It’s difficult to ignore how different Alysia Vasey appears these days as you stand in the undulating moorlands of West Yorkshire and watch her traverse the well known landscape she’s foraged since infancy. Beyond her recent name change to Greenwood the woman who frequently appears with James Martin sharing discoveries of elderflowers and wild garlic has experienced a metamorphosis.
Alysia discreetly tracked her weight loss progress over the course of seventeen months losing five pounds. Observing someone who works closely with food tasting testing and creating managing such a significant bodily transition is really impressive. It casts doubt on the notion that transformation is impossible in the face of culinary temptation.
| Information | **Details** |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Alysia Vasey (now Alysia Greenwood) |
| Known As | The Yorkshire Forager |
| Age | 48 |
| Profession | Professional Forager, TV Personality, Botanical Expert |
| TV Shows | James Martin’s Saturday Morning, Steph’s Packed Lunch, Countryfile |
| Location | West Yorkshire (1100ft above sea level) |
| Weight Loss | 5 stone (70 lbs) in 17 months |
| Method | Slimming World, Queensbury group |
| Book | The Yorkshire Forager (2020) |
Television pressure or conceit were not the driving forces. Alysia’s knees were telling a different story as she strolled across the rough terrain of Yorkshire. Bone on bone she said referring to the osteoarthritis that was making her favorite foraging excursions more and more uncomfortable. The woman faced the possibility that her body might not be able to keep up with her enthusiasm after decades of scurrying through Booth Wood and mounting hillsides in search of wild truffles.
Many people who were in Alysia’s shoes could have just accepted the constraints. Ultimately she had established a prosperous career as a consultant for Michelin starred chefs and frequently appeared on television. Her knowledge of botanicals had resulted in a written autobiography and award winning gin collaborations. Success seemed to indicate that there was no need for change.
However foragers have a persistence that may have been inherited from her Polish grandpa who lived off pine cones and mushrooms for months in woodlands during World War II. When she joined the Queensbury Slimming World group in 2008 the same resolve that drove her to give up teaching and pursue professional foraging reappeared.
Anyone who was familiar with her work could see the irony. This person used to frequently taste test wild ingredients for elite chefs generating inventive gin botanicals and flavor profiles. Today they measure quantities and keep track of everything they consume. Observing her journey related Instagram posts shows someone learning to distinguish between emotional eating and professional requirement.
The intricacy of her experience is summed up in a specific October 2025 post: It’s been a very very long 17 months on this weight loss journey. In a time when claims of rapid weight loss are common the candor is welcome. 17 months in length. That’s longer than many New Year’s goals last longer than some individuals stay in relationships and longer than whole TV seasons.
Instead of competing with her foraging lifestyle the Slimming World approach appeared to offer structure. Something clicked however it’s still unclear if the particular diet plan or the social aspect of the program proved more important. She may have been predisposed to consider food choices carefully because she had spent years studying which wild plants were safe to consume.
Examining her social media change indicates a person finding their sense of style and fashion. The deep plum and turquoise gowns from Wyse London that she displays are more than just fashion choices; they imply a person who is at ease occupying space once more and being noticed.
Her work has not changed. Tom Aikens and René Redzepi from Noma were able to get ingredients through her because of the same knowledge. If anything being more mobile has probably improved her ability to forage. When your knees aren’t struggling with every step those 1100 foot high Yorkshire hillsides seem less intimidating.
Seeing someone who has dedicated their professional life to helping others supplying uncommon ingredients that enhance recipes imparting expertise on television programs finally take care of themselves is incredibly fulfilling. The change seems deliberate rather than hurried earned rather than frantic.
Her marriage and name change to Greenwood occur at the same time giving her a feeling of total rejuvenation. It’s unclear if her decision to be married was affected by her weight reduction journey or if getting married gave her more motivation to improve her health but the timing seems deliberate.
Standing in the same Yorkshire moors where she and her grandfather first found truffles Alysia Greenwood stands for something that many people find difficult to accomplish: evidence that it is possible to alter important facets of your life without losing the essence of who you are. She is still the expert the forager and the woman who can recognize edible plants that most others pass by.
She now navigates that terrain with less discomfort and greater self assurance. Sometimes the most significant changes come from the straightforward choice to take better care of oneself one day at a time for seventeen months rather than from a big revelation.