Don’t give up as you’ve come so far

Local slimming consultants have been praised for their work over the past year.

Hazel McNiven, Haylee Hibbert, Yvonne Forrest, Nicola Dobson, Lisa Macintosh, Katie Hill, Gaye Malcom, Sheryl Stewart and Gemma Russell from across West Lothian and Allison Porter, Sue Scorer, Gillian Parkin, Lisa Salia Bao, Karen Summers, Kirsty Morgan, Nicola McNeill, Reae Fraser and Denise Bird from Livingston have been praised by their district manager for raising the bar to help support the West Lothian and Livingston residents slim down throughout a year like they’ve never known.

District manager Gillian Hetherton said:“I’ll never be able to thank the consultants enough for the continued commitment they have each shown, they truly have been amazing.

“The consultants are delighted to be back helping members to lose weight and improve their health in person, and the results show just how much members are loving being back on the scales.

“It has been a challenging year for our members accepting our virtual online weekly groups, when the national lockdown first closed our community groups back in March and then again when we encountered a second local lockdown, but our consultants embraced our new service delivery to ensure no member lost out, and equally our members have been amazing, supporting each other through these strange times.

The ladies are looking forward to a fresh start as they enter into 2021 with their venue and virtual groups.

Measures are already in place to comply fully with local and government guidance, of course, to ensure members are safe, happy and comfortable.

They say it has been amazing to come back together again.

And they believe it’s proven that there really is no better feeling than the magic community feeling of a Slimming World group, even while they can’t meet in groups because of local restrictions the set -up of, Venue + Virtual groups allows members to still come and weigh in and talk about how they’re doing and make strong plans to food optimise in the week ahead.

Gillian said:“Members told me they’d really missed being together in-person – that feeling of community, swapping recipes and sharing ideas, and being there for each other through the highs and the lows of their journey”.

“Plus, we know that there’s something powerful about stepping on the scales each week and having that regular check-in on your progress.

“This year has been far from easy for any of us, with some people struggling more than others, with so much in the news about weight and associated health risks including Covid-19, but for lots of our members, all of the challenges and anxieties have actually made them more determined than ever to achieve their goals and improve their health.

“They’ve proved anyone wanting to lose weight and feel healthier – which research shows could protect against disease – doesn’t have to give up on their dreams. I can’t wait to see how much our members can lose by the end of 2021.

“I know it can be nerve-wracking to walk into a Slimming World group for the first time, especially at the moment, but I can assure anyone who’s worrying about their weight that there’s no judgment at Slimming World, just respect and care – and it’s absolutely safe.

“Every single person in the room has been there themselves, everyone understands exactly how it feels and everyone’s welcome at our group. As well as being able to share how we’re feeling, being able to share ideas about how to enjoy delicious food and feel fitter and healthier can and does make a real difference not just to weight, but to a much better positive outlook too.

“If anyone’s worrying about going hungry – don’t, Slimming World’s plan is about eating everyday foods and all your favourite meals. You just find out how to make small changes to how you cook them that make a big difference to your weight.

“If you’re worrying about your weight and feeling alone and desperate, don’t give up, take control Don’t put it off. Our Slimming World group is here and in touch every week. We’d love to be celebrating another huge weight loss milestone in the New Year, so if you’re thinking of joining, come along and fall in love with food, and be part of that success.”

The Slimming World venue and virtual groups in West Lothian and Livingston are open now.

To find out more or to book your place contact: visit www. slimmingworld.co.uk and pop in your post code for local group telephone numbers.