A woman who has lost 6st 6lbs says she loves being able to shop anywhere - including Victoria's Secret. Martinette Tindall says she felt "amazing" when she was finally able to walk into the lingerie store and buy items straight off the rack.
For years it had been a case of buying what fit rather than shopping for clothes she loved. And it was not just her wardrobe which being overweight left her struggling with.
The 44-year-old from Wapping, East London, said everyday life such as travelling on public transport left her feeling uncomfortable. She would even avoid sitting next to people on the tube because she was too big to fit into one seat comfortably.
Now life has transformed for Martinette after she dropped from 19st 9lbs to 13st 3lbs, by following the exante meal replacement diet. Since taking up the plan in August last year the business support manager has dropped from a dress size 26 to 14, by having diet brand exante’s shakes, meals, soups and bars - and incorporating other healthy meals into her diet alongside them.
Now, Martinette is ‘more confident than ever’, and says she’s no longer limited in where she shops for clothes - and can even wear items from a brand she’d never considered - Victoria’s Secret. She’s fit enough to run 5K twice a week and play tennis - something she couldn’t do before - and keeps a water bottle and a cucumber in her fridge to curb her cravings when she opens the door out of habit in between meals.
Martinette said: “I've been on-and-off diets for as long as I can remember. I tried most things like intermittent fasting, exercise and low-carb, high-fat diets. I tended to lose a bit of weight, completely fall off the wagon, put all the weight back on, and then some.
“I think my main problem was that I never realised how big I was, because I wasn’t unhappy either. But being overweight had negative effects on my body and I wasn’t able to live the active lifestyle I wanted to.
“I’ve been running since 2017 but I just kept on getting bigger and bigger even though I exercised, and I’d ache so much after from carrying the extra weight.”
Martinette started her new diet with exante’s four-week plan, which includes a mix of low-calorie, nutritionally-complete meal replacement products. Initially she had porridge for breakfast, pancakes for lunch and a savoury meal for dinner, plus a protein bar as a snack. She began on 800 calories a day, which is exante's very low-calorie diet plan, often considered by obese or severely obese people.
Those with type 2 diabetes are often recommended to the programme by a healthcare professional as it can help to put sufferers into remission from the disease, by triggering the fat loss needed in order to do so, or reduce their need for diabetes-related medication. It should be undertaken for a maximum of 12 weeks.
Martinette now consumes around 1,200 calories a day, and added: “About a month into my diet I introduced other food. For example I'd take an exante soup and make it into a flatbread dish by adding zero-fat yoghurt, avocado and tomato.
“Now I mostly try to eat healthy meals which are high in protein and low in carbs, but I don’t beat myself up if I have a juicy burger or treats every now and then. If I feel like I’m plateauing, I’ll incorporate more exante meal replacements into my diet.
“I joined Wapping Running Club which really helped me to stay motivated, because people would compliment me on my weight loss and help me to be consistent with my exercise. The fitter I’ve become the easier it’s been for me to move around and exercise, I’ve knocked 15 minutes off my 10K run personal best.
“I’m much more confident now. I don’t have to pick a seat on the tube next to a slimmer person so I can fit in the seat properly, or avoid sitting down next to someone altogether. My life has completely transformed.”
Martinette has begun taking active holidays instead of just ‘lying on the beach all day’ - and has tried paddle-boarding - something she admits she wouldn’t have attempted before she lost weight.
She said: “What I noticed most on this weight loss journey is my habits. I realised every time I walked into the kitchen I’d open the fridge, so now I have a water bottle and a cucumber in there, so if I open the door I have some water or if I’m really feeling peckish in between meals I’ll just have some cucumber.
“My purse isn’t thanking me at the moment because I can go into almost any shop and find something in my size, before I was limited to a few shops that stocked larger sizes. I felt amazing when I walked into Victoria’s Secret and realised I fit into their garments. I'd just never even considered it before."
“My advice to people on a weight loss journey is drink enough water. If you have something off-plan, choose the best version of that thing and enjoy it, and track your calories using an app.
“I used to estimate the amount of calories I was having everyday and when I started tracking them properly I realised I was underestimating some meals by 200-300 calories. There are also lots of comments I found unhelpful during my weight loss journey which I think are important for people to know because these journeys can be really difficult for people.
"People would say things like, 'Don't lose too much weight', 'You'll probably put it back on when you stop the diet', 'Just have a glass of wine with me it won't make a difference', 'Are you okay you've lost some weight'."
Anyone embarking on a low-calorie diet plan, or who has a medical condition and is looking to change their diet, should seek medical advice from their GP or a healthcare professional first.
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