Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Addiction to a "Healthy" Snack
- Realization of Weight Gain
- Turning Point
- Using Mounjaro for Weight Loss
- Conclusion
Introduction
LESLEY Thomas was so addicted to her favorite “healthy” snack that she used to consume up to six a day.
Addiction to a "Healthy" Snack
Deep down, she knew she needed help. However, it wasn't until she reached 14 stone that she realized the severity of her weight problem.
Lesley Thomas thought she was choosing a healthy snack until she calculated the calories she was consuming daily.Credit: Lesley Thomas
Her dress size increased to a size 22 before she overcame the habit.Credit: Lesley Thomas
The 59-year-old retiree admits to “driving around four supermarkets” in a frantic search for her favorite treat at the peak of her addiction.
Lesley, from Tavistock, said: “I wish I had never tried them. I’ve always enjoyed ice cream, so when I discovered these with a low calorie count, I thought they would be perfect.”
Lesley first encountered yogurt ice lollies in her local supermarket.
At 90 calories each, she purchased a pack of raspberry-flavored ones, believing they were a healthier alternative to ice cream.
She recalled: “I was around 11 stone, and it was last summer when I began eating them.”
“It coincided with me breaking my leg and contracting both Covid and the flu, so I was much more sedentary than usual.
“I couldn’t walk or exercise while I was recovering, and the ice lollies became a treat during my low and boring moments.”
Realization of Weight Gain
Lesley noted that the lollies transformed from a treat to a necessity during her recovery, with her favorite flavors being mango and fruit.
She mentioned: “My husband John would joke that we had to drive from Sainsbury’s to Aldi to find them. I often had a dry mouth due to Covid and the flu, and they provided relief.”
But one day, Lesley’s “healthy treat” turned into something much more calorific.
She explained: “I was enjoying a lolly when I noticed double cream in the fridge, leftover from when my son visited the previous weekend.
“I decided to dip the lolly in it, and it made it taste even better. The double cream formed a coating, and when I bit into it, it cracked like a crispy shell.
“It was delicious, and I became hooked.”
Turning Point
Lesley began consuming up to six lollies a day, dipping them in either double or extra thick cream with nearly every bite.
While she didn’t hide her obsession, John, 63, who works in IT, was unaware of how many she was eating daily and her cream-dipping habit.
She shared: “I’d have them in the morning, well before lunch, sometimes as early as 9 am. I’d also have one at 10 pm before bed, and occasionally one in the night if I couldn’t sleep.
Lesley would snack on six lollies a day and dip them in cream.Credit: Lesley Thomas
“I knew I was gaining weight. I had been around nine stone in my 20s and 30s, but by my 40s and then 50s, I gradually increased to around 11 stone.
“The fact that I couldn’t move much and was consuming a lot of double cream made me aware of my weight gain, but instead of addressing it, I chose to ignore it.”
She added: “My husband is incredibly supportive and would never mention my weight, always telling me I’m lovely.
“However – and it’s difficult to explain and admit – my obsession with the ice lollies made me indifferent. I didn’t want to stop eating them.”
After avoiding the scales for about a year, in June this year, with a cruise planned for November to Asia, Lesley decided to weigh herself for the first time.
She stated: “I was nearly 14 stone and a size 20 to 22. I was horrified and surprised it had escalated to that much.
“I think because it had been gradual, I convinced myself it might not be that bad, but the ice lollies – about six a
