LOSS TALES
and joined in with the family. I even went kayaking.
“Life is so much better with the kids too. Now I have the energy to join in with their games. My heart melted when I heard my little one say that ‘mummy is fun’. It made me realise how much my size had stopped me from enjoying life.”
Darren Davies, from Sarn, has lost eight stone, having gone from 22st 10lbs to 14st 10lbs.
He thought slimming clubs were aimed at women until he built up the courage to go along to see one for himself – and said he is delighted he took that step.
Darren first went after struggling to keep up with his young granddaughter and having health complications with blood pressure.
After walking through the doors of the Slimming World club in Sarn, Darren was pleasantly surprised to find the support provided by the group was practical and encouraging.
He says: “It was nerve-wracking walking through those doors for the first time but I wasn’t the only man there and everyone was so supportive. Now I look forward to going to my group. There is lots of banter and laughter and I get some really good ideas too.
“I didn’t know what my mates would think about it but they’ve been right behind it. Once they realised I could still have a beer they started to take an interest and when they see me eating things like steak and homemade chips, they always ask how it’s possible to eat like that and still lose weight. What really had them sitting up and paying attention though was how well I was losing weight.”
As the weight came off, Darren found he had more energy and so he was eager to use it: “I always thought physical activity would be the best way to lose weight, but when I was at my heaviest I just wasn’t fit enough to do it.
“By starting small I’ve managed to build up my activity gradually. Now I go the gym most days of the week and I really enjoy running.
“I can honestly say I feel like a different man since losing weight. Now I can chase after my granddaughter without needing to stop for breath, my energy levels have gone through the roof and I feel so much more confident about my appearance.”
Angela Morgan, 52, lost five stone after going from 15st 5lb to 10st 5lb. A financial adviser from Clydach, Angela visited her GP with chronic hip pain. She was given painkillers and told to expect a hip replacement in a few years’ time. However, the doctor also suggested that losing weight may also help with the pain.
Angela took the advice to heart and made the decision to join her local slimming class. The first week she weighed in at 15st 5lbs.
Before joining, Angela would skip breakfast and lunch and pick on unhealthy snacks to get through the day.
“I eat more food now. I eat meals regularly using lots of the zero point foods, like chicken and eggs. I love my cooked breakfast using bacon medallions, eggs, tomatoes and mushrooms.”
Before losing weight, Angela was not active at all; in fact she took the car all the time, even for the shortest of journeys.
“I hated exercise. The pain in my hip prevented me from being active but as the weight came off, my hip pain lessened. I knew the gym wasn’t for me but I decided that what I could do was walk more.
“I started off adding it in to my daily routine; for example, parking a little further away from the shops and before I knew it I was up to 10,000 steps a day.”
Angela had always aspired to climb Pen-y-Fan and she vowed that once she had reached her goal weight she was going to tick this item off her bucket list.
“I had friends who climbed Pen-y-Fan but they had never asked me to join them as they thought I couldn’t do it. The company that I work for organised a sponsored walk. It was my opportunity to do it.
“About 10 minutes in to the climb, I was so breathless that I didn’t think I would make it. People coming down were so encouraging, telling me it wasn’t far so I put my head down and plodded on.”
When Angela reached the summit, she was so proud to wave a special flag celebrating her fivestone weight loss with WW.
“It was just brilliant. I am so proud of myself for what I have achieved. My confidence is soaring. I have my life back and I can do whatever I want.”
Clive Powell, 56, from Llanharry, was 16st 2lb and has lost nearly three stone.
A YouTube creator and window cleaner, Clive was feeling very fortunate. In November 2018, his wife Jayne was knocked down by a car. She miraculously escaped with only minimal injuries.
Following the accident, Jayne visited her GP for a health check where she was told she had high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and was borderline diabetic. She was advised to make lifestyle changes and lose weight.
Clive was so thankful his wife had come off so lightly in the accident he decided he would support her with her lifestyle changes.
“It was a bit of a wake-up call for me too,” he says. “I was more than 16 stone and had high blood pressure. I had also suffered a transient ischemic attack (TIA – mini stroke) when I was 38.”
Following the TIA, Clive gave up smoking and lost weight. However, 17 years later he had let those healthy habits slip.
“After years of over-eating and generally not looking after myself again, I faced the fact I need to get healthy too. WW had worked for me previously, so Jayne and I decided to join our local studio in Pencoed.”
Clive embraced the new programme right from the start.
“My start weight was 16st 2lb and to date I’ve lost 35lb. My wife Jayne has also lost 15lb so far.
“The plan is so flexible. I can still go to my favourite coffee shop and have a latte and a muffin.”
Not only can Clive socialise but he has found a new joy for cooking.
“I plan every meal and enjoy the process of cooking using fresh ingredients. It’s amazing what a difference this makes. I see it as time well spent as I am investing in my health and well-being which allows me time to enjoy life even more.”
Since losing two and a half stone, Clive has seen a dramatic change in his fitness levels too.
“I started off simply walking then increased to a jog. I built up confidence and have now started cycling and boy do I love it. At 56 I had given up on life. I felt ‘this is it then’ and accepted being tired and having aches as the norm. How life has changed and it is so much for the better.”
Bleddyn Purnell, 25, from Neath, started out at 21st 13lb and now weighs 14st. The 25-yearold suffered with sleep apnoea, a condition where the muscles and soft tissues in the throat relax and collapse to block the airway. The condition led to regularly interrupted sleep, which had a big impact on Belddyn’s quality of life.
He was advised by the hospital that he had to go to sleep using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device. This prevents the airway closing during sleep by delivering a continuous supply of compressed air through a mask, which Bleddyn found very uncomfortable.
“The doctors also told me that losing weight would have a big impact on my sleep apnoea,” he says. “My grandad had attended WW previously and he encouraged me to join the local with him.
“I absolutely loved it from the start. It was a great adventure. I don’t really like vegetables but now I eat them in soups and stews. I live with my mum, who also goes, and I would go through her recipe books to plan the meals for the week ahead. The recipes are healthy and delicious.”
Before starting his diet, Bleddyn’s favourite treat was McDonald’s.
“What I really love about this plan is that I can still eat out and lose weight. The app is fantastic. The restaurant section means that I can eat out with confidence, knowing that I am still in my budget.”
Since joining, Bleddyn has gone on to lose eight stone. He changed his lifestyle completely, with activity and healthy eating now second nature to him. Bleddyn and his family have invested in FitBits and have a regular family challenge to see who can do the most steps.
“For me, the best bit about losing weight and becoming healthier is that I no longer have sleep apnoea and don’t have to sleep with the mask,” he says. “I have so much more energy and I feel more confident and happier than ever.”