Being active was the last thing on Bex Rossall\u2019s mind at her heaviest. After two broken relationships in her 20s and the tragic loss of her little sister, she was so unhappy that there were times when she couldn\u2019t leave the house. \u201cMy weight spiralled out of control,\u201d she says. \u201cEvery diet I tried left me feeling miserable, and I\u2019d soon regain any weight I\u2019d lost\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nWeighing 14st 10lbs, she decided to join her local Slimming World group. As the weight came off and her confidence grew, she started going for walks with her partner, Phil. Then, with her stamina improving, she decided to download the Couch to 5k app. Now she\u2019s 5st 2lbs lighter, Bex, who\u2019s 37 and a Slimming World Consultant, just loves to run. Raising money for Cancer Research UK this weekend means a lot to her, as she lost two grandparents to cancer and \u2013<\/strong> although she never dreamed she\u2019d run, let alone run a marathon \u2013<\/strong> she\u2019s raring to go! <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRunning makes me feel like I can do anything\u201d<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Slimming World member Beth Stratford has completely changed the way she thinks about herself since becoming more active. \u201cGrowing up, most of my friends were fit and healthy \u2013 and on all the sports teams \u2013 while I couldn\u2019t even run one lap of the track!\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n Everything changed after the 26 year old joined Slimming World so she could feel fabulous on her wedding day. Inspired by her group to give the Body Magic activity programme a go, she gradually started running \u2013 going on to complete a half-marathon and achieve a 3st 3lbs weight loss. \u201cI\u2019ve realised my body can do more than I ever gave it credit for,\u201d says Beth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe both used to struggle just to walk!\u201d<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Husband-and-wife duo Tim and Ruth Mortlock found activity difficult before they lost weight. For Tim, who weighed 22st 1\u00bdlbs, it was due to agonising back pain after suffering a slipped disc, while Ruth, who weighed more than 20st, would get so tired walking short distances that she\u2019d have to have a sit-down. \u201cJoining Slimming World turned out to be the best decision we\u2019ve ever made,\u201d says 43-year-old Ruth. <\/p>\n\n\n With the support of our Body Magic activity support programme, the couple began walking together. Then Tim started going for runs, and Ruth, taking it at her own pace, eventually joined him. \u201cNow we\u2019ve each lost more than 9st, and we\u2019ve been well and truly bitten by the running bug,\u201d says Tim, 44. \u201cWe\u2019re looking forward to representing Slimming World in this year\u2019s London Marathon and raising money for Cancer Research UK \u2013 it\u2019s a charity close to our hearts, as I lost both my mum and grandfather to the illness.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Read Tim and Ruth’s full story here: “It’s going to be one of those pinch me moments!”<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBeing a healthy mum means the world to me\u201d<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Following severe complications during her C-section, Sian Redman-Jama, 38, couldn\u2019t even push her son\u2019s\u00a0pram. Slimming World\u2019s Body Magic programme helped her build up gradually from doing just five-minute walks to 30-40 minutes a day. With her confidence boosted, she started jogging, using the Couch to 5k app to gradually pick up her pace.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n \u201cRunning is something I never had the confidence to do before losing weight,\u201d says Sian, who\u2019s lost 8st 2lbs with Slimming World. Now, she\u2019s full of energy and loves being an active, healthy mum. Sian can\u2019t wait to run the London Marathon and raise money for Cancer Research UK, having lost her grandad and aunt to cancer in recent years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Read Sian’s full story here: “I almost died giving birth. Now my family’s health is top priority.”<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBody Magic helped me rediscover activity\u201d<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m fitter than I\u2019ve been in 15 years!\u201d says Brodie Marks, who\u2019s lost 5st 4\u00bdlbs after discovering a healthier way to eat with Food Optimising. Brodie used to be a runner but lost her confidence after putting on weight.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n Brodie switched her fast-food meals and snacks for pasta cooked in home-made sauces, and as the number on the scales came down, her confidence rocketed. Soon, she felt ready to use the Body Magic programme to ease herself back into running… and just look at her now! Brodie lost her grandma to throat cancer, so she can’t wait to raise money for Cancer Research UK this weekend. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019d always skip PE at school\u201d<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Unhappy with his weight since his teens, Ben Stothard used to avoid sports lessons. After being diagnosed with depression in 2019, the 33-year-old pub landlord decided to join Slimming World. He was delighted to discover Food Optimising worked perfectly with his lifestyle and he became adept at cooking up healthier versions of the meals that satisfied his appetite \u2013 with chilli con carne at the top of the list.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n \u201cI tried to run, but I found that too difficult, so I bought a bike and I really enjoyed the freedom of cycling,\u201d say Ben. Then, with his confidence soaring and fitness levels rising, Ben had another go at running, starting slowly and using the Body Magic programme to support his progress. Now he\u2019s lost 2st 9\u00bdlbs, he runs three times a week and he\u2019s already completed a half-marathon. This weekend he\u2019s going all out for the London Marathon, raising money for Cancer Research UK in honour of a very close family friend who\u2019s currently in remission from cancer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Click here to meet the rest of our amazing marathon team \u2013 Frank McLoughlin, Dawn Attwood, Ian Muncaster, Rachel Falcus and Natalie White \u2013\u00a0and find out how things went on race day!<\/strong>\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Would you love to join Team Slimming World for the London Marathon 2023? If you\u2019re a Slimming World member, you can find out more and download an application form here<\/a> \u2013 but be quick, as applications close on 12th<\/sup> October 2022. Ready, steady… read!<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/slimmingworld.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Sian-Marathon-SlimmingWorldBlog.jpg\")
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