Stephen sheds the weight for wedding date
Vicar on target for when daughter says ‘I do’
A VICAR who weighed more than 20 stone has lost an incredible five-and-ahalf stone – thanks to his daughter.
Reverend Stephen Parker, aged 64, joined Slimming World in January this year to get to his target weight as his daughter Emma is getting wed in the autumn.
Rev Parker, who is the lead chaplin for Staffordshire Police, said: “My daughter, Emma, gets married at the end of September, so my target was to get to 13st 5lbs by then.
“Besides that, I like cycling, when I got to the weight I was at Christmas, it was difficult to cycle. In the summer months I wanted to take the push bike and do some wild camping to fundraise for charity.
“I do put weight on quite easily. Especially during the summer months, I’m a grazer. I have my three meals a day, then I eat in between, even when I’m not hungry. Now I’m in Slimming World, I eat nothing in between.”
Rev Parker, from Werrington, says his wife of 40 years Elizabeth is also slimming alongside him. He added: “We eat better, tastier food now when we stick to the Slimming World diet than we did before. Elizabeth has lost nearly two stone, it’s much easier together.”
Stephen is also the reverend at St John The Baptist Church in Wetley Rocks and St Philip’s in Werrington and even his church goers have noticed his rapid weight loss.
He said: “They’ve mentioned it a few times, sometimes people think I’ve lost too much. They say to my wife, ‘Stephen’s looking thin,’ ‘Is Stephen alright?,’ ‘Is he ill?,’ that sort of thing. Once you start going down in clothes size, that’s when it’s noticeable. For me I can lose two or three stone, still wear the same clothes size but then for the next half a stone, you go one size smaller and it’s instantly noticeable.
“Instead of having slouched shoulders and because you’re carrying less weight on your belly, you look people in the eyes. You feel more comfortable, more confident. Losing weight gives me more energy. I’ve got plans for the garden because it’s easier to bend down and do the lawn. Now I can fasten my laces and pedal my bike.
“I used to get twinges in my knees but I’ve not had them now for a while so I’m hoping to cycle across Scotland to raise money for charity.”