and feeling uncomfortable around her mates on nights out.
By swapping junk food for fruit and home cooked, she's managed to go from a dress size 14 to a size 6 - now weighing in at an incredible 8st 6.5lbs.
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Philippa credits one simple exercise in particular for her 23inch waist - hula hooping. The account manager, from Leigh, said: “I remember I had bought a new black dress to go out with friends and I wasn't drinking so I was worried they would think I was pregnant.
“They didn’t say anything but I just felt so uncomfortable thinking they would mistake my weight gain for being pregnant. I knew I had to make a change. I now feel amazing and so confident in myself.”
Philippa joined Slimming World in June 2017 and completely changed her diet and lifestyle to shed 3st 12lbs. "I was ashamed at the clothes I was buying when I was big, so that was another factor for me to lose the weight," she said.
Philippa swapped big pizzas for healthy pizza wraps and snacked on fruit rather than crisps and chocolate. She also made healthy treats so she didn't miss out - such as oat doughnuts and French toast.
“It took quite a while for the weight to fall off but I kept motivated," she said. In a year Philippa had lost 2st 9lbs and started to exercise more to maintain her weight.
“I now walk everywhere," she said. “I use my hour lunch break at work to go for a walk and always try to walk to a friend rather than jumping in the car.”
Philippa also