When I made the decision to join Slimming World, I had no idea how much it would transform my life. At 19st 7lbs, I was finding every day a struggle. I’m an optician manager, and I was starting to feel really tired and uncomfortable at work – just going upstairs to check stock would leave me breathless. By dinner time, I’d be too exhausted to cook and would resort to something quick and easy out of the freezer – usually chicken nuggets and chips.
I’d tried to slim down so many times, and I’d given pretty much every diet a go. At first, fired up with enthusiasm, I’d lose a bit of weight – but I always ended up feeling hungry and restricted. At that point, I’d lose interest and put it all (plus a bit more!) back on. Now, though, my best friend had asked me to be her maid of honour, and I knew I really had to get my head in the game. I was determined to look and feel my best on her special day – for her and for me.
Walking into my first Slimming World group, I was nervous, but also a little excited – could this actually work? Thankfully, everyone was super warm and welcoming, and I fitted in straight away.
I’m a real foodie and I’d assumed I’d have to miss out to lose weight – so I was stunned to discover that nothing’s off limits at Slimming World. And each week, the support of my Consultant, Debra, and the other members meant I left group feeling motivated, with a plan for the week ahead. I’ve lost 7st in total – all while eating food I love, like pasta, potatoes and chocolate. I’ve never felt deprived, which has made the plan enjoyable and easy to stick to.
Yes you can eat the food you love with Slimming World
According to a recent survey,** the five foods that people most fear missing out on are...
🍳 Fry-ups
A recent study** revealed that, while ‘food FOMO’ puts people off trying to lose weight, our members can slim down and enjoy the food they love. Of the 2,000 adults surveyed, almost half said they were worried that losing weight would mean missing out on particular foods and social events. Reassuringly, in an additional survey of 1,802 Slimming World members, 88% said that they enjoy their food as much (or more) than they did before joining, and 91% agreed that it’s possible to lose weight while tucking into your favourite dishes and snacks.
My fiancé, Ben, was so supportive – and as I cookied healthier dinners for the two of us, he lost weight without even trying! We’ve since got married and these days my mother-in-law comes to group, too. We constantly message each other with photos of the delicious meals we’ve made, and we both use the Slimming World app to check supermarket items quickly, so we can decide on the spot whether to buy them or not.
Feeling more prepared has been one of the biggest changes in my day-to-day life. Setting some time aside every weekend to plan my weekly meals keeps me on track – and if we go to a restaurant, I check the menu beforehand and choose what I’d like to eat in advance.
My colleagues can’t believe how tasty my home-prepped lunches look – or how much there is of them! In fact, some of my work friends have gone on to join Slimming World groups themselves. Now, we exchange recipe ideas, congratulate each other on our achievements and share how good we look and feel – I love that you become part of a whole new supportive community as a Slimming World member.
Since losing weight, I’ve got so much more energy. I take our dog out twice a day and walk to and from work, which is about 15-20 minutes each way. I’m on my feet constantly, going up and down the stairs – and I still have energy to spare in the evenings.
Another big positive is that clothes shopping is a pleasure now, not a chore. I’ve gone from a size 26 to a size 12 – when I say that out loud, it still amazes me! I used to have to buy all my outfits online or from specialist plus-size shops, so going into any high-street shop and knowing I’ll find things I like in my size is an incredible feeling. It means so much because I was overweight throughout all of my school years, and it was a constant struggle for my mum, finding things to fit me.
When the time finally came for my friend’s big day, I felt beautiful. I love looking back on the photos and seeing how happy I look. And at my own wedding, I was proud to walk down the aisle in a gorgeous gown at least seven sizes smaller than it would have been if I hadn’t joined Slimming World. My life has changed so much – yet I’m still eating my favourite food – it’s fantastic!
Dawn’s day on a plate
Before | After | |
|---|---|---|
Breakfast | White toast with lots of butter, or a pastry. | An egg and bacon butty made the Slimming World way, with the fat cut off, no butter and using Healthy Extra ‘b’ wholemeal bread. |
Lunch | A meal deal, with a shop-bought sandwich, crisps, chocolate and a can of cola. | Food Optimising slow-cooker chilli or cottage pie, batch cooked at home and warmed up at work. |
Dinner | Anything easy from the freezer. | A big bowl of chicken katsu curry with rice.
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Snacks and drinks | Crisps, chocolate bars, fizzy, sugary drinks and cider. | Grapes, apples, reduced-fat crisps, low-calorie jelly and gin with slimline tonic using my Syns. |
*Terms and conditions apply. See slimmingworld.co.uk/offers
**The research was conducted by Censuswide, among samples of 2,000 nationally representative general consumers in the UK and a self-selecting sample of 1,802 Slimming World members via Slimming World’s member website.
Weight loss will vary according to your individual circumstances and how much weight you have to lose.