Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Weight for it – Grant has lost 10 stone in 15 months
A SELF-confessed food lover is starting the new year an impressive 10 stone lighter – having shed the weight in just over a year.
Grant Cumming, 49, weighed in at 30 stone in September 2019 and wore a size 7XL in clothing when he decided enough was enough and joined Slimming World.
Now 10 stone and four clothes sizes smaller, he’s delighted to have hit the milestone in his weight loss journey.
To lose the weight Grant made simple lifestyle changes, including eating healthy foods, portion control and exercising more.
He said: “I used to walk down to the end of the road and it was a chore but I enjoy it now – I’ve started jogging it as a warm-up and see where I can go after that.
“I’ve got a lot more energy and get up and go – that sort of thing.
“Every stone I lost felt good but the 10 stone milestone was an emotional one.
“I don’t want to get too carried away with it because I’ve not completed the circle yet and have still got a lot left to lose.
“I’ve not set a physical target but I have a long way to go, I just want to keep losing as much as I can.”
Grant’s partner of 10 years, Rachael Callow, 52, was inspired by the amount of weight Grant was losing and also joined Slimming World a few months later.
The pair exercise and cook together at the home they share in Longforgan – resulting in Rachael losing more than four stone.
Rachael was nearly 15 stone when she started her weight loss journey and wore a dress size 18/20. Now she proudly wears a size 12.
She said: “I used to wear all black, big and baggy clothes to cover up, big jumpers that went over my bum or baggy trousers.
“Losing the weight has really boosted my confidence – it’s been so good not to feel like I have to cover up all the time.
“I feel so much better in myself, my attitude is clearer and I’m much more confident going out and talking to people.”
The pair said the emotional support they got from each other and the group at their weekly weigh-ins was invaluable – even during lockdown when meetings moved online.
Grant added: “The support of the group really does help. I do feel like I don’t want to let myself down but I also don’t want to let the others down who are supporting me.
“I was scared for my health and the long-term impact of my weight before.
“I didn’t notice it happening, it crept up purely due to my love of food and the wrong types of food, things like pizza and kebabs – then one day realisation hit.”