Ieva's story

How much weight have you lost and how long did it take?

I lost 2st 11lbs 39lbs 17.7kg and it took me 1 year.

What prompted your decision to lose weight?

Nothing was fitting me and I didn't want to buy size 16 clothes. I also noticed I was dressing in black all the time.

How did you hear about Nutracheck?

I started counting calories and sending pictures of all the food I was consuming to my sister - I thought there must be an app which makes counting easier and came across Nutracheck whilst searching.

Has your weight stayed fairly consistent over the years, or have you always had to manage it?

I have been around 10st 3lbs143lbs64.8kg most of my adult life, but in the last few years I kept on gaining weight until I reached 12st 1lbs169lbs76.6kg. I had to do something about it. I started going to the gym but the weight wouldn't shift. That was until I discovered it was about the calories I was eating - it won't shift even if I thought I was eating healthy. I had no idea how many calories were in a banana, avocado, salmon or olive oil and that it all adds up. My dream has always been to be 9st 2lbs128lbs58kg, so I kept on going.

How easy was it to fit the changes you made into your lifestyle?

It was quite easy to measure all the food I was consuming and add it to the app. It's very user friendly and has been constantly improving. It was more difficult when I was away from home where I wouldn't have control over how food was cooked - but I still learned a lot of tricks on how to make smarter choices. No more pina coladas but gin and slimline tonics instead.

What was the most difficult thing?

I found it difficult to resist binge eating late at night until I learned I can easily skip breakfast so that leaves me with more calories at night. I am a big fan of Intermittent fasting (16:8), it works well with my lifestyle as I rarely get hungry before 2-3pm.

How do you feel now compared to before?

It has given me confidence. I like myself while looking in the mirror which I never did before. And it makes me feel good about myself that I was able to lose 3st42lbs19kg.

Any notable milestones to report?

This has been an amazing journey. I learnt so much about portion control and how many calories are in different foods. Nutracheck Forum has an amazing bunch of people which give support to anyone in need. I loved participating in the challenges organized by Nutracheck.

What 3 tips would you give to anyone who has weight to lose?

1. Count calories (start with buying kitchen scales and weighing everything).
2. Find someone who also wants to shift weight too or join the Nutracheck Forum.
3. Patience. It won't happen over night but believe me 1400kcal a day is a lot if you cook your own food.