New mums take healthy option

NIKI TENNANT

Three women from Rutherglen and Toryglen who recently celebrated the birth of their babies are refusing to keep mum about the secret behind their new slimline figures.

The three busy mums are looking after their babies and themselves by following an eating plan that doesn’t involve giving up their favourite foods.

After discovering she was expecting, Emma Johnston, from Rutherglen, joined her Slimming World group in November 2017 in a bid to avoid carrying excess weight throughout her pregnancy.

Her baby Zac is six months old and Emma recently achieved her three stone weight loss award.

Emma, 29, was previously a size 20 and is now a comfortable size 14.

Zoe Mackie, of Toryglen, joined the group in July last year after giving birth to baby Craig.

Zoe, 37, who was a size 20 and is now a size 1416, achieved her three stone award in January.

Fellow slimmer Natasha Fraser, 20, joined Slimming World just before she fell pregnant and, like Emma, wanted to eat more healthily and not gain baby weight.

Natasha’s baby, Olivia Rose, is now three months old and Natasha is a stone lighter.

“With the rise of trendy fad diets, people are often seduced by the promise of fast weight losses and take quick-fix routes to lose weight,” said Linda Parrott, who runs a Slimming World group in King’s Park and has been a consultant for six years.

“However, these methods of weight loss aren’t sustainable – after all, who wants to feel hungry all the time or give up their favourite foods indefinitely?

“There’s no magic pill when it comes to weight loss and the best weight loss plan is the one you can stick to.

“Our members lose weight by making small changes to the way they shop, cook and eat.

“They fill up on ‘free food’ – foods that are low in calories but satisfying, like pasta, lean meat, fruit, veg, potatoes and more – so they don’t have to go hungry or give up their favourite meals.

“They also gradually become more active and get bucket loads of support along the way.

“Members develop healthy habits that they can keep up for life, so they not only reach their target weight but stay there forever.”

To lose weight, Emma advises making small and simple swaps like switching from oil to lowcalorie cooking spray and full-fat butter to low-fat spread, and swapping white bread for wholemeal bread.

Zoe suggests planning meals for the week you know you’ll enjoy, trying new dishes to keep things interesting and making a shopping list.

Natasha’s top tip when trying to lose weight is to have a strong support system of fellow members around you who will celebrate with you and boost your weight loss when you’re doing well, and pick you up if you ever have a more difficult week.

Consultant Linda advises: “Don’t run before you can walk.

“If you currently lead a more sedentary lifestyle, and the thought of exercise makes you sweat, don’t let your fears steer you away from getting active.

“Make simple swaps, from taking the lift and using the car for short journeys to taking the stairs and walking to the shops.

“Increase your activity levels gradually until you reach the recommended level of 30 minutes, five times a week.”

The Kings Park Slimming World group is held every Thursday at The Montford function suite, 2327 Curtis Avenue at 3.30pm, 5.30pm and 7.30pm.

For further information, contact Linda on 07730349212.