Three Ayrshire men have transformed their lives after shedding a combined 13 stone.
Graham Vincent managed to lose more than 6 stone and admitted that the trigger for slimming down was helping to run the Newmilns Festival Weekend and feeling the strain in his knees.
The Newmilns man joined Slimming World in Darvel in October 2019 and went on to lose the 6 stone in 10 and a half months.
Lockdown forced Graham and his partner to take on virtual Slimming World classes in March 20.
He said: "In the 10 and a half months it took me to achieve my target weight I became healthier, over 6 stone lighter and feel great.
"I joined with my partner, just a few weeks after helping to run the Newmilns Festival Weekend and then returning from a much needed holiday. I felt as though the festival had been much harder work that year, and I certainly felt it in my knees. I knew I was bigger than I should be, I just needed to do something about it and so we went along to our first Slimming World meeting in Darvel in mid October 2019.
"The consultant explained the principles behind Slimming World and how the plan worked. It seemed fairly straightforward so we then attended each week, being weighed, keeping track of our weight loss and becoming part of the group sessions where advice and tips were shared.
"To keep to plan was easy, we just substituted healthier options for some of our previous habits.
"Some of our favourites to batch cook are Chicken Tikka Masala, Bolognese, Sweet and Sour, Chicken Supreme and Beef Casserole.
"Its not all lettuce and Ryvita, you can have a lot of old favourite meals, even that Sunday big breakfast, you just adapt slightly. By the middle of December I had lost over 2 stone and, by early March 20 I had achieved a 4 stone loss, I was feeling great and had very few clothes that actually fitted me anymore.
"Then Covid 19 hit us. Fortunately we were in the position to just carry on with the Slimming Worlds virtual service, did home weigh ins and joined our group via weekly motivational zoom sessions.
"By the end of July I hit my target weight, a total loss of 6 stone 3lbs. I feel fitter and healthier, also really proud of what I have achieved. I packed away my entire old wardrobe and have had to buy all new clothes.
"I think I look really good now, but I stick with Slimming World and still get weighed every week as a target member, looking to maintain my weight.
Steven Spence has lost almost two stone in weight after joining Slimming World five weeks ago.
And this isn't the first time the 39-year-old Kilmarnock man shed the pounds after he lost an incredible 6 stone 10lbs five years ago but life and an accident at work and the national lockdown saw his focus on eating well wain.
Steven said: "We were told to stay in, no gym, no work, no socialising, limited family time, all our basic day-to-day routines stopped and all you can do is sit in the house with food everywhere, so I gained weight as most people did.
"Just last month I started back at Slimming World and in 5 weeks Ive already lost nearly 2 stone of that weighed Id gained.
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"With all the help from my consultant and fellow members I can definitely achieve my goal of target member sometime in 2022. Im determined motivated and focused for myself and my other Slimming World class mates.
And Richard Laybourn, 46, got a most welcome gift just before Christmas his five stone award.
The Kilmarnock man joined his local group in August and the weight dropped off in just 19 weeks.
And his new look may well have taken the years off him too after he was asked for ID while buying cutlery in a shop.
Dr Jacquie Lavin, Slimming Worlds head of research, says: "A group support approach is tried and tested research shows that the more groups Slimming World members attend, the more successful they are.
"Based on their weight-loss over a year, the top 10,000 slimmers who attended their weekly weight-loss group regularly lost 30 per cent of their body weight around 5st each. In our groups, members are equipped with all the tools they need to stay slim for life, so that they can be confident that the changes theyre making are sustainable forever."
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Dramatic weight-loss for three men who shed 13 stone and transformed their lives - Daily Record
