Here’s how our client, Susan, lost 2 dress sizes over Christmas, and how you can too.

At Trinity, we speak to hundreds of women in their 40s and 50s who are looking to drop a dress size and keep their weight under control. However, many find this to be impossible over the Christmas period!

As soon as it gets into December, when the days get shorter and the nights get colder, it can be even more difficult to stick to a healthy lifestyle. Before long, the mince pies and chocolate come out, the wine gets opened, and exercise goes out the window! By the time it gets to January, you might be up to a stone heavier.

This leaves many women struggling to fit into their clothes. Instead, they’re choosing what to wear based on covering up “problem areas”, rather than wearing what they like.

Afterwards, what usually happens is people set themselves huge New Year’s goals to try and get rid of those extra Christmas pounds. Perhaps they start off really motivated on the latest fad diet plan…

However, a few weeks later, they’ve given up. Perhaps they go on to regain all the weight by next Christmas and then repeat the cycle of gaining more and more weight every year.

This can be incredibly frustrating and leaves many women feeling stuck and unable to lose weight. But the good news?

With the right approach, it’s possible to not only avoid gaining weight over Christmas, but to actually lose it. All without having to give up food, alcohol or celebrating with your friends and family.

And that’s exactly what 54-year-old Trinity member Susan Adcook was able to do last year. She managed to lose two dress sizes and keep all the weight off over Christmas – even during lockdown!

In our recent podcast episode, we reveal the exact steps she took to make this happen. Plus, we share our top strategies to help you avoid gaining any weight this Christmas. This way, you can get in the best shape of your life in 2022!

Here’s how our client, Susan, dropped 2 dress sizes over Christmas

“Before I started TRINITY I was size 12, over 10 stone and felt bloated, unhealthy and lethargic. I wore baggy clothes to hide lumps and bumps. In general, I was unhappy with how I looked and was losing my zest for life.

“When I felt bored or unhappy I’d open wine at the end of the week to cheer myself up, that was then followed by crisps and chocolate.

“I had tried Slimming World, Weight Watchers, Slimfast and Scottish Slimmers. I went to the gym 4 times a week and although I was quite fit, none of the exercise classes were making a difference to my body shape.

“Since starting the Trinity program everything has changed…

“I have lost just over a stone and the main thing for me is keeping it off, particularly over lockdown and the festive period. I am a very comfortable size 10 and size 8 in some things, when buying clothes, I no longer hide under medium sized jumpers as a small size is figure hugging and flattering.

“I have lost fat around my lower stomach which is something I have never managed before.

“I have now learned about what foods are right for me and my body. Previously I would follow a diet but make unhealthy choices, I can now see the benefits of staying on track with good food choices and I think twice about what I choose before I eat it.

“I am fitter than I have been in years, have more energy and can hold my own in fitness challenges with younger workmates.

“Through the mindset work I no longer react to situations by reaching for chocolate or wine and I have a calmer attitude to life.

“Even when I have gone off track I don’t give up, Ben is there to get me focused again.”

How did Susan lose 2 dress sizes?

By following our tried and tested Fit Over 40 plan, Susan was able to see incredible changes in her body and lose 2 dress sizes over the holiday period. Here’s how she did it.

Do what’s right for your changing body and hormones

Your stress response changes with age, which is vital for women over 40 to consider when it comes to weight loss.

Stress causes cortisol to be released. When this stress hormone is chronically increased, this can lead to a number of negative responses in the body, including:

  • Thyroid deregulation – slower metabolism
  • Leptin resistance – increased cravings
  • Insulin resistance – more fat storage around the middle

In order to monitor this, you need to live a lifestyle which keeps stress levels low…

Switch exercise classes at the gym for low intensity training

Low intensity strength training is an incredibly effective way to keep cortisol levels low. It’s gentle on the joints and only takes 30-45 mins, 3 times a week (plus it can be done from home)!

Our client, Susan, actually saw better results doing LIST, rather than 4 hard sweating gym classes a week. Plus, she’s increased her metabolism by increasing muscle mass too!

Consider our Diet Makeover process, rather than extreme diets

We always recommend you consider a nutritional reset for 1-2 weeks. This acts like rebooting your computer when it’s running slower!

A reset stops you craving sugary comfort foods, so you can stick to making healthier food choices. With Susan, this stopped her from over-consuming wine and sugary treats which messed up her hormones.

Hormonally-balanced eating

You need to make sure you’re eating the right amount (like Goldilocks)! You need to not eat too much so you gain weight, but also not too little which can lead to starvation dieting.

Instead, you need to find just the right amount to lose 1-2lbs every week, whilst still being able to enjoy your favourite foods drinks.

On top of this, you need to eat the right proportions of food, including:

  • Enough protein and fibre
  • Right amount of carbs and fats
  • Not too much alcohol, caffeine or sugar

Accountability and support

Like most of our clients, accountability was what helped Susan the most. She worked with our trainer, Ben, on a 1-1 basis, which helped her tremendously.

It’s easy to fail alone and in private, especially over the Christmas period. External accountability is key, especially when you are getting started. We recommend you find someone (preferably not friends/family) who is willing to check up on you and make sure you are doing the work.

Everyone will have a wobble from time-to-time, and Ben helped Susan to get refocused when she had a wobble, so she still lost 2 dress sizes and didn’t gain any weight over the holidays!

Find out more by clicking the image below!

Snacks to lose weight