Inspired by her mum, Lorraine loses 9st 7lbs and helps three generations of her family build healthier habits

“I joined Slimming World to change my life and ended up transforming my family’s habits too”

A Cheshire beauty therapist who lost an incredible 9st 7lbs after being inspired by her own mum's weight loss success says the changes she's made have had a positive impact on the whole family.

Lorraine Jervis-Garner, 34, from Holmes Chapel, Cheshire, joined her local Slimming World group in January 2023 after struggling with her weight following the birth of her daughter Ayda. At her heaviest, she weighed 19st 6lbs, was a size 22 and says she felt like she'd lost herself.

Today, Lorraine weighs 9st 13lbs, wears a size 8 and is enjoying an active lifestyle she once thought was out of reach. Her transformation has inspired the whole family, from husband Ryan, 33, to mum, Loretta, 70, who attends the same Slimming World group and has lost an impressive 3st herself. The positive changes are having an impact on the next generation too, with three-year-old Ayda now eager to help in the kitchen and learn healthy habits from her mum. Together, the family has embraced a new way of life and are enjoying the rewards of being more active, happier and healthier.

Lorraine’s story reflects the findings of new independent research[1], published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) Paediatrics Open, which found that many parents attending weight management groups reported positive changes in their children’s health behaviours, including increased physical activity and eating healthier food.

The survey, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), explored the experiences of 396 Slimming World members with children aged five to 11 and found that:

· more than two thirds (67 per cent) who were concerned about their child’s weight felt more motivated to support them after addressing their own weight

· almost half (48 per cent) of parents reported healthy improvements in what their child ate after they joined the weight loss programme

· more than a quarter (27 per cent) said their child had become more physically active

The findings of the research, carried out at the University of Bristol, come as experts warn younger adults face the greatest risk of future weight gain. Global studies predict one in three children, teenagers and young adults could be living with overweight or obesity by 2050[2], and research shows children with parents living with obesity are more likely to develop it themselves[3].

Lorraine says: "I joined Slimming World because I wanted to be a good role model for Ayda. I gained more than two stone during pregnancy. I felt frumpy, uncomfortable and completely unlike myself. After Ayda was born, I struggled to look after myself. I often skipped meals, relying on custard creams to get me through busy days with a newborn – along with full-sugar cola and convenience foods. Looking back, I simply wasn't nourishing myself."

Things changed when Lorraine’s mum, Loretta Dunne, suggested she join her at her local Slimming World group run by Consultant Julie Pugh. It was here Lorraine discovered how to rebalance the way she ate, without giving up the foods she loved. By learning how to build meals around filling, nutritious foods rich in protein and fibre, she found she could satisfy her appetite while losing weight.

Lorraine says the changes soon spread beyond herself and transformed the way the whole family ate: “It suddenly clicked that healthy food could be delicious. I stopped relying on takeaways and ready meals and started cooking from scratch, planning our meals and getting organised. I’d never done a weekly shop before, but once I started planning ahead, it was easier to make healthy choices for the whole family. I plan family meals for the week ahead now and Ayda’s favourite meal – chicken nuggets – are made from scratch in the air fryer and served with carrot sticks and garden peas. Now we enjoy meals like peri-peri chicken, homemade chips with salad and sweetcorn and other family favourites that are packed with goodness and we all love to eat together.”

“Ayda loves helping me cook now, she’s always in the kitchen with me. I really hope I’m setting a positive example for her and showing her healthy habits that will stay with her as she grows up.”

Having learned how to plan balanced, satisfying meals and snacks, Lorraine swapped processed foods, takeaways and ready meals for home-cooked dishes made with fresh ingredients. She says: “Our cupboards aren’t stocked with the crisps, chocolate and biscuits I once relied on throughout the day. Instead, we enjoy healthier, filling snack options like apple slices, vegetable or breadsticks with hummus, low-fat yoghurt, wholemeal toast or homemade banana bread – all of which keep everyone satisfied for longer.

Husband Ryan has also benefitted: “Ryan never needed to lose weight, but when we look back at photos from when Ayda was born, he's definitely slimmer now too because we're all eating the same meals. His weight doesn't fluctuate in the way it used to.”

Lorraine says encouragement from both family and fellow group members was key to her success: “There were times when my weight loss slowed and I started to doubt myself. In the first year I lost around two stone and then stayed at a similar weight for a while. Julie and the group reassured me that this wasn't a setback and helped me focus on the healthy habits I'd built, rather than just the number on the scales. Their support helped me recognise how far I’d come, especially during a busy period with a young baby and gave me the confidence to keep going. When people started noticing at around four stone lost, it gave me a real boost and helped me stay motivated.”

As Lorraine’s confidence grew, so did her activity levels and she began taking evening walks around her village before progressing to longer family walks with Ayda and their cockerpoo Hugo. Eventually, she started running. She says: “Hearing other members in the group talk about the activities they did was really motivating and, once I got started, I was encouraged by the awards you get at Slimming World to do more activity more often. I always liked the idea of running but when I was heavier my ankles would hurt and I'd wonder how other people managed it, now I'm one of those people. I can head out and do a 5k in half an hour. I’ve also discovered a love of padel and CrossFit.”

The impact has been noticeable at work too. As a beauty therapist, Lorraine says she previously found treatment work physically demanding: “I used to struggle with back pain and had stopped doing massage treatments because of it. Now I can be on my feet all day and work comfortably. The most important thing is knowing Ayda has an active mum who can run around with her, play with her and be a healthy role model. Sometimes I look at our family and think people probably assume we've always been healthy and active, the truth is we weren't.

"The person I am now is the person I've always wanted to be. Nothing beats the way I feel today. Most of all, I'm proud that Ayda is growing up seeing healthy habits as part of everyday family life."

Slimming World’s evidence-based programme has been helping people to build healthy habits around food, drink and activity for 57 years. Slimming World’s approach focuses on helping members make sustainable changes to their eating, activity and lifestyle habits through peer support and behaviour-change strategies. By combining practical healthy eating and activity guidance with goal setting and the encouragement of a supportive group who are all losing weight too, members are empowered to make realistic changes that fit into everyday life and support long-term weight management.

Lorraine's food swap

BEFORE

Breakfast: Six custard creams and a cup of tea

Mid-morning: Biscuits, usually around six custard creams

Lunch: Two cans of full sugar cola, 2-3 packets of crisps and a chocolate bar

Dinner: Takeaway pizza, a full sugar cola and a bag of chocolates for dessert

AFTER

Breakfast: Overnight oats and fat free natural yoghurt, topped with fresh raspberries and strawberries or at weekends a bacon barm

Lunch: Chicken salad or a cheese omelette with salad and a can of low sugar lemonade

Dinner: Peri-peri chicken with homemade Slimming World chips and salad and a fat-free flavoured yoghurt

SWIPS: Disaronno with cranberry juice in a large gin glass with lots of ice

-ENDS-

Group: Lorraine Jervis-Garner attends Julie Pugh’s Slimming World group in Holmes Chapel. For more information or to find your nearest group, visit slimmingworld.co.uk.

Starting weight: 19st 6lbs/123.4kg

Weight lost: 9st 7lbs/ 60.33kg

Current weight: 9st 13lbs/ 63kg

Height: 5ft 6in/168cm

[1] Mears R, Sharp D, Searle A, Salway R, Hamilton-Shield J. Effect of parent attendance at an adult commercial weight management programme on their children. BMJ Paediatrics Open. 2026;10:e004417. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjpo-2025-004417

[2] Global, regional, and national prevalence of child and adolescent overweight and obesity, 1990–2021, with forecasts to 2050: a forecasting study for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 - The Lancet

[3] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/childhood-obesity-applying-all-our-health/childhood-obesity-applying-all-our-health