Real Success

In this month’s inspiring
letters, meet:

• Elaine, who amazed her doctor at her diabetes review
• Clair, whose trip away led to her Slimming World success
• Michelle, whose 5 stone weight loss means a healthy future
• Patrick, who loves the awards he’s collected

And Katrina who’s aiming to be a
wedding belle

Slimming’s in the family for Elaine

I joined Slimming World after my sister had joined a group, lost loads of weight and reached her target. I’d been really put off slimming clubs before because I'd had a bad experience at another club many years previously. I’ve tried every diet known to man - all started successfully but the strict regimes they imposed meant certain failure.

My sister saw how my health was suffering because of the excess weight I was carrying and finally persuaded me to join. I was so nervous and frightened about joining and had put it off for quite a few weeks, but in the end I'd run out of excuses not to go. From that day forward it changed my life. The group is brilliant (nothing like my earlier previous experience) and in my first week I lost 7½ lbs. As the weeks passed my confidence grew and I've now lost 4 stones! The support from group is fantastic, I always stay for Image Therapy, the members are great and all have encouraging words, even when things don’t go as well as
you plan!

I’m an insulin dependant diabetic and have just had my review. I have amazed the doctors with the best blood results I've ever had and I’ve gone from giving them 'great concerns' to being a shining example.

My Consultant, Sarah, is an inspiration to us all. We not only discuss slimming tactics but we also have a lot of fun and a good few laughs on the way. The taster nights are my favourite, this gives me a chance to sample some of the brilliant dishes that other people have made.

Before joining Slimming World I was so overweight that I was virtually disabled. I was unable to walk more than a few yards without being out of breath and having to rest. Now I take regular walks, during the week I spend part of my lunch break going for a walk and have also invested in a Wii Fit which I spend a minimum of 20-30 minutes a day working out on. I would never have been able to do this prior to joining Slimming World. I’ve gained my Bronze and Silver Body Magic awards and I’m working towards my Gold.

My daughter also comes to group with me. It’s difficult for a teenager to diet but the Free2Go plan is great for her - it means she can still have her favourite burger and chips - the Slimming World way! She has lost a stone as she’s grown another 4 inches, plus she's more health conscious now and has all her Body Magic awards. My other half has also benefited. He doesn’t ‘follow the plan’ but because he eats meals I prepare he too has felt the difference, and lost a stone.

My work colleagues are very supportive and recently, when I was feeling a bit down because I didn’t seem to be losing much weight, they pointed to a picture on the wall that had been taken the previous year. They said if I was having any doubts just to look at that and see how far I'd come. I couldn’t believe that the person in the picture was me. I’ve dropped 3 dress sizes since the picture was taken and by looking back at it, it made me realise what an achievement it’s been. I wouldn’t have done it without Slimming World, so I would just like to thank you for creating such a fantastic way of eating, with the added bonus of losing weight on the way.

I've still got a way to go but I know that with the help and support of Slimming World, I'll get there.

From Elaine Metcalf

New York nightmare led to a slimmer, healthier Clair

My journey began at the end of January, whilst on an indulgent trip to New York. After eating and drinking far too much, it hit me that not only did I look bad, I felt awful. I’d planned a trip to see all the sights and sounds of the Big Apple but I was in too much pain to walk around at the fast pace the New Yorkers do on a daily basis. My feet ached, my hips and back ached and I was out of breath - I’m 37! I thought I was fit, I was wrong - I’d gained weight without realising.

I arrived home and while staring out the window I saw a sign advertising a Slimming World group right in front of my house. The following Thursday I took the long walk up the playground of the school where the meeting is held and walked in with my head down in shame. Everything soon changed. A lady came and asked if I was new (she wasn’t the Consultant - she was just someone who could sense my fear) and I felt a rush of friendliness.

The minute I sat down in the new members’ area, Julie the Consultant came over and congratulated me for coming to the group on my own. She explained everything about the Food Optimising plan while everyone else got weighed and chatted to each other. Suddenly I heard an almighty scream of joy! "That’s alright" said Julie "That’s just Linda, she’s obviously had a good weight loss this week!" I thought this Food Optimising thing she’s talking about must work!

I sat and listened as Julie gave encouragement to those who had not done so well and offered advice on how to make it better, and praised those who lost weight.

Walking home I thought ‘this is it - I have to do this and be able to offer my encouragement to others’. The following week I walked up to group with baited breath, and stepped on the scales. I hadn’t ‘dieted’, I hadn’t starved - I’d lost 2½lbs!

Week after week the weight fell off - half stone awards, Slimmer of the Week, stone awards, Club Ten. Now I’m only 3lbs off my target, and I’m feeling great. For more than a year now I have suffered with bad hips (which isn’t good when my hobby is Latin and Ballroom dancing) but the pain has now gone. I’ve shed 1st 13lbs and can dance all night now. I feel like a different person - a slimmer, healthier person, and it’s all thanks to Julie and the wonderful members at the group. Thank you everyone.

From Clair Enoch

(continued above)

Michelle’s health’s back on track 

Having read all of the inspirational letters I felt it was time to write one of my own.

In early 2007 I had a health scare and was referred to see a Consultant at my local hospital and you guessed it, my weight was an 'issue'. I had high cholesterol and borderline high blood pressure.

That week a Slimming World leaflet dropped through my letter box advertising a new group in my village. I immediately telephoned a couple of friends who I thought might be interested in going to the group. Before I'd even asked they both jumped at the chance to join. We were all 'lapsed' Slimming World members and over the years we’d let the weight to creep
back up.

As we were joining a new group everyone there was in the same boat and so it was very welcoming and Leah, our Consultant, was fabulous and full of enthusiasm.

Over the months the little changes have added up to make a great big difference. Here we are, 15 months later and I’ve just received my 5 stone award! My friends are working their way towards their two and a half stone awards and are doing great too. We might get to our targets at different times but we're enjoying doing the journey together.

When we joined we all agreed that we were changing to a healthier lifestyle and this wasn't a diet or a short term 'fix', we knew that once we stepped through that door we would be Slimming World members for life as we’re all determined to shift those extra pounds (or stones!) and to keep them off. I feel fantastic and although I'm not quite where I want to be yet, I am very positive about the future.

At a recent out-patient appointment my consultant and nurse were very impressed with my weight loss and have discharged me back into the care of my GP. My cholesterol has come down to 5.6 (the national average) and I’m so pleased to have achieved this reduction without medication and it's all thanks to Slimming World.

From Michelle Tuxford

Slimming is truly rewarding for Patrick!

At the age of 42, I was obese, suffering from type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, a lack of energy and self confidence. I really felt I needed to make some major changes in my lifestyle and to my health.

My wife and her mom were already members of our local Slimming World group and doing very well, enjoying Food Optimising and generally improving their health and fitness. In late January I decided it was time for me to change/improve my lifestyle choices and to help me on my journey I decided to join the Slimming World group with my family.

I quickly understood the principles of Food Optimising. It was so simple, no calorie counting, lots of Free Food choices and I could enjoy full plates of fresh, great tasting food and never go through the hunger pains or the feeling of deprivation that many other diets give you. This couldn't possibly result in weight loss, so I thought. Within two weeks I’d lost a stone and been awarded my first Slimmer of the Week award! What a motivating tool - I just love winning those little stickers!

I went on to quickly lose more weight, feeling healthier every week and receiving more weekly, monthly and Club 10 awards. I now have 28 awards (how a middle aged man can get so excited about a simple sticker is unbelievable, but it’s true!)

Other members of the group are a great help, we all motivate each other, have lots of laughs and encourage each other through good and bad times.

I introduced exercise to support my new eating habits; this helped my weight loss and also my fitness levels. I started walking (slowly at first then briskly) for at least an hour a day. The fresh air and scenery is great and to be honest life in general is fantastic.

I have now reached my Personal Achievement Target, losing 5st 1½lbs in under 5 months and I’m the fittest I’ve been for 20 years. I feel great and I now know how to eat properly, enjoy my food and get all I want from life.

Although my diabetes is with me for life, I have minimised the damage it can do to my body and life expectancy. My blood pressure is now that of someone in their early 20s and this is all thanks to Slimming World's fantastic plan. Even my doctor showed great interest in the plan and, you never know, he may join a group near you very soon!

I will continue going to group, to get motivation from the other group members and hopefully help some of them along their journey in the process.

If I was to offer any advice it would be to try to stay to image Therapy, 'weighing and going' would never have given me the motivation or the drive I personally needed to achieve my target. This really worked for me and it only cost me an hour a week - that’s nothing in the scheme of things.

Thanks Slimming World. Here’s to a long, healthy and 'full' life.

From Patrick Bissell

Kristina wants to be a wedding belle

In March of this year my fiancé and I decided to actually set a date for our wedding, but my excitement was clouded by the fact that I was overweight. I didn’t want to be a roly poly bride. A friend of mine said there was a Slimming World group nearby so we decided to give it a go. I’d tried most other ‘diets’ so this was the last resort before heading to the doctors to beg for diet pills!

The people at my group are great and we all come up with tasty Food Optimising ideas for each other. My group Consultant is fantastic - she gives lots of support but keeps us in check too!

I’d given myself a little over a year to lose the excess weight and get to my target dress size of 12! I am now 15 weeks into the plan and I have lost 1st 4lbs! I didn't realise dieting could be so easy, I’m never hungry and I feel fantastic as I’ve already dropped one full dress size and I am well on my way to dropping another!

I would, and do, recommend this plan to anybody! It’s great!

From Kristina Jinkerson