Slimmer Spurred On To Help Dad's Charity

1st February 2008

	Nikki Dawson is losing and collecting the pounds at the same time - by taking part in a sponsored slim for her dad's charity.

After joining WeightWatchers in September 2006, Nikki Dawson had lost 2st 7lb by last Christmas.
But while the first two stones came off quickly, it took her eight months to shift the next seven pounds.

"I couldn't seem to get myself back on form," said the 33-year-old, from St Thomas, Exeter.

But help was at hand. Her dad, Jeff Merrett, is the Chairman of Dream-A-Way, an Exeter charity which arranges holidays for seriously ill or disabled people of all ages from across the South West.

He came up with the idea of a sponsored slim to raise money for the charity, and Nikki is one of 100 people now taking part.
She has already secured £400 in sponsorship - and the challenge has given her the incentive to start losing weight again.

Since Christmas, Nikki has lost 10lb 8oz, and she hopes to lose another two stones by June 6,
when the event officially finishes. And by next year, she hopes to have lost an additional two stones.

"Since being an adult, I've always been on and off diets," said Nikki, who has two children,
Ruby, two, and Joseph, six, with her husband Mark, a builder.

"Before I had the children I was overweight but not obese. After I had the children I was struggling with my weight. Some friends asked if I would like to join them at a new WeightWatchers club starting in Southernhay.
I wasn't that keen but I thought: 'I need to do this'. So I decided to go."

At the first meeting in September 2006, Nikki weighed 21st 11lb, and was wearing size 28 clothes.
She began following the WeightWatchers points plan, which assigns a points value to all foods so slimmers can eat anything they like as long as they keep within their daily points allowance.

She also started playing netball for a team called Refreshers, going to aqua aerobics and following a fitness DVD at home.
At her most recent weigh-in, Nikki was down to 18st 12lb and is now wearing size 20 clothes.

"I've always said it's not about weight, it's my size and what I look like," said Nikki.
"I've lost quite a few inches and you don't have to lose pounds to lose inches. Exercise is important."

"The biggest thing is I love savoury food. I'm not bothered about chocolate, sweets or alcohol.
If you told me I couldn't have it, it wouldn't bother me."

"A lot of diets restrict you from going out for meals or takeaways. With WeightWatchers you can have everything."

"If you want to waste your points on the bad foods like chocolate sweets and crisps and all high-fat foods, that's up to you."

The plan encourages slimmers to eat less saturated fat and have at least five portions of fruit and vegetables per day, lots of water and exercise. It promotes a diet of meat, fish, carbohydrates and all the proteins.

Nikki said: "I don't miss out on anything. Nobody would know I was on a diet. It's just healthy eating and all the family eat what I do. It's also about portion control - you have smaller portions of carbohydrates and fill up on fruit and veg."

Thanks to eating healthily and exercising regularly, Nikki is seeing plenty of benefits.

"When I was really overweight I was suffering with my Achilles tendon and my back, I had high blood pressure and gallstones and suffered quite badly with depression," she said.

"Gradually all those ailments have improved. I don't suffer with my Achilles anywhere near as badly.
I still get back problems, but that's probably just general wear and tear.

"When I first started playing netball, within the first quarter my ankles would be throbbing.
Now I get through a whole game and could carry on playing."

Nikki's netball team, work colleagues at Sainsbury's in Alphington, her WeightWatchers class
and family members have all volunteered to sponsor her efforts.

"The aim is to get £10,000 between 100 of us. I know there are lots of people who have got over £100 each already, so I think that, with luck, that figure will double or treble," said Nikki.

"We finish on June 6. My target is to raise £500 and lose at least two stones from when I first started the sponsored slim last month. That will get me well on the way to my goal which is to lose four stones on top of what I've already lost.

"You lose weight and gain confidence. I would come home after work at 11pm and munch through three or four bags of crisps. Not any more. I make a cup of tea and go to bed. It's like they say: what you eat in private you wear in public."

To find out where the nearest WeightWatchers group meets, call 0845 345 1500 or log on to www.weightwatchers.co.uk.

Story courtesy of the Express & Echo