Weight loss success stories

The NHS weight loss plan has been downloaded more than 3 million times.

Find out why the 12-week programme is such a hit from people who have successfully lost weight.

Lesley Trundle, 53, from London
Weight lost: 14.5kg (32lbs)
"I started the NHS weight loss plan on January 7 2013. I have lost 2 stone and 4lbs. The weight loss plan has worked so well for me because I haven't seen it as a diet, but as a healthy way of eating and feeling great. It is unlike any other diet I have tried before. The weight loss forum has been brilliant - it's kept me focused and motivated. I have reached the target weight that I set for myself of 9 stone and have managed to maintain it for the last couple of months, but next year I would like to lose another 7lbs."

Phil Reeves, 36, from Liverpool
Weight lost: 15kg (33lbs)
"I'm more active and more energetic, meaning I'm out of breath less often. I also feel better about myself and more confident. The plan is designed to help you form new healthier habits, and because of it I now routinely cycle to work. Bringing fruit and veg to work is now second nature. I'm now more aware of the calorie content in food and eat smaller portions." Read Phil's story in full.

Christine Schofield, 59, from the Isle of Lewis
Weight lost: 8.2kg (18lbs)
"Following the death of my partner from cancer at the start of the year, I was determined to lose weight and get fitter, having previously only lost weight in the early 80s on the F-plan, prior to getting married. The NHS plan got me kickstarted to a slow but sustainable weight loss, and an exercise plan that has changed my weight, shape and life for the better. It is not a diet, but a change in life." Read Christine's story in full.

Graham Gilligan, 32, from London
Weight lost: 38.3kg (6st)
"The NHS weight loss plan is not about dieting, it is about changing the way you live. It worked for me and I lost 6 stone (38.3kg) in six months."

Alison Bisping, 49, from Malmesbury
Weight lost: 9.5kg (21lbs)
"After 30 weeks following the NHS weight loss plan, I have lost 21lbs (I've had three weeks away and two weeks on crutches, hardly walking in that time), so I am thrilled. I see it as a tool to re-educate me towards healthier eating, rather than previous diets I have tried (and I have tried most of them). Other diets seem so restrictive and 'ban' foods - I eventually fall off the wagon and go back to my old habits. I feel fitter, healthier and more energetic, and plan to make this way of eating my new way of life."

Christine Vivier, 32, from Edinburgh
Weight loss: 10kg (22lbs)
"Following the plan all the way through, losing weight and running 10km have all really boosted my self-belief. It feels like such an accomplishment. Over these last 12 weeks, I've turned my life around. No-one can take that away from me." Read Christine's story in full.

Pauline Tessyman, 62, from Wallasey
Weight lost: 8.2kg (18lbs)
"The NHS 12-week weight loss plan has helped me establish a more healthy and realistic relationship with food. It is not a regime I am on for the time being, but a lifelong, liveable, healthy change of approach that works. 18lbs lost since August says it all. There is no you have been 'good' or 'bad' at class, no losing a few pounds one week, putting them back on again the next, just a sensible approach - and it's free!"

Stephanie Higgins, from Manchester
Weight lost: 9.2kg (20lbs)
"During the 12 weeks, I lost 9.2kg (20lbs). I found the online forum to be a place for support and guidance from others doing the same thing. People on the forum seem genuinely interested in what you're saying, as you are all in the same boat. Seeing the weight come off and fitting into smaller clothes was perhaps the best motivator. Overall, sticking to the plan for 12 weeks has helped me develop new healthy habits." Read Stephanie's story in full.