Alison McMahon, from Cork, says she has always struggled with her weight and body image. Alison recalls being overweight for the first time when she was nine years old and shopping for a communion gown.

Alison struggled with her mental health in 2013 and dropped out of her CIT business course to focus on herself.

At the time, she was doing everything she could to shift the weight. She experimented with diets, Herbalife, and weight loss pills and drops. She was this desperate 19-year-old willing to try any of it.

 

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There were numerous failed attempts. She did lose about three and a half stone after joining Slimming World by the end of 2014 but couldn’t stick to the diet. 

Her boyfriend’s brother was getting married about four years ago, and her goal was to drop a stone before the wedding. 

Alison put so much pressure on herself to lose it that she threw a rock at it.

By March 2018, she had returned to my heaviest weight of 17.5st, and she told herself, Enough is enough. She needed to get a hold of this, and she tried a variety of diets and strategies in the interim, losing 2.5st.

Alison Cork was miserable, deflated, and relapsed into mental illness. In January 2020, she re-joined Slimming World in Blackpool with Sarah Burke and lost 12 stone 12 pounds.

But then she noticed she was having many stomach problems and decided to get a food intolerance test. She discovered she was intolerant to several foods, including wheat and dairy.

She had been stuffing herself with these foods because Alison thought she was healthy, but she couldn’t digest any of them.

That was a steep learning curve, so she must be cautious about what she eats. She would become exhausted, bloated, and unable to digest these foods.

She then decided to try calorie counting. She felt Slimming World no longer suited her because she was more restricted with my food choices to stay on plan.

Whereas with calorie counting, she has a little more leeway and can include more foods she enjoys.

Alison increased her calorie intake significantly, and she’s no longer restricting herself; she ensures that each day is filled with high-protein meals.

Cork always has enough calories for a treat in the evening with a cup of tea; she tries to do three workouts per week, and she aims for 10K steps daily.

Alison weighed 17 stone, 7 pounds at her heaviest, and is now 13 stone 8 pounds. 

Alison went from a size 20-22 to a size 14.

You must be mentally prepared and recognize the weight on the scales – but understand that it does not define anybody as a person.

Alison feels like she’s been so preoccupied with the scales that she’s forgotten she’s a human with feelings. Alison’s 10 pounds heavier than she was when she left Slimming World, but her clothes fit her better, and her overall shape has changed.

Alison is one of the wealthiest and most famous journalists. According to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider, Alison Cork’s net worth is estimated to be $1.5 million.

Cork co-founded Carnell Ltd, a mail-order publishing company, with entrepreneur publisher John P Gommes. 

In 1994, the company was also listed on the London Stock Exchange.

Alison has been a regular on QVC since 2014, showcasing her interiors collections.