{"id":4445,"date":"2022-02-09T09:38:51","date_gmt":"2022-02-09T09:38:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/slimmingworld.wpenginepowered.com\/blog\/?p=4445"},"modified":"2022-03-03T14:42:36","modified_gmt":"2022-03-03T14:42:36","slug":"how-losing-5st-improved-my-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/how-losing-5st-improved-my-health\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8220;I lost 5st 7lbs and transformed my life at 50!&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<ul><li><strong>Angela Larkin lost an incredible 5st 7lbs after signing up to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/betterhealth\">Better Health Slimming World\u00a0offer.\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Slimming World is a partner in the government\u2019s Better Health campaign, which highlights\u00a0the health benefits of losing weight and adopting a healthier lifestyle, such as a reduced risk of developing common cancers,\u00a0high blood pressure and diabetes\u00a0and a reduced likelihood of becoming seriously ill with covid-19.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Angela has overcome serious health issues, boosted her confidence and commitment and now feels in control and able to tackle the challenges that could send her off track.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>The group and online members who have joined Slimming World\u00a0through the Better Health campaign have lost an\u00a0amazing 48,072st \u2013 that\u2019s an average of half a stone each\u00a0after six weeks.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Members who were weighed 12 weeks after joining had lost\u00a0an average of 10lbs.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/betterhealth\"><strong>You can join Slimming World for less with our Better Health offer \u2013 find out more here<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\" src=\"http:\/\/slimmingworld.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Sticth2-AngelaLarking-SlimmingWorldBlog.jpg\" alt=\"Slimming World member Angela Larkin transformation\" class=\"wp-image-4453\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Angela says: &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAfter the birth of my second child, I became very ill with leukaemia. My marriage broke down, I lost my hearing due to the cancer treatment and I had to give up my job. I was feeling very low at that point. I\u2019ve never had a good relationship with food and I started gaining weight. As a result, I developed high blood pressure and a number of other health issues. So when I moved into a new area with my children and new partner, Phil, I made the decision to lose weight and start taking care of myself.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I tried to slim down during the first lockdown, but I couldn\u2019t do it on my own \u2013&nbsp;I knew I needed support. I\u2019d never been to a Slimming World group before, but when I spotted a Facebook post about the Better Health offer, I decided to give it a go.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I was a bit&nbsp;nervous about going to my first group, and it was such a shock to stand on the scales and see the number 18st 4\u00bdlbs. When I realised that my BMI was in the obese category, I couldn\u2019t hold back the tears.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It really helped that Emma, the Consultant running the group, and the other members were so kind and welcoming. From the moment I arrived, I felt no judgement \u2013 only acceptance. Going to group is essential for me, because that\u2019s where I get the help to set goals, to understand where I might trip up on my weight loss journey and to put plans in place to make sure I continue to lose. We\u2019re like a family and everyone is just so supportive. It\u2019s a really motivating place to be and that\u2019s exactly what I need to stay on track.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before joining Slimming World, I didn\u2019t pay much attention to what I was eating. Now I really enjoy trying new recipes, such as spicy Cajun chicken with lots of vegetables and rice, and I&nbsp;never feel hungry. There are so many Slimming World recipes that my family enjoy, so we can all still eat together.&nbsp;And I\u2019ve learnt that simple,&nbsp;healthy swaps, like using leaner meat and less oil, can make a big difference. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For a long time, I couldn\u2019t even walk to the end of my road without getting out of breath. With the support of my Slimming World group, I started slowly introducing exercise to my routine, and now I&nbsp;go swimming three to four times a week. When I can\u2019t make it to the pool,&nbsp;I\u2019ll head off for&nbsp;a long walk instead. The amount of physical activity that I can do \u2013&nbsp;and that I want to do \u2013 is so different now.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ve lost more than 5st so far and I\u2019m still on my journey. The change in me is incredible and I\u2019m so proud of how far I\u2019ve come. Before, I was always&nbsp;in leggings and&nbsp;big, baggy tops, because that was all I could find to fit. Now that I\u2019ve lost weight, I\u2019m enjoying trying on clothes and choosing what I <em>want<\/em> to wear. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since July, I\u2019ve been living with endometriosis and perimenopause, and it would have been so easy to fall back into old, unhealthy habits. But I\u2019m determined to stick with the&nbsp;changes I\u2019ve made because I feel so much better. And I know my group will continue to support me all the way.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Slimming World has given me the confidence to make healthier choices and the energy to do all the things I want to. I\u2019ve transformed my life and there\u2019s no stopping me now!\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Angela\u2019s weight loss success backs up data from Slimming World, which found that people who joined a Slimming World group through the Better Health campaign lost an average of 7lbs in six weeks.<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The government\u2019s Better Health campaign was launched to encourage adults across the nation to lose excess weight, eat more healthily and get active, after four in 10 (41%) adults surveyed&nbsp;said they had put on weight since the first lockdown in March 2020. <\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Slimming World is proud to be a Better Health partner, helping members like&nbsp;Angela to make positive changes and enjoy the health benefits that come from achieving their weight loss dreams.<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/betterhealth\"><strong>To find out more about our Better Health offers, click here.<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After battling cancer and dealing with a relationship breakdown, Angela decided it was time to start taking care of herself. Read on for her story and to find out more about our Better Health offer <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":4452,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[22,23,19,26],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4445"}],"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=4445"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4445\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4452"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4445"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4445"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4445"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}