WHAT’S YOUR REASON FOR JOINING SLIMMING WORLD?

You all have your own reasons for joining Slimming World and I wanted to share some stories I heard this weekend from other members around the country. Some of them are just so moving, they brought a lump to my throat......

“I want to feel fab at 40”

“To take my son to baby swimming lessons without feeling I’m the biggest in the pool!”

“I knew that I had a ball to go to that my father-in-law was hosting in October and I knew I wouldn't be able to get a size 28 ball gown!! Lost six stone and managed to get into a size 16 - no-one recognised me!! “

“A Christmas photo of a very big bottom!! “

“Being diagnosed with heart condition that could kill me (S.A.D) at the age of 34 ! the extra weight (only a couple of stone) put extra strain on it . And hating myself for letting myself go!”

“Holiday photos that made me look frumpy and also the pain the extra weight put through my back (I have a chronic back problem) “

“I’d never had to diet as I was always 7stone (and looked anorexic) and having put on nearly 4 stone i had no confidence and struggled to work and home stuff so my son suffered. 2 stone down later I look healthy and have little or sometimes no back pain and all because my sister in law directed me to SW & not WW as i could still have chocolate””

“Did not want to fit the fair, fat and forty profile! This was (a now outdated may I add) a medical profile of a typical gallstones presentation. The only thing I could do nothing about was my my age and I can now say that for me - life began at 40!! :) “

“Initially holiday photos and deciding to start trying for a baby - I figured just not worry about it and try to lose it after the baby, but my mum nagged me to act now because it might affect my chances of getting pregnant. I lost about 2 stone before grinding to a halt & eventually giving up & putting much of it back on after discovering we weren't going to get pregnant naturally (and nothing to do with my weight). I rejoined when we had a date for the IVF and had 6 months to get down to a healthy weight in time for the treatment.... Two attempts later & still no baby, but did eventually get down to my target weight (over 3stone lost)”

“Battling with Post natal depression. It was the one place each week that I was me and not a Mummy. As i shrunk my confidence grew and the antidepressants were a thing of the past. “

“My eldest is Autistic and I didn't want him being teased for having a 'fat mummy' on top of everything else. Also being told I am too young to have my hips replaced although I am in constant pain (born with difficulties) and would have to wait at least another 10years, carrying extra can't help the problem.”

“Getting married again and didn't want to roll down the aisle”

“I’d joined initially as I didn’t want to be overweight mam (mine was and I was picked on at times for it) lost weight felt fab then met new partner got married and had another baby , jack was six months old when someone asked when i was due so hotfooted it back to class!!!! “

“First time was to lose the baby weight after my son was born (plus the stone extra i was already carrying!) Got to target, stopped going thought I could maintain on my own! Put a stone back on within weeks, had another baby, so back to group when i struggled to do up a pair of size 16 jeans in a shop fitting room with all the full length mirror's around :( Been back at target for a year now, wooo hooo!! “

“At the age of 42 I had a stroke, what a wake up call that was! It happened only a few months after my brother had died suddenly and unexpectedly and I was warned unless I did something about it I would be joining him in the graveyard! Not wanting to leave my parents again bereft and my son an orphan, I joined SW. Two years later I was 7 stones lighter and became a consultant! Four years down the line I am now 7 stones 9lbs lighter and heading towards my final, final (I keep resetting) target of 8 stones off!! “

“Best friend told me I needed to loose weight" best thing she did - I lost 9 stone!!”
“I was so big I could hardly walk with the pain in my hip and knee. I have high cholesterol and take a high dose of thyroxin. I felt the only thing left was diabetes and death. Oh boy how it has changed my life. “

“I wanted my tummy inside my jeans”

“I joined when I saw a friend who I hadn't seen for ages she had lost 4 stone with SW. I realised how unhappy I was, never wanted to go out with friends as I couldn't find anything to wear really didn't like myself. Joined that week, lost 3 stone. “

“I joined because my sister had joined & was doing really well, I'd already realised that I was unhappy with myself, my body, my life..!, I had spent a hot summer not being able to play with my young children on the beach, run around after them etc. And I found myself looking at my husband wondering why he was still with me, he didn't fall in love with me the size I was, I'd gone from a size 16 to a 22 & I felt if I didn't do something then he'd leave me and my kids would be teased for having a fat mum! (My husband loved me no matter what but I got this thought in to my head and it wouldn't go!!) Anyway, I'll always be grateful to my 'not so big now' sister! By joining herself & showing me how easy the Extra Easy plan is I've not only lost 5 stone, am now a size 12/14 for the 1st time in my adult life We both reached our target in the same week too, her losing 3st 4lbs & me losing 5st! “

“I lost my husband 5 years ago (he was only 60), so I ate and ate and ate, of course all the wrong things, just comfort eating really, plus not eating properly, wouldn't cook for myself. I too have hip and knee problems, had 2 hip replacements, which the extra weight didn't help, but then I met my new partner. A very kind and caring man, who accepted me for who I was, but I too always had to go the "fat shops" to get clothes to fit me. We came on holiday to Turkey, and found I was never comfortable in shorts and thin strapped vests, so decided to do something about it. I did try WW in Feb 09, lasted a week, was starving, so tried SW and have never looked back. Lost approx 2 st in 18 weeks, became a Consultant last July, and love the job. “

“I joined because I had pressure breaks in my feet, hated being a size 30-32. I joined 4 times and the first 3 I thought I could do it on my own. As we all know the group really does get us to target. I lost my 7 stone on my 4th joining and have not looked back.“

“I had suffered from Chronic Fatigue ( M.E.) and fibromyalgia for 15 yrs alongside having had hereditry high blood pressure from being 21 yrs old, then in 2004 I developed Thrombophilia which is thick sticky blood. In March of that year my GP gave me the stark ultimatum, lose weight now or come the end of the year I would probably have suffered a stroke. At best a debilitating stroke at worst a fatal stroke. I didn't need to be told twice and by December I’d dropped from a size 24/26 to a neat size 16, a total of 5 stone! and by July 2006 I reached my target with a total loss of 6st 8lbs”