David & Barbara write:

We joined W8 Matters in mid-April 2009 with the goal of losing a stone or two each before our forthcoming Round the World trip commencing mid August. We did not expect to reach target by then, but were already looking forward to buying new clothes and beachwear to pack into our suitcases!

During the first few weeks, we were both surprised at how the weight was dropping off us at a steady rate of around 2 lbs per week. David even managed to win the “Slimmer of the Week” award one week. Both of us were eating much more food than we had been previously, and this food included such things as chicken liver pate, cheesecake (all home made with allowable ingredients, of course), mountains of rice and pasta on some days, and plenty of meat, chicken and fish on others.  We were also eating bacon or smoked salmon & eggs for breakfast several mornings each week, and going out to restaurants regularly! Yes, we did eat lots of salad, fresh vegetables and fruit as well but, unlike most diets we have been on before, “rabbit” foods were not the only ones available for us to eat! The plan also allowed us to drink a couple of glasses of wine each a day, but we both chose to give up alcohol for the first three months of the diet so that we could use up our calorie allowances on yet more food!

We were both quite competitive about our weight losses, and it was quite uncanny that we were losing more or less the same amounts each week. The whole class at La Cala were getting involved in our little weekly competitions against each other!

Well, the middle of August soon came around, and it was time for our last weigh-in before we set off for our dream holiday. David’s target was to lose 2 stone, and Barbara’s was to lose 2 stone 9 lbs. There had not been a class for two weeks because of summer holidays, and we both felt we were doing quite well. Barbara stepped on the scales first and was delighted to be only 6 lbs short of her target. Then it was David’s turn. Unbelievably, he was only 1 lb short of target! Lesley suggested he take off his watch, his glasses, and anything else that would keep him decent to try to shift that pound, but all to no avail – he still weighed the same! So off we went on our holidays, feeling fit and quite slim.

We had a fantastic holiday and ate & drank food & wine from all over the world, including the biggest portions of cheesecake you could imagine from the Cheesecake Factory in San Francisco (over 1,000 calories each), and gallons of wine imbibed during countless wine tastings over three continents! But, most of the time, we stuck to the main principles of the plan, and never felt as if we were putting on too much weight as all our new clothes were still fitting ok and we felt good.

On our return to class at the end of October 2009, Barbara was delighted to have LOST 4 lbs whilst on holiday, and David LOST 2 lbs – which meant that he had REACHED TARGET!! Barbara kept on the plan for a couple more weeks, and by the second week of November 2009, she too had reached target.

We put our success down to the fact that we both attend the classes each week (and intend to continue with this now we are at target) and so we both fully understand the plan. Of course, we could not have done it without the motivation and support of Lesley (and, for a few weeks early on, Joan). It is a fantastic plan, which really does work if you take it seriously and make a few small sacrifices at the beginning.

Thank you again Lesley; we enjoyed our holiday so much more than we would have if we had still been too fat and unfit to make the most of it!

David  & Barbara

(Check out their Before & After Pictures by clicking on their names)