A woman has shed just under five stone in 12 months after embarking on a vegan diet – while still indulging in delicious meals such as Katsu Curry.
Emma Matthews, 24, from West Yorkshire, is 5’5 and weighed 14 stone 6.5 pounds before embarking on her weight loss journey last year, dropping to 9 stone 12 pounds and a size 8.
The charity worker, who says she had been ‘really unhappy with her body for as long as she could remember’, decided to make a change after holiday to Budapest where she felt ‘so uncomfortable in clothes and couldn’t bear to look at pictures of herself’.
On arriving she home, she decided to join Slimming World – which still allows foods such as pasta, bread and cheese – and hasn’t looked back since, insisting that living a healthy lifestyle has ‘changed her life’.
Emma Matthews, 24, from West Yorkshire, is 5’5 and weighed 14 stone 6.5 pounds, left, before dropping to 9 stone 12 pounds, right, in 12 months
She told FEMAIL: I’d wanted to lose weight for a while, I was always really unhappy with my body for as long as I can remember.
‘Then I was in Budapest last year and I felt uncomfortable in all of my clothes and I hated every picture of me so when I came back I decided to join slimming world. ‘
Sharing a snap of her incredible transformation, she added: ‘I decided to join my local slimming group one day and never looked back. It’s one of the best decisions ever.
‘I’m just so proud of myself that I managed to stick to something and not to sound dramatic it changed my life. ‘
Her new healthy lifestyle doesn’t stop Emma from visiting her favorite restaurants and takeaways
Before her weight loss, Emma used to work in retail and would opt for high calorie prepackaged sandwiches and snack often on crisps, rarely exercising.
Now, a typical day includes granola with berries for breakfast, a soup for lunch, fruit and oat bars to snack on throughout the day, and a homemade dinner such as spaghetti and vegan meat balls or cheese covered enchiladas.
Emma still manages to eat out at restaurants and occasionally treats herself to a takeaway, enjoying meals at Nando’s and having a veggie wrap at McDonald’s.
She says that it ‘wasn’t that difficult’ transitioning to healthy foods as the plan lets her have ‘everything in moderation’, and advises others to ‘always be prepared’ while trying to lose weight.
She says that it ‘wasn’t that difficult’ transitioning to healthy foods as the plan let’s you have ‘everything in moderation’
Emma advises planning meals and keeping a food diary as a way of keeping track of syns (calorie allowance)
She said: ‘My advice for someone trying to lose weight would be to always be prepared, plan your meals and write everything down.
‘I also write every thing down I eat, this way you can keep track of syns (calorie allowance) and ensure you’re not over eating without realising.
‘Also, you have to have patience. Changes won’t happen overnight and it will be hard work but in the end it will be so worth it.’
Emma was vegetarian when she began her diet in October 2018, and decided to commit to veganism the following January.
Emma says she has ‘never looked back’, insisting that living a healthy lifestyle has ‘changed her life’
She insisted that although it may seem difficult, what she eats isn’t that different as the meal plan encourages lots of healthy fruits and vegetables.
She said: ‘The hardest part of the switch from veggie to vegan slimming world wise was not eating eggs, as a lot of breakfast ideas and recipes had them in so that was hard.
‘But honestly it’s not that different as I try to eat a lot of vegetables to bulk out my meals.
‘If you try and stick to whole food meals like lentils, beans and I find it helps to keep things low syn.’
Emma insisted others trying to lose weight that although changes won’t happen overnight, stick to it as results will be ‘so worth it’ in the end