Woman whose PCOS saw her balloon to size 24 sheds seven stone

A ‘gymphobic’ woman who hated her size 24 body so much she considered bariatric surgery has revealed her impressive 6 stone weight loss.

Alanoosh Williams, 25, from Darwen, Lancashire saw her weight soar to 20 stone while battling polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) which also left her skin covered in boils, and struggled to shed pounds despite hitting the gym.

Her PCOS symptoms included her skin breaking out in boils and redness, mood swings, and rapid weight gain that saw her put on 10 lbs in just one week. 

At first Alanoosh, who works in finance, was determined to persevere at the gym and work on her fitness – before ‘judgmental’ gym staff made her feel uncomfortable.

‘I found going to the gym really intimidating,’ she said. ‘I used to think I was quite fit because I used to dance, but on a couple of occasions I caught [personal trainers] looking me up and down which made me feel judged.’

Alanoosh has since shed more than 6 stone

Transformation: Alanoosh Williams, 25, from Darwen, Lancashire saw her weight soar to 20 stone due to polycystic ovary syndrome (left), but she has since shed more than 6 stone (right)

Alanoosh at her heaviest. Her PCOS symptoms included her skin breaking out in boils and redness, mood swings, and rapid weight gain that saw her put on 10 lbs in just one week

Alanoosh at her heaviest. Her PCOS symptoms included her skin breaking out in boils and redness, mood swings, and rapid weight gain that saw her put on 10 lbs in just one week

She hit rock bottom after reaching almost 20 stone, and began researching surgical options before discovering weight loss programme Results With Lucy, a high-protein nutrition programme with its own workouts.

After 12 weeks of swapping her usual McDonald’s breakfast for a balanced meal of eggs with turkey rashers or a smoothie, Alanoosh lost an initial 3 stone.

She said: ‘I never get boils or bad skin anymore and after the first three weeks, the pain I’d always had in my knees from carrying the excess weight completely went.’

By following the programme, Alanoosh has lost a total of 6 stone 7 lbs, dropping from a size 24 in summer 2016 to a svelte size 14-16.

She now loves nothing more than showing off her svelte new physique by swapping shapeless black outfits for more colourful, fitted clothes. 

Alanoosh’s diet now 

Breakfast: Smoothies, eggs with turkey rashers, rye bread with feta and tomatoes

Lunch: A high protein salad made with chicken and grains

Dinner: Lentil curry; fakeaways. I try to make everything from scratch, so any of the Results with Lucy high protein recipes

Snacks: None

Alanoosh’s diet before 

Breakfast: White toast, cereal or a McDonalds breakfast

Lunch: Tesco meal deal including a sandwich and crisps 

Dinner: Takeaway meal like healthy kebabs but chips on the side. A typical meal if not a takeaway was breaded chicken with white rice or oven chips or home cooked meals

Snacks: Crisps, chips, chocolate

Alanoosh is now a much healthier size 14. She hit rock bottom after reaching almost 20 stone, and began researching surgical options before discovering a weight loss programme

Alanoosh is now a much healthier size 14. She hit rock bottom after reaching almost 20 stone, and began researching surgical options before discovering a weight loss programme

Alanoosh is barely recognisable from her 20 stone self

Alanoosh now makes everything from scratch, and cooks healthy alternatives like lentil curry or high protein salads

Alanoosh is barely recognisable from her 20 stone self (left). She now makes everything from scratch, and cooks healthy alternatives like lentil curry or high protein salads

Alanoosh, who once wore mostly black, now loves nothing more than showing off her svelte new physique by swapping shapeless black outfits for more colourful, fitted clothes

Alanoosh, who once wore mostly black, now loves nothing more than showing off her svelte new physique by swapping shapeless black outfits for more colourful, fitted clothes

WHAT IS POLYCYSTIC OVARY SYNDROME?

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common condition that affects how a woman’s ovaries work.

The three main features of PCOS are:

  • Irregular periods – which means the ovaries don’t regularly release eggs (ovulation). This can affect a woman’s ability to get pregnant.
  • Excess androgen – high levels of ‘male hormones’ in the body, which may cause physical signs such as excess facial or body hair.
  • Polycystic ovaries – the ovaries become enlarged and contain many fluid-filled sacs (follicles) which surround the eggs (it’s important to note that, despite the name, if you have PCOS you don’t actually have cysts).

Source: NHS Choices  

‘Before I lost weight I lived in black during the week and jeans and a nice top on the weekend, usually from Asda as this was the easiest place to buy plus sized clothes,’ she said. 

‘Now I choose what I want to wear, rather than what I think I should wear in order to cover up. 

‘I wear tight fitted clothing which suits my hourglass figure and I even wear dresses. 

‘Before Results with Lucy I think I wore a dress three times in my life and one of them was my wedding dress!’

Friday night takeaways have become a thing of the past; now Alanoosh makes everything from scratch, and cooks healthy alternatives like lentil curry or high protein salads.

But because of her condition, even the smallest diet slip-up can cause a huge and unexpected weight gain. 

Alanoosh is now determined to maintain her new hourglass body even if she falls off the wagon occasionally – and says her new nutrition plan ‘doesn’t feel like a chore’.

For more information on Results with Lucy and to find out how you can sign up to a full access 10-day free trial, please visit resultswithlucy.com

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