‘We’ve transformed our bodies – and our lives
Closer meets the inspiring super slimmers who’ve lost over 9st between them
‘I can finally run around after the kids’
Caroline Palmieri, 38, from Warminster, Wiltshire, ditched comfort eating and has never felt better. The mum-of-three says, “I was eight months pregnant when I moved to Devon with my husband, Matt, who’s in the Army. Feeling lonely, I ate daily cream teas and cake and my weight crept up to 13st – too big for my 5ft 5 frame. Four months after having my daughter, Effie, I joined Slimming World. My Consultant instantly made me feel at ease, and I found cooking from scratch wasn’t too time consuming, so the plan fitted in well with being a new mum. Instead of skipping breakfast, I waited until Effie was napping, then I cooked scrambled eggs with grilled lean bacon and two slices of wholemeal toast. If I was in a rush to get to a baby group, I filled my bag with apples and tangerines, then had a proper meal afterwards. In my first week, I lost 3½lbs. “Matt loved the meals, too, and I reached my target weight of 10st 7lbs in May 2014, two years after that first group. We then moved to Wiltshire and I joined another Slimming World group to maintain my weight, only to find out weeks later that I was pregnant – this time with my son Gene, now three. Knowing Slimming World works with the Royal College of Midwives, my midwife was happy for me to continue attending Slimming World to manage my weight. [Slimming World worked with the Royal College of Midwives to develop their policy for new mums and mums-to-be, visit Slimmingworld.co. uk/rcm]. Five months after having Gene, I was down to around 9st. “Through my next pregnancy, when I had Art, now one, I knew I had all the tools I needed to get back to my pre-baby weight. Now I have lots of energy for racing around after three kids and I couldn’t be more proud.”
‘I’ve stopped hating photos of myself’
Michelle Harriott, 34, an assistant merchandiser from Sevenoaks, Kent, found the secret to her slimming success lay in her newfound cookery skills. She says, “I knew I needed to do something about my weight when I saw my holiday photos in March 2016. I’d been with my parents in Northern Ireland and we spent a beautiful day strolling along the coast, but when I saw the pics that evening, my heart sank. I’m tall at 5ft 10, but I looked so much bigger than I’d imagined. “I’d been in denial about my weight for years, hiding my size 20 figure under black, baggy tops and loose-fitting skirts. Weighing 17st 1lb, I wanted to do something about my size. But when my mum asked me to join Slimming World with her, I was sceptical. When I’d tried to lose weight in the past, I’d always felt hungry, so I was relieved when I found I could eat as much rice, pasta and potatoes as I wanted. Living on my own, I rarely bothered to cook. But it turned out to be easier than I expected to fit the plan around my life. On Sunday afternoons I’d batch-cook slimming-friendly sweet-potato curries, sausage casseroles and other filling meals to enjoy throughout the week. And if I wanted something easy after a long day at work, I’d fry a chicken breast in low-calorie cooking spray with balsamic vinegar and serve it with homemade chips and vegetables. “My parents have been supportive, raving about my new cooking talents. I can still enjoy dinner out with friends without worrying, too – I just look up the menu online so I can plan ahead. It took just six months to lose over 5st and now I’m 11st 3lbs and, when I go out, I feel confident slipping on a fitted, size 10 dress that shows off my slim figure. But best of all, I love flicking back through all the photos afterwards!”