Name: Samantha Woolnough Age: 25 Height: 175 cm Start weight: 89kg Current weight: 75kg
Plus-size model Samantha Woolnough talks about her weight-loss journey and gives some top tips for confidence in front of the camera…
“I have always struggled with weight (haven’t we all?) but I was never huge – just large/big boned or overweight, making it easier to always feel like there wasn’t a problem. In fact, my career was based around me being curvy . . . I was a plus-size model.
“Being in the plus-size modelling industry is all about being body confident and feeling comfortable about yourself, but I didn’t feel that way. I stopped getting jobs because I didn’t feel right, and came away from modelling to teach drama at a secondary school.
“After two years doing that, I wasn’t feeling happy and a lot of that was to do with my weight. I made the decision to lose weight and found my Cambridge Weight Plan Consultant, Jacqui Dempsey. I went on Sole Source then Step 2 and lost 12.7kg in three months.
“On Step 2 I would have a bar or shake for breakfast, followed by another one at lunchtime, then another mid-afternoon, before having chicken and vegetables for my evening meal. I’d sometimes save one of my products to have as a dessert.
“Skip forward a few years and still maintaining that 12.7kg loss, I now model for fitness brands and fashion companies including River Island and New Look. I’ve also modelled for TV’s This Morning.
“I do photographic and catwalk work for bridal and fitness brands too, like Triumph and Anna Victoria bounce-reducing bras. I feel a thousand times better and my career is just getting busier with modelling, as well as acting and teaching. I share a lot of my work on my Instagram account to inspire others with their own body confidence.
“I became a CWP Consultant too and love the flexibility of it.
“The best bit is that, as a Consultant, I can maintain my weight using products and help others to do exactly the same. I have around 10 clients a week – seeing two on Friday, five on Saturday and two on Sunday – and the additional income means I can take time to work on my career and do exactly what I love!”
Sam’s top ten tips for confidence in front of the camera or mirror
1. Focus on your favourite features – small waist, long legs or maybe some toned arms. Think about those as you pose or even when looking in the mirror.
2. If you need some help with number one ask a friend or partner for what they love about you. You’ll be surprised the things people see.
3. Forget the old you. That’s in the past. The person that is in front of you now, in that mirror or camera lens, is the one to dress and be proud of.
4. Everybody is beautiful and attractive, let that shine through with a great big smile!
5. Move around in between taking pictures to avoid looking stiff. Keep the energy going.
6. Look towards the light to illuminate your beautiful self!
7. A classic pose you could try is one hand on your hip, feet together with one leg bent. Tapping one foot on the toe, standing on the other. Pop your a hip out slightly, it gives you a great long line down your body.
8. Practise and find what works for you. A smile, a pout, teeth or no teeth. Facing the camera or standing side on, slightly leaning forward or away from the camera can all dramatically change how you look. The camera only sees what you show it.
9. Think about something wonderful and it will show on your face. A holiday, that bikini you just purchased, a day with the family. Anything that makes you feel good and forget about the camera.
10. Have fun with it, capturing moments in life with a picture is so important. Look back on memories with a smile not worrying that you didn’t capture your best side, because with practise it will always be your best side.
We hope these tips help you feel more confident in front of the camera. If you need some more weight-loss motivation, join our #CWP60Day Challenge – you might be surprised at how much you could lose in 60 days!