Greg’s a slimming tour de force
Dad of two Greg Maskalick, 63, from Derbyshire has transformed his life from being “too heavy to be active” to cycling over 3,000 miles last year
Secondary school teacher Greg learnt a valuable lesson when he was hospitalised after suffering minor heart failure. He took the wakeup call seriously, stepped his efforts to lose weight up a gear and lost 7st after joining his local Slimming World group and getting back into cycling.
“In October 2019 weighing 25st 5lbs, I had the biggest wakeup call of my life. My day appeared to start as usual, it was a school day and I was due to teach. While getting ready I noticed I was very out of breath. I remember thinking to myself, “Wow, I must get back in shape, this is terrible.” I arrived at school and my breathing was getting worse. It got so bad that an ambulance was called and at the hospital I was told I’d had minor heart failure. The doctors made no secret that being overweight was a major contributing factor,” says Greg who is originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the USA.
Greg, who has been married to Gail for 36 years and has two daughters, Hannah, 30, and Kate, 25, says: " I’d known for a long time I needed to do something – my doctor had been saying it to me for years. Gail had also been worried about my health for some time, so as she sat next to me in hospital she said, ‘This is it now, you’re losing weight.’ She found there was a local Slimming World group we could try and we joined together. The group were so friendly and as soon as I heard Nina, the group’s Consultant, explain the variety of food I could eat on Slimming World’s healthy eating plan, I knew it could work for me.
“If I think back to what I ate before joining Slimming World, I know I made a lot of unhealthy choices. I would eat for comfort and typically have two or three greasy burgers for lunch, with cakes and biscuits for pudding. The idea of depriving myself or going hungry was what had always put me off trying to lose weight before. With Slimming World, it was nothing like that, the plan was generous as well as easy to understand – I can eat the foods I love and I’m never hungry.”
“By joining Slimming World, I’ve changed my mindset and when it comes to my relationship with food, I’m in control now. I cook things in a much healthier way using lean meat and low-calorie cooking spray. I've always loved vegetables and salads, and I've learned how to make them tasty without pouring mayonnaise or dressings all over them.”
Greg, who is a parish councillor, says: “Losing weight has given me so much more confidence to be able to live the life I’m living now. Along with the support of the other members in my group, Nina has been amazing – even through lockdown she was always there to help me stay on track with tips and advice to keep me motivated. I still refer back to one text Nina sent me which said, ‘When you're about to make an unhealthy choice, stop and ask what you want more - that, or your weight loss.’
“I’d enjoyed cycling a lot when I was younger. Six years ago, I bought myself an expensive bike, but I couldn't ride it because I was so overweight the tyres went flat when I got on it. As soon as I began to lose weight, I learned about Slimming World’s Body Magic activity support programme which supports members to start moving more, in a way they enjoy whatever their starting point. I heard other members talking about how they’d discovered or rediscovered exercise. It was exactly the inspiration I needed and I decided to get back into cycling. I loved it, but my first journey of just over two miles was too far at that time – a little red faced I had to get Gail to come and pick me up. I’ve realised the importance of taking things at my own pace and gradually I’ve built up my energy levels and ability. Now I’m incredibly proud to say, as well as my doctors confirming my blood sugar levels have reduced, last year I reached my goal of cycling the Hadrian’s Wall ‘Coast to Coast’ 151 mile cycle route from Whitehaven to Tynemouth. Later this year I aim to complete the 180 mile long ‘Castle to Castle’ route from Newcastle to Edinburgh – it’s incredible to think that only four years ago I used to get out of breath walking down the garden.”
Nina Fowler runs the Alvaston Slimming World group in Derby and is Greg’s Consultant. She says, “It’s been such a pleasure to be part of Greg’s weight loss journey. I remember when Greg and Gail joined my group – he said to me he couldn’t believe he’d still be able to eat the foods he loved and lose weight. Now he cooks everything from scratch and we all love trying out the Slimming World-friendly spice rubs and smokes he creates. Although Greg needed to lose weight for health reasons, he had a personal goal to cycle again and it’s been so good to see him do that. He’s a huge inspiration to the whole group.”
For more information or to find your nearest group, visit slimmingworld.co.uk.
-ENDS-
Greg Maskalick
Starting weight: 25st 5lbs
Weight lost: 7st
Current weight: 18st 5lbs
BEFORE
Breakfast: Hash browns, two takeaway egg muffins, large diet cola
Lunch: Two greasy burgers, large fries, onion rings, ice cream, large diet coke
Dinner: Meatloaf made with very fatty mince, mashed potato made with butter and cream, salad smothered in oily dressing, American cake with ice cream,
Snacks and drinks: Crisps, roasted or salted nuts, beer or wine
AFTER
Breakfast: Slice of wholemeal toast, poached egg, apple, fat free yoghurt
Lunch: Roasted, skinless chicken in a wrap with boiled egg, lots of salad with lemon juice and red pepper, cucumber, grapes, orange, water or diet cola
Dinner: Slimming World chipotle steak with sweet potato chips, with lots of vegetables and fruit salad for dessert
Snacks and drinks: Low fat fibre bar, water
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 support programme, Body Magic helps members to overcome any barriers around exercise. Members choose when to start and they set the pace, finding activities they genuinely enjoy, until regular physical activity becomes an intrinsic part of their daily routine.
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, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), The Royal College of Midwives and others to help shape the future of weight management in the UK and Ireland.
For more information about Slimming World’s approach visit slimmingworld.co.uk or slimmingworld.ie
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For the Press Office visit our newsroom or email public.relations@slimmingworld.co.uk