Determined to 'live for her children', Allison made an effort to walk every day, gave up her binge eating habits, and thereby escaped postpartum depression, lost 30 kg, and improved her appearance to be healthier and more youthful.
Allison Huff-Ritchie, 42, moved to London 12 years ago, weighing up to 93 kg after a serious back injury that left her almost unable to move. When she was pregnant with her second daughter in 2022, Allison slipped and fell in the bathroom and was later diagnosed with degenerative disc disease. Because she was pregnant, the doctor could not prescribe any medication other than paracetamol for Allison, forcing her to endure the pain for many days. This greatly affected Allison's mobility and spirit, causing her to gradually see eating as a way to comfort herself.
"My work was affected, I was in a lot of pain, I couldn't move, I gained a lot of weight, and I was in the worst mental and physical state of my life. I was constantly eating fast food. I was eating a lot of junk food, constantly ordering out, four to five times a week. It was easy and quick but also very expensive," Allison said, recalling the time when her diet was filled with fried, processed foods. Most mornings, Allison would eat an almond croissant followed by a fried chicken burger and barely eat any fruit or vegetables, plus she would often eat at 10pm.
The mother of two weighed 93kg in 2022.
Allison also believes she suffered from postnatal depression around the time of her second daughter's birth. “It was supposed to be the happiest time of my life, with my daughter and my family around me, but it ended up being the darkest period of my life. I felt aimless, directionless, completely lost,” Allison recalls.
Allison’s turning point came when she discovered infrared light therapy could significantly improve her back pain. After three sessions, Allison found her back pain had disappeared and she could walk more comfortably. “When I was pain-free, I was able to sleep again. When I could sleep well, it helped me make better eating decisions, I stopped eating processed foods, and I was able to exercise,” the mother of two said.
Allison shared more about what motivated her to change herself and control her weight to a safe level, which was her children: "Many people say they will die for their children, but I want to live for my children. I am an older mother, and I think I cannot live the rest of my life the way I did before losing weight. I want to be with my children and grandchildren. I want to be the kind of mother who can run around the yard playing with my children." The mother of two then tried to walk most days instead of driving or taking public transport to reach 10,000 steps and started her day by eating eggs instead of fatty foods and refined starches like before. "This is the best exercise you can do for your heart health and your mental health. Walking is free, it doesn't cost anything," Allison said. In addition to exercising whenever possible, she also goes to the gym at least 3 times a week, alternating strength training, Pilates, and indoor cycling.
When she got rid of her disc pain, Allison tried to walk every day, improving her mobility, thereby burning off excess calories as well as helping her sleep better, thereby controlling her diet more effectively.
Along with being active physically, Allison also reset her diet in a scientific and healthy direction. In addition to eating eggs to get the ideal amount of protein to start the day, Allison's lunch and dinner also follow the protein-rich rule to boost metabolism, stay full for a long time, and support the effective breakdown of excess fat.
Allison said that, along with walking and eating in moderation, another big change that helped her lose 30 kg was giving up drinking alcohol. "I had to really take a hard look at my relationship with alcohol. I love sipping a glass of rosé while sitting outside, who doesn't? I definitely consumed too many calories when I drank because I was in pain, and I wanted to use it to relieve the pain. But sleep was the most important factor that made me really need to change my relationship with alcohol," Allison shared.
Losing 30 kg successfully not only helped Allison improve her physical health, feel healthier and improved her mental health. This change also motivated her to find a new direction for her career. Faced with the difficulties of the technology industry at that time, she decided to quit her job, use her savings to open an infrared light therapy room - a method that she still does 3-5 times a week to keep her degenerative disc disease under control.
Allison currently maintains a weight that fluctuates around 130 pounds.
Allison's advice for those trying to lose weight is to focus on adjusting their diet and walking more, but she also warns against trying to do too much at once, as it can leave you feeling overwhelmed.
"It starts at home, it starts with your diet. You exercise to feel good, and you eat to change your body. It will take time, but don't be afraid of the road ahead. Just start walking. If you walk more than 8,000 steps a day and change your diet slowly, you will be surprised at how much better you feel and how much better you sleep. Slowly introduce it into your routine; it doesn't have to be something you do all at once. When you sleep well, you make better decisions the next day. Be kind to yourself, your body has helped you get here today, appreciate that," Allison shared.
(According to Mail)