Mum has lots more energy for son after losing over 4 stone
A YOUNG East Staffordshire mum says she feels “amazing” after losing nearly 4.5 stone in just a year.
Samantha Spriggs, 24, who lives near Barton under Needwood, says she now happily runs after her boisterous two-year-old Isaac where before she would have had to give up.
She joined Derbyshire-based weight-loss organisation Slimming World in January 2020 with the encouragement of her mother-inlaw at a time when she was unhappy with her physical appearance and her mental health was poor.
Her doctor recommended membership as a way to take back control of her life, and now Samantha is leading a far more healthy lifestyle and continuing to eat healthily using Slimming World’s famous Food Optimising plan.
Looking back to the time when she was overweight, Samantha, a transport planner in Birmingham, said: “I have struggled with mental health most of my life. I was really low and I had to tell myself, ‘I am a mum, I need to do something. Something the doctor suggested was taking control of what I could do, so I decided to join Slimming World.”
She lost 1lb in her first week with the Barton under Needwood group and has continued to lose weight in the weeks and months since, including during the Covid pandemics.
Far from finding it difficult to focus on losing weight in lockdown, Samantha said: “It was one thing I could control. It’s a time when you aren’t running about or having to go to work. You are at home.”
In the days before she took back control, she struggled to give in to temptation at places such as the deli counter at Morrisons, but now finds she can have some of her favourite food, such as pizza, but preparing them at home in a healthier way.
From a low point of considering having to wear size 18 clothes, Samantha is now a confident young woman. She said: “You just feel
amazing. It has definitely changed my life for the better. I would never go back.
“It isn’t just the weight loss. I can run down the road with Isaac and keep up with him. I couldn’t do that before.”
In a message to others concerned about their weight, she said simply: “Join when you are ready.”
Her Slimming World consultant Angela Grist said: “Sam is a wonderful member who decided to make a change to her lifestyle with fantastic results of losing weight, becoming healthier and more confident in herself.
“She has embraced food optimising and achieved her fabulous loss so far. She is an ambassador for body magic and has shown other members the importance between food optimising and increased level of activity.
“She has not let lockdown get in the way of reaching her dream of losing weight and has continued to lose weight during the last 10 months.
“She is always keen to attend our online virtual image therapy sessions and is an active participant. She is keen to share her slimming world journey, tips and ideas in order to support her fellow members.”
To find your nearest Slimming World club, visit the website or text Stacey Jacks on 07919 891195.