Alyson Larkin, 32, is a beauty therapist from Gourock on the west coast of Scotland. In 2012, she set herself a goal to get her dream body before going on holiday to Australia. In less than a year, her life has changed. Alyson shares with us why she started this challenge, the difference in her weight and how she did it...
"In May 2013, I booked tickets to visit my friend who lives in Sydney. Although I had eight months to wait until the holiday, I was so excited. It was the thought of going to Australia that made me set myself a goal - to lose three dress sizes. I wanted to fit into a pair of size 8 Topshop denim shorts that I've had since I was 21.
"Four months later, I signed up to an online fitness programme - Frank's Personal Training. The 12-week plan involved home exercise routines and a strict diet - no sugar, no alcohol, no gluten, few carbs. Within days, I realised I was on a complete detox.
"Was it hard? It was a lifestyle change. I had to stop eating processed foods which was a total culture shock. I was buying and eating things that I'd never seen before, let alone tasted. I had to shop in a different way - I only shopped in the fruit, veg and meat sections of the supermarket. I was always looking at ingredients lists. There's gluten in everything!