New start to new year for BBC reporter (From Warrington Guardian)

New start to new year for BBC reporter

12:00pm Friday 11th January 2013 in News

A NEW year and a new start for all those diet books and fitness DVDs which hit the stores with every predictability.

But for Penny Haslam, a BBC business reporter who lives in Lymm, the new year heralds a challenge of a different kind.

She had lost 15 and a half pounds after signing up to Weight Watchers online service in the summer.

And now the real battle begins for her to maintain her trim new figure.

Penny said: “I was a lapsed member who lost a stone in six months a couple of years ago and thought I would just carry on losing weight on my own.

“Before I knew it I was having a normal person’s lifestyle where you wouldn’t think about what was happening.

“I would have a croissant for breakfast or chips with lunch with the girls then a cake because it was someone’s birthday in the office and then in the evening we’d have a curry and I’d have all the side dishes.

“The hard work starts when you get to your goal weight. I lost 15 and a half pounds last year but my challenge is to keep that up.”

The online service helps you track the points you have and the food you eat along with exercise - in Penny’s case it is runs around Lymm Dam, helps to establish healthy routines and make you aware of the dangerous food environments you can find yourself in every day.

“It’s so easy to put on weight with the world we live in,” added Penny. “You can see how rogue food is something to guard against. It’s not about beating yourself up.

“We are living in an obesity crisis, nearly half of men are overweight and one third of women are obese.

“On Weight Watchers you think about food all the time, but in a really positive way.

“I’d like to think of myself as a healthy eater. You only need 500 calories a day more in order to put on a few pounds every year.

“Even if you have a weak week when you’re not losing any weight you just have to keep the faith. At one stage I was losing just a quarter of a pound a week.”

The online and smartphone app offer an alternative to those who feel a weekly class is not for them.

Penny said: “I’m a busy working mum so going to a class is not just intimidating for me, it’s time consuming.”

But now thanks to the app Penny has the extra help she needs and is encouraging others to give it a go.

“Every day should be the first of January,” she added.

To find out more visit weightwatchers.co.uk.