Verity’s transformed her life after losing 6st

A woman from Stratford-upon-Avon whose wedding photographs brought her to tears is now feeling more confident in every aspect of her life after losing 6st with Slimming World.

Verity Trueman, 30, realised that feeling unhappy in the run-up to her wedding led her to comfort eat in a ‘big way’ and meant that her size 22 wedding dress was uncomfortably tight on the day.

She says: “Looking back, I can see that I wasn’t happy in my relationship before getting married. I sought comfort in food and gained a lot of weight very quickly in the lead-up to the wedding.

“My weight had become such an issue that something as simple as putting on a seatbelt was a nightmare as the clip would painfully dig into my leg. I was always tired, everything hurt and I couldn’t even do a basic 10-minute workout without being in pain.

“The final straw was seeing my wedding photographs: I cried for days after looking at them. I was the biggest I’d ever been and I couldn’t even bring myself to look at those pictures again for months after. I hated everything about myself, and began to hide my true personality as well as my body.”

Six months after her wedding, Verity joined Bronwyn Heywood’s Slimming World group in Chipping Campden. She says: “It took a lot of courage to face the issues I had with my weight. Luckily my dad agreed to join Slimming World with me, which I really appreciated. Everyone there was so welcoming though, so I soon felt really at ease. I was still shocked when I saw my weight on the scales. I’d been running away from how I was feeling for so long and I had no idea that I’d be as heavy as I was.

“Although having a lot of weight to lose felt daunting, in a way it was good to draw a line under that chapter of my life. It was like I was starting fresh with a new healthy eating plan that I could really get on board with.”

Verity soon got to grips with Slimming World’s Food Optimising eating plan and lost 4lbs in her first week. That, along with the generosity and flexibility of the eating plan which enables slimmers to lose weight without hunger or restriction, was a real motivation to keep going. The plan encourages members to fill up on a wide variety of healthy everyday foods – like lean meat, potatoes, pasta, fruit and vegetables.

She says: “I’d struggled with my weight since I was a teenager, so I’d tried every diet you could think of. The thing that struck me about Slimming World was that I never had to feel hungry because I could still enjoy all of my favourite foods, like pasta. My favourite meal is chilli beef mac ‘n’ cheese – something you’d never think you could enjoy while losing weight! I really loved how the I could personalise the plan to my likes and dislikes. It really struck a chord for me as I knew I’d go totally off-track if I had to cut out foods like pasta and chocolate!

“The group was really amazing too. Being surrounded by people who understand how it feels to struggle with your weight was really comforting and I really relied on their support throughout. A year into my journey, my group switched to a virtual service as we entered a national lockdown, but I still attended each week to check in and stay on track. The support of the group and the expertise and understanding of Bronwyn, the Consultant who ran my group, really was invaluable.

“Of course, there were times that I had a bump in the road – an unexpected gain or a bit of a wobble. This is where Bronwyn was fantastic, she really helped me to focus on why I wanted to lose weight in the first place and how far I had come already. The group setting really helped me to understand my triggers and find strategies to overcome any situations that were potentially tricky for me. I found keeping a food diary really helpful, or researching the menu before a meal out so that I could make a healthier choice.”

Now two years on, Verity has been named Slimming World’s Miss Slinky 2022, a competition to acknowledge members who have become happier and more confident since losing weight.

And that’s certainly true for Verity, who has become much more confident in all areas of her life. She says: “It wasn’t until I joined Slimming World that I realised how much I was holding back. Since losing weight I’ve gained a new job, learned to love myself and found the strength to leave my marriage when I realised the relationship wasn’t right for me. It’s a really liberating feeling to be free of the self-doubt that used to prevent me from living my life to the fullest.”

Verity’s weight-loss journey has also paved the way for her to become much more active – and she now loves exercise and gym classes. Slimming World encourages its members to incorporate activity into their daily lives with its Body Magic programme, which helps beginners create sustainable, life-long changes – and encourages members who are already active to take it to a whole new level.

She says: “Any form of activity before used to leave me in pain, I could barely climb a flight of stairs without gasping for breath. Now I have a whole wardrobe dedicated to gym clothes! I enjoy Pilates and spinning classes, and I always feel great afterwards.

“When I was at my heaviest it was as though my unhappiness seeped into every aspect of my life. I’d wear dark, baggy clothes because I thought they’d be slimming and I’d blend into the background so that I didn’t stand out. Now I’m proud of who I am and what I’ve overcome. The world feels exciting and new – and I can’t wait to see what’s next!”

You can view a video of Verity’s weight loss journey here.

VITAL STATS:

Name: Verity Trueman

Age: 30

Height: 5’6”/167cm

Starting weight: 17st 2lbs/108kg/240lbs

Current weight: 11st 2lb/70kg/156lbs

Weight loss: 6st/38kg/84lbs

Dress size before: 20/22

Dress size now: 8/10

Date joined Slimming World: January 2019

Group: Verity attends the Chipping Campden Slimming World group which is run by Consultant Bronwyn Heywood.

Before menu

Breakfast: Nothing

Lunch: Fast food or other convenience food followed by sweets or chocolate and a sugary coffee

Dinner: A high-calorie ready meal or takeaway

Evening: Crisps, biscuits, ice cream

After Menu

Breakfast: Baked oat waffles with strawberries

Lunch: Coronation chicken, new potato and Mediterranean vegetable couscous salad 

Dinner: Homemade chilli beef mac ‘n’ cheese

Evening: A hot chocolate, fat-free yogurt or chocolate bar