FROM more than 15 stone to 13 stone 5 pounds in three months, now that's what I call doing it properly. Not only is Helen Wilman on target to reach her goal weight of 11 stone by September 1 this year, but she is losing the weight in a way that means she is more likely to keep it off for good.

Helen, you will remember, works a The Low Wood Club, Windermere, as a beauty therapist, so she is well placed to enjoy great fitness facilities. Having begun her programme with Ailsa, fitness guru to the club, she has begun to enjoy the gym/swim sessions she embarked on last month. Now, feeling fitter than ever, she has gone one step further (literally) and left the building all together, she is now pacing her way up the fell side behind the club with encouragement' from Ailsa at her side. "So long as you warm up first with some gentle stretching, you can simply step outside and begin walking, it's the cheapest, easiest way to burn the calories after all," says Ailsa.

"Walking on grass is kinder to your joints and if it's slightly up hill will get your heart rate going. You shouldn't get out of breath, but you should feel warm and find it a bit of a puff to talk normally. Pace can be varied, slower wider strides then short quicker paces. Don't forget to work your arms with your body. When you've had enough, stretch out to avoid becoming stiff the next day.

"The national recommended guide lines for health are 30 minutes of light exercise per week." That's not as bad as it sounds, three sets of ten minutes a day can be achieved simply by walking your child to school, running for the bus or going for a short paced walk at lunch time. I probably do more than that by simply running up and down my stairs to answer my phone.

Helen treated herself to a new pair of size 16 trousers for her birthday last week, feeling very smug, I'm sure, to have had to bin the size 20s.

The weight is now going from her upper body and face: "Several friends have actually walked past me, having not recognised me from behind. My face is so much slimmer that one friend asked what I'd done to make my lips look fuller. Every month I am changing, for the better, I feel more awake and alert and not half as hungry as I used to. I'm moving to Windermere now, to be nearer to work and I am determined that I am going to cycle the three miles there and back every day."

There'll be another update on Helen's progress in next month's Looking Good.

Anyone wanting to sponsor Helen's weight loss programme for Breast Cancer Campaign can do so by calling in at the club next door to The Low Wood Hotel, on the A591 between Windermere and Ambleside.

May 1, 2003 10:30