I lost 17lbs, and 6” from my waist - andrea’s story
Andrea Goodall, 65, Club Spirit Member
Today, we’re sharing Andrea’s inspirational story - she joined our Club Spirit Membership in Jan ‘24…..
Read about her struggle through breast cancer, her challenges with alcohol and weight gain - and how she lost 17lbs and 6” from her waist after 4 months of working with us…..thank you Andrea for being so open and honest as you share your story with us below. You’re a huge inspiration to all of us….
Andrea’s Story: “Six years ago I had a mastectomy. I chose not to have a reconstruction mainly because I couldn’t face the added surgery implications plus I thought at the age of 59, my worries about how I looked were behind me. Rather naively, I hadn’t realized that it would affect the type of clothes I could wear and so would have to rethink the existing necklines in my wardrobe. This made clothes shopping less enjoyable and knocked my enthusiasm and confidence to buy new things. On top of this, although post menopausal, the medication I had to take brought back all menopause symptoms with a vengeance, plus put me at higher risk of bones thinning when I already had osteoporosis and osteopenia.
During this time, my mum’s health was also deteriorating and I had a fair bit of responsibility in caring for her, organizing carers and sorting out her finances. She died in December 2019 and throughout 2020, I had to sort out probate and sell her house. That was also the year Covid hit and gradually my diet and my alcohol intake became worse and worse and my weight started creeping up. I had always enjoyed dancing and had previously regularly done Zumba classes, but after my mastectomy I lost interest and so exercise also went out the window.
I tried online Weight Watchers and Slimming World but the weight losses were short lived and also I felt the low fat diet was too heavily processed and not good for my osteoporotic bones. So I abandoned that idea, carried on drinking and decided that I would have to accept that I could only wear baggy tops and trousers in order to cover the bulges.
At the start of this year I was feeling that I really needed to do something to improve my health. At this stage I was 10 stone 3lbs, waist 41 inches and with a height of 5’ 1 “, that gave me a BMI of 27. This classed me as overweight and I knew I needed to overhaul my lifestyle.
Coincidentally I happened to see Sara on Instagram talking about Club Spirit and I thought that I would join the first class with Sara and Dr. Clare to see what it was about. Both Sara and Dr. Clare struck me as being very understanding and non-judgmental and it was clear that the course covered everything that I needed, exercise, nutritional advice as well as medical advice from Dr Clare if required. And so I decided to give the 12 week course a go.
Fast forward 12 weeks and I am in a completely different place. I have lost 17lbs….6” has come off my waist, and my BMI is in a healthy place at 24.3. I have restricted my alcohol drinking to 3 times a week (instead of every day) and on those days I limit my intake to 2 drinks which has been a major achievement for me. This has not been without self-discipline on my part coupled with the determination to get some control back in my life, but the support from Sara has been instrumental in making it possible.
Throughout the 12 weeks Sara has been an absolute joy, always going the extra mile with her encouragement, words of wisdom and endless supply of tips on how to overcome the old habits that want to creep back in to block progress. Sara radiates passion for improving the lives of peri and post menopausal women and her positivity is contagious. However, she will also give her honest opinion about where changes may be needed if obstacles seem to be getting in the way of achieving your desired goal.
I am now making use of the copious supply of exercise videos on the Club Spirit website and actually look forward to doing them. When I first started, I found the prospect of pilates, yoga, and HIIT very daunting especially in a group setting. However the group itself has become a little power house of ladies on the same journey, albeit at different stages, but when needed Sara is always happy to spend extra time working on technique to make sure that you exercise safely. She also shows different levels of ability and explains each movement in a way that is easy to understand.
Recipe packs and shopping lists are provided to encourage healthy eating. I need to plan otherwise I go for easy options which are not always the healthy options. When time is short it can seem much easier to open a pack of processed food from the freezer rather than spend time chopping up fresh veg and cooking from scratch, but this is work in progress for me, and having a month’s plant based recipe diary to choose from means the planning is already done and dusted.
I have been on a shopping spree and bought size 12 jeans that have plenty of room and a skirt that was a size 10! I am even embracing tucking tops into my jeans, and can fit into clothes that I have not worn for 4 years. It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed buying clothes and this was a massive confidence boost.
However, the course has not just been about losing weight. It’s also been about achieving a balance to my life with exercise to get bones and muscles working, nutritional information to make sure my body has the fuel it needs to get everything working, and meditation to bring stress levels down and help with sleep. I am though over the moon that I have managed to shed a stone but equally important my whole mental attitude has become more optimistic. I feel like I have emerged from a long dark tunnel and with the support from the other members of Club Spirit I will continue to maintain the practices that underpin a healthy way of life. “
Andrea, 65, Club Spirit Member