Couple shed 17st to scoop top slimming award
· Jo Beveridge, 50, and her partner John Durkin, 52, joined Slimming World after gaining weight in lockdown and have now lost an amazing 17st between them
· The couple, who have always been active, say that taking control of their eating habits has made a huge difference to their fitness and weight
· Jo and John now have bags of energy to keep up with their two young grandchildren
A couple from Burnley who saw their weight increase during lockdown have lost an incredible 17st 3lbs between them since the pandemic.
While Jo Beveridge and John Durkin, who have been together for 30 years, had both struggled with their weight for decades, they found that the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021 changed their eating habits – often relying on takeaways and ready meals.
Jo, 50, who has lost 6st 6lbs, says: “If I’m honest with myself, I’d been unhappy with my weight ever since our first son Alex was born. When Liam arrived a few years later, it became even more difficult to find time to eat healthily. I’d try to lose weight before a big event or holiday, but it would be a quick fix and I always ended up back where I started as soon as I started eating ‘normally’ again.
“Lockdown meant that we sought comfort in food when we were away from our family and friends – sometimes having a takeaway or indulgent meal was all we had to look forward to. It meant we developed some quite unhealthy habits which were then hard to shake even when we came out of lockdown.
“I knew John was feeling the same way and wondered if we might have more success if we tried losing weight together. Our daughter-in-law Jodie had joined Slimming World ahead of her wedding in 2019 and she looked absolutely amazing on the day. She raved about all of the delicious food she could eat and how supportive the group was, so we decided to give it a try for ourselves.”
Fifty-two-year-old warehouse manager John, who has halved his weight by losing 10st 11lbs, adds: “We’d always been quite active – I enjoyed cycling and Jo had been a member of the gym for years. We still struggled with our weight though, so we knew we needed some extra help, and it wasn’t just about moving more.
“At the time we’d just welcomed our first grandchild, Abel, and knew we wanted to be fit and healthy enough to be fun and involved grandparents. He really gave us that extra push to lose weight for good. He’s since been joined by our granddaughter Etta – running around with them is the best exercise!”
At their local Slimming World group Jo and John discovered Slimming World’s Food Optimising eating plan, swapping their diet of convenience food and takeaways for home-made meals.
Jo, who works in accounts, says: “Pre-lockdown our weekends would often involve a trip to the pub with a takeaway after, so we were a bit worried that we wouldn’t be able to enjoy that aspect of our lives anymore, however with a few simple swaps we realised we didn’t have to miss out. Instead of beer and wine we’d have spirits with a low-calorie mixer and alternate alcohol with soft drinks. We also love experimenting with Slimming World curries which we cook from scratch. The onion bhaji recipe is amazing too – they’re a firm favourite in our house!”
Our daughter-in-law raved about all of the delicious food she could eat and how supportive the group was, so we decided to give it a try for ourselves.
John adds: “The eating plan is no nonsense, common-sense eating – a world away from the crash diets we’ve done in the past. It’s changed the way we think about food. We plan our meals now and eat three balanced meals a day which helps us to stay on track. We often batch cook too, so if we don’t fancy cooking or don’t have time, there’s usually something in the freezer.
“The group support was great too. I was a bit nervous at the thought of joining and wasn’t really sure what to expect, but everyone there was really friendly and welcoming, especially our Consultant Sophie. I worried I might be the only man there or that I’d be judged for being the biggest in the room. It wasn’t like that at all though. We left our very first group feeling like we could really do it this time – so many of the other members had told us about how much they’d lost and how easy it was, we felt sure they couldn’t all be wrong!
“Slimming World has been the missing piece of the puzzle. We learned so much about the best way to fuel our bodies and the Image Therapy sessions opened our eyes to the pitfalls we’d fallen into in the past – like reaching for quick fixes when we were busy and tired after work or snacking in front of the TV when we weren’t really hungry. After a few weeks we really started to understand who we were as slimmers. Once we’d nailed that, everything fell into place.”
As they were already quite active, Jo and John soon felt ready to embrace Slimming World’s physical activity support programme, Body Magic. Jo says: “Although activity was something we were familiar with, it used to take it out of us when we were heavier, and we definitely felt the aches and pains afterwards. Pairing healthy eating with our exercise made such a difference to our fitness. Our Parkrun times just got better and better – John’s personal best is 24 minutes and mine is 28 minutes, which I’m over the moon with!”
John adds: “I properly caught the running bug once the weight started coming off! It felt so much easier, and my recovery time was much faster. I soon progressed from 5K to 10K, then a half marathon, until this April when I ran my first marathon. I still can’t quite believe that I’ve halved my bodyweight and run a marathon! I think the best thing about the activity support programme is that it’s broken down into small, achievable goals so it never feels overwhelming. There really is something for everyone whether you want to swim, cycle or just move more regularly, and we have people at all levels in our Slimming World group.
“I’m really proud to have run a marathon, but I’m even more proud of the type of grandparents we have become. We’ve got tonnes of energy to keep up with Abel and Etta and that’s exactly what we set out to achieve.”
Now that they’re 17st lighter, Jo and John have a new dream… “We’ve been together for 30 years and wanted to get married before lockdown,” says Jo. “We put the plans on hold though because we wanted to have a big party. So maybe there will be wedding bells soon!”
Slimming World has been the missing piece of the puzzle.
VITAL STATS:
Name: Jo Beveridge
Age: 50
Height: 5ft 6.5ins/169cm
Starting weight: 17st 6lbs/244lbs/110kg
Current weight: 11st/154lbs/70kg
Weight loss: 6st 6lbs/90lbs/40kg
Dress size before: 20
Dress size now: 10
Date joined Slimming World: September 2021
Name: John Durkin
Age: 52
Height: 5ft 6.5ins/169cm
Starting weight: 21st 8lbs/302lbs/136kg
Current weight: 10st 11lbs/151lbs/68kg
Weight loss: 10st 11lbs/151lbs/68kg
Waist size before: 50ins/127cm
Waist size now: 30ins/76cm
Date joined Slimming World: September 2021
Group: Jo and John attend the Burnley (Lowerhouse) Slimming World group in Lancashire run by Consultant Sophie Cowgill.
Before menu
Breakfast: Toast/fast food breakfast or no breakfast at all
Lunch: A supermarket meal deal such as a sandwich, crisps and a drink
Dinner: A jar of ready-made sauce with chicken or crusty bread sandwiches with crisps and a chocolate bar
Snacks: Crisps, chocolate, biscuits or a cake
After menu
Breakfast: Cereal and skimmed milk or a cereal bar
Mid-morning: Fresh fruit
Lunch: Tuna and rice salad or jacket potato and baked beans
Dinner: A meal from one of Slimming World’s recipe books e.g. chicken tikka masala with home-made onion bhajis
Evening: A Slimming World Hi-Fi bar or a flavoured fat-free yogurt.
● This story is NOT for syndication to any magazines without the consent of Jo Beveridge, John Durkin and the Slimming World press office (details above).
● Slimming World, Jo Beveridge and John Durkin retain copyright of all images attached to this press release. After photos should be credited: Slimming World/Paul Buller
Slimming World was founded by Margaret Miles-Bramwell OBE in Derbyshire in 1969 and has become the UK and Ireland’s leading weight loss organisation with more people choosing to attend a Slimming World group each week than any other weight loss programme. We support hundreds of thousands of people, both in our groups and online, to lose weight and to adopt new habits to stay slim for life.
Over the years our founding principles haven’t changed:
· Our unique programme is based on a powerfully motivating support system called IMAGE (Individual Motivation and Group Experience) Therapy. Underpinned by a deep understanding of the psychology of overweight people, and incorporating the most effective sustainable behaviour change techniques, IMAGE Therapy is designed to inspire and motivate slimmers to make positive changes and to develop new, healthier habits around food and activity.
· Food Optimising is our healthy eating plan, based on the liberating concept of Free Food. We encourage our members to fill up on those foods that are naturally lower in energy density (calories per gram) and also highly satisfying while limiting foods that are highest in fat and sugar and are less satisfying, so they lose weight without ever feeling hungry or deprived and without having to weigh, measure or count everything they eat.
· Our activity programme, Body Magic, encourages members to become more active, more often in ways that they enjoy, until regular physical activity becomes an intrinsic part of daily routine.
· Above all, at the heart of everything we do, lies our passion for treating every member with genuine care, empathy and respect.
·
We’re proud to work with the NHS, Public Health England, The Royal College of Midwives and others to help shape the future of weight management in the UK.
For further information please contact the Slimming World press office on email public.relations@slimmingworld.co.uk