Shedding the weight at town’s Water Palace

Hamilton weight-loss champion John Gaffney paid tribute to the staff at Hamilton Water Palace who helped him every step of the way.

John said the staff and customers have always encouraged him throughout his time there.

Gary Taggart, a health and fitness duty officer at Hamilton Water Palace, said John has been“inspirational” throughout his journey.

He explained: “john is an inspirational character and it has been a pleasure for everyone involved with his journey here at Hamilton Water Palace. He has made amazing progress month after month and proves that making the necessary lifestyle changes and incorporating a bit of physical activity can make a positive influence in terms of your health and wellbeing.

“John is one of the most selfmotivated people I think I have ever met, in terms of taking a bit of ownership of his life and having the desire to keep the changes going, even through times where the going gets a bit tougher.

“Even if this story can help change one more person’s lifestyle in the local community, then it has been a success.”

Hamilton Water Palace offer a range of services including a fully-equipped gym and also offer a Weigh to Go service. It is a five-week nutrition and exercise class that South Lanarkshire Council run in partnership with NHS Lanarkshire and is free of charge for people in the area.

The class focuses on making healthier choices in terms of food/diet and incorporates a 45-minute exercise class.

NHS Lanarkshire have also been instrumental in helping John with his weight loss. Dorothy Carruthers, team leader of community dietetics for the South Lanarkshire Health and Social Care Partnership, said:“community dietetics encourages people to get involved with Weigh To Go due to the range of activities and support the programme offers.

“John clearly valued the support of the individual dietetic sessions he received which provide a more tailored programme to help him reach his goals. But in the end, it’s all been down to the effort John has put in.

“You could tell he was determined to get healthier by the way he fully engaged with the range of supports available to him. He can rightly be proud of himself and we hope others are inspired by him.”

Go to www.slleisureandculture.co. uk for more on the Weigh to Go programme.