Case study where working out in a group worked!
Mom-of-two Sophie Ratcliffe, 29, from Hayle in Cornwall, England, weighed around 152 kg. Sophie had tried to lose weight many times in secret because she was afraid of being judged. She even considered a gastric band operation and hired a personal trainer. However, nothing seemed to work till she joined a slimming club.
Her son was bullied
“My health was declining rapidly, I couldn’t walk up the stairs without being out of breath or sitting down. I wasn’t sleeping and I did absolutely no exercise,” Mirror quoted Sophie saying.
“My son was being bullied at school because of my weight which made me feel so guilty, but I didn’t know where to start when it came to changing things,” she added.
Trying to lose weight in secret
“I’d tried so many ways to lose weight, I never told anyone though because I was sure I wouldn’t succeed – just like all the times before,” Sophie said, adding, “I even hired a personal trainer but along with the exercise plan there was a protein shake diet that I knew I wouldn’t be able to stick to long term because it left me hungry.”
Turning point in her lifestyle
In September 2021, she decided to join the local Slimming World group with her friends. She took the action to improve her health and also make the life better for her two children.
Slimming World is a company with a vision for a positive, practical system of support to help people learn new habits for weight loss and achieve long-term success. Sophie found a support system in her workout buddies.
New and healthy meal plan
Breakfast: Banana with low-fat yogurt
Lunch: Chicken skewers cooked in an air fryer with pitta bread
Dinner: Pizza topped chicken with chips and lots of vegetables and/or salad
Snacks: Grapes, apples, high fiber bar
Drinks: 6-8 glasses of water a day
Change for the good
Sophie shared, “Since losing 11 stone (about 70 kg), I’m a completely different person. I feel I’m better equipped to deal with what life throws at me.”
Talking about her progress, she added, “I know I’ve given myself the best chance I can to be a healthy mum. My son isn’t bullied anymore and both children are very proud of me. When they see pictures of me before I lost weight, they ask ‘Mummy, who’s that?’”
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