{"id":1868,"date":"2020-07-02T17:47:08","date_gmt":"2020-07-02T16:47:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/slimmingworld.wpenginepowered.com\/blog\/?p=1868"},"modified":"2026-03-09T11:47:48","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T11:47:48","slug":"im-climbing-the-highest-mountain-in-each-continent-without-leaving-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/im-climbing-the-highest-mountain-in-each-continent-without-leaving-home\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cI\u2019m climbing the highest mountain in each continent, without leaving home!\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

With the Slimming World Body Magic challenge<\/a> in full swing, we were excited to uncover this inspirational \u2013 and intriguing \u2013 member story sitting in our inbox. Jenny\u2019s climbing her way around the world, without leaving home \u2013 It\u2019s a Kind of Magic<\/em> indeed! She tells us how…<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I neared the summit of Mount Everest, a sense of achievement overwhelmed me. It had taken 28 days to climb 29,000ft, and I\u2019d finally reached the top of the tallest mountain in the world. Well, I say \u2018the top\u2019, but as I looked around there was no magnificent view opening up below me. Instead, I had the same view I\u2019d had since starting my epic trek \u2013 the outside of my home!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me explain\u2026 I\u2019ve always been active, and have worked my way through the Slimming World Body Magic <\/a>awards to get to the highest level \u2013 Platinum. I usually like to walk for exercise, but I fancied taking on a new challenge. Climbing the equivalent of a mountain was one that I could tackle at home, without breaking any lockdown rules. I measured the step outside our garage at 6.5ins high, and calculated that I\u2019d need to do 53,000 step-ups to climb Everest. A daunting prospect!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Breaking it down<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To keep things manageable, I set myself a target of 2,000 steps a day, split into four 15-minute sessions of 500. I considered using the stairs inside my house but I worried that I\u2019d wear out the carpet, so outside I went. This has worked out really well for me during lockdown, as being outdoors is good for my mental wellbeing. I love listening to the birds while I\u2019m stepping, and I don\u2019t mind variable weather conditions \u2013 I just wear my trusty waterproof. If I close my eyes (not recommended for safety reasons!), I could almost be on an actual mountain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jenny\u2019s mission to conquer Mount Everest:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Step height 6.5ins<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

x 500 steps per session<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

x 4 sessions per day<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

x 28 days to climb 29,000ft and reach the summit – and then some!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s fitting that my weight loss journey has taken me so far from home, as it all started with a holiday in 2014. Returning home from sunny Spain, I felt as glum as the weather. Instead of making the most of my time in the beautiful, bustling cities of Barcelona and Madrid, I\u2019d spent my trip feeling frumpy and frustrated about my weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was a familiar feeling. I\u2019m 64 now, and I\u2019ve spent many, many years as a serial yo-yo dieter. One of the things I\u2019d tried was Slimming World \u2013 and it always worked. But then a familiar pattern would follow; I\u2019d lose weight, then stop going to group, fall back into my old habits and put the weight back on again. This time I was determined to make the change for good, and I\u2019ve stuck to my guns! <\/p>\n\n\n

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Jenny before – always active but unhappy with her weight<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

A two-part journey<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I see my weight loss journey as being split into two parts. Part one was losing 2st 1lb to get to my target weight. Part two is keeping that weight off. My previous experience with yo-yo-ing taught me that they\u2019re just as important as each other, and Slimming World helps you with both, offering free lifetime membership while you\u2019re within 3lbs of your target weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I kick-started my weight loss by committing to a Countdown (a Slimming World special offer), losing 1st 1lb to reach my target weight in just six weeks. Having kept the weight off successfully for over a year, I lowered my target to 9st 7lbs, which I reached in June 2016. This happened just in time for my 60th birthday – the best birthday present ever! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Food Optimising<\/a> is such an easy plan to follow. You can eat all kinds of food, and the recipes are so tasty that you\u2019d never know that they were healthier versions. Group is a great place to get ideas and my latest tried-and-tested (or should that be tried-and-tasted?) recipe is the creamy garlic chicken<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scroll to the bottom for more super-satisfying slimming-friendly recipes <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then came part two. Going to group is just as important for target members like me, and my brilliant Consultant, Lisa Hurst, is one of the reasons I\u2019ve finally been successful with my weight loss. It\u2019s my time to focus on how I\u2019m doing and I love the support I get to stay at my target weight. My group has developed a really strong bond and the other members motivate and inspire me. I\u2019m determined never to go back to my yo-yo ways. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During lockdown, the temporary virtual group<\/a> sessions have been my lifeline. We share our successes and support each other, no matter what, and it\u2019s been fantastic to be able to carry that on virtually during lockdown. Of course, I can\u2019t wait to see everyone in person again, as there\u2019s nothing quite like that in-group buzz!<\/p>\n\n\n

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Jenny after losing weight with Slimming World – on her outdoor step!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Fuelling the climb<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Meal planning has been a big part of my slimming success, and I\u2019ve been doing this even more carefully recently to try to limit my supermarket shopping trips. I shop every two to three weeks, using my short-life fresh veg before longer-lasting veg like swede and butternut squash. My husband, Ian, is a dab hand with the barbie and I\u2019ve acquired a taste for barbecued swede (trust me, it\u2019s delicious!). I\u2019ve also been using more tinned vegetables like mixed beans, butter beans, sweetcorn and chickpeas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s impossible to run out of recipe ideas as a Slimming World member. There are more than 1,400 recipes on the member website<\/a>, and I also like leafing through the cookbooks and Slimming World Magazine<\/em> for inspiration. My recent finds include Italian bean stew, Spanish-style chicken sofrito and spicy chicken fajitas<\/a> \u2013 Slimming World is taking me around the world in more ways than one! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mission possible<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Having climbed more than 67,000ft, I don\u2019t plan on stopping. I\u2019m going to continue globe-trotting to climb the highest mountain in each continent. I\u2019m proof that, when you\u2019ve got a great support system behind you, there\u2019s no obstacle too high to overcome \u2013 all you have to do is take that first step!  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jenny\u2019s mountain-climbing checklist:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Mount Everest \u2013<\/strong> 29,029ft in 28 days     <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Refuel recipe: Chinese chicken chow mein<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three Peaks challenge (Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon) \u2013 11,182ft in nine days<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Refuel recipe: Roast lamb with all the trimmings<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge \u2013 7,064ft in six days<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Refuel recipe: Toad in the hole<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Denali 20,310ft in 18 days<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Denali refuel: Baked spiced salmon with herby mash<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What an incredible achievement for our mountain-conquering target member! At Slimming World, we\u2019re committed to supporting our members for life. This means that all target members can attend group and use all of the tools on the website and app (including the recipe and food search tools that make meal-planning so easy) for free.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Has our Body Magic campaign<\/a> got you moving more? We\u2019d love to know what you\u2019ve been up to, whether that\u2019s exercising your way around the world like Jenny, or simply rolling out your mat in your living room \u2013 it\u2019s all brilliant Body Magic. Email us at the blog<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jenny attends Lisa Hurst\u2019s Slimming World group in Standish, Wigan. You can find out more about joining Slimming World here<\/a>. You can also get in touch<\/a> with your local Consultant, who\u2019ll be happy to help.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A ruined holiday set Jenny on her weight loss journey. Now she\u2019s conquering the world at her target weight<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":1875,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[14,23,26],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1868"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1868"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1868\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15824,"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1868\/revisions\/15824"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1875"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1868"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1868"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1868"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}