Hannah Young had tried to lose weight for years. She’d worked with Personal Trainers, nutritionists, and even tried support from the NHS. All to no avail. Hannah knew her PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) would make losing weight more difficult, but why couldn’t any of these experts help her?
After being told time and time again that “it’s not going to happen” and “you must be doing something wrong”, Hannah was about to give up. Then she gave me a call.
It’s not always as simple as “eat less, move more”
Hannah just couldn’t understand why her weight loss efforts weren’t working. As a physiotherapist, she knows how to look into research. She recognised the impact of her PCOS on weight loss. Despite trying for years, she couldn’t lose weight.
But that wasn’t the worst thing. Every time she reached out to a trainer, nutritionist, or medical expert, they would eventually give up on her.
“I’ve been told I must be doing something wrong, or even told I’m outright lying,” Hannah said. “Experts would tell me there’s no way I could be eating and exercising like I was without losing weight. I ended up doubting myself and feeling like it must be my fault.”
It wasn’t just about losing weight. Hannah and her partner also wanted a second child, but Hannah had started to give up on this dream.
“So many people told me that I was never going to lose weight and should just accept it,” she said. “I had got to the point where it was easier to believe them than keep hoping.”
Finding a coach who took time to understand
Hannah and I know each other from years ago, so when she saw that I was hosting a free weight loss webinar on Facebook, she signed up to see if I had any fresh advice.
“I knew I could trust Joe to listen to me and take time to understand where I was coming from,” she said. “On our call it was clear that he was willing to work on it if I was, and not give up on me. I was determined to make this work – and so was he. I felt that my weight loss was in safe hands for the first time in years.”
Hannah has a busy job and a small child, so she needed a plan she could do at home in her own time with no need for the gym.
I designed her short, home-based workouts that she could fit in around her lifestyle. She was already eating a healthy diet, but I helped her be more aware of protein intake and portion sizes.
Hannah and I worked together for almost a year, with monthly nutrition support, habit-based coaching, and a personalised exercise plan via my app.
“Previous coaches had given me such conflicting information about eating less, or eating more, or changing my diet completely,” said Hannah. “Joe made it so simple. He understood that PCOS affects my appetite, and helped me see how my body responds to consistent intake. From there, we used calorie cycling to slowly bring my bodyweight down.”
Staying consistent with slow weight loss
It was clear that Hannah’s PCOS was impacting her appetite, hormones, and other key factors that affect weight loss. We quickly realised that her weight loss would be slower than someone without PCOS, and that meant a lot of encouragement, motivation, and patience.
“Joe was committed to researching PCOS and putting his findings into practice,” said Hannah. “He never pretended to know everything, and never fobbed me off with generic answers. It felt like a true partnership, with both of us dedicated to finding a solution that would work for me. It was such a refreshing experience.”
With my support, Hannah stuck with it as the months went on.
We both understood that her progress would be slow compared to traditional weight loss stories, but she was happy with that. I was always there to keep her pushing forward and support her with expert advice to remove the guesswork.
“Joe always reassured me that I wasn’t doing anything wrong, it was just going to be a slower process for me,” said Hannah. “It was such a confidence boost to hear that I was doing all the right things. Joe is the ultimate cheerleader and mood booster!”
Hannah has lost 10kgs – but that’s not her biggest win
Hannah’s coaching experience has had a very happy and unexpected result – she is now expecting her second child! For someone with PCOS, who had previously been told her BMI was too high for pregnancy, this is a life-changing win.
“If I’m honest, a second child was always my ultimate goal,” she said, “but I’d been led to believe it wasn’t possible, so I reset my goal to just losing weight. I’m over the moon to have lost weight and been able to get pregnant again!”
Building self-confidence for weight maintenance after coaching
The lasting impact of our coaching journey is that Hannah believes in herself again. She is confident in her knowledge and ability to lose weight and keep it off.
She also knows that her PCOS means it will take longer, but that it will happen. All she has to do is remember our work together, and stick with it.
“It’s such a relief to feel that I can manage my weight,” she said. “Joe has rebuilt my self-esteem after being told for so long that I was doing it wrong or making it up. If I ever feel myself starting on a downward spiral again, Joe will be my first port of call. I know he will always be there to support me.”
Want to see how I can help you get results like Hannah? Get in touch today and let’s see how I can help you.