Super Slimmer Morgaen Lost An Incredible 86 1/2 Pounds!

I'm excited about sharing another terrific weight loss story with you from another person who has done it through Slimming World! I lost my 140 pounds through following the Slimming World plan, so I find it extra special to share about others who have lost their excess weight the same way. Morgaen is one of my Facebook friends who has kindly offered to share her story here.



Name: Morgaen Warner

Age: 31

Starting weight: 243 lbs. (17 st 5 lbs.)

Ending weight/current weight: 156.5 lbs. (11 st 2 1/2 lbs.)

Amount of weight lost: 86.5 lbs. (6 st 2 1/2 lbs.)

Time it took to reach: 20 months so far, still losing.

Goal weight: Not sure yet, I'll stop when I feel the time is right.

About yourself (i.e. occupation, kids?, married?, interests, hobbies, etc): I am a full time carer, married to Rohan (28) and we have 3 lovely kids Daniel (9), Logan (7) & Tanya (5). We live in Brighton and when I'm not dealing with the kids or the housework, I'm either reading, gaming or spending time with Rohan and the kids. Except when they're in school, which gives Rohan and I time together. Rohan has bi-polar disorder and I'm his carer.

How did you go about losing the weight? Was there any specific plan? After trying every other diet since I was about 7 years old, I finally discoverd Slimming World in January 2009. Once I got my head around being allowed to eat and not starve, it was reasonably easy going.



What motivated you to lose the weight? What were your reasons for wanting to lose it? Did you have a particular moment that gave you the final push to start or was it more gradual? I always had weight issues since childhood. I don't remember ever not being on some form of diet, but I think the final straw was not being able to walk 5 minutes to get my kids to school without being in extreme pain.

What struggles and problems did you endure while at your heaviest weight? What, if any, health problems were present? I couldn't breathe properly, was always too hot, had severe panic attacks if leaving the house or seeing anyone, my back and knees were in agony, and I hated everything about myself. My depression and agoraphobia were really bad at the time. They've lessened now, but the depression is due to chemical imbalances and psychosis, so it will never go away completely.

How has your life changed since losing the weight? How have you changed? Do you feel like your overall health has improved? Yes, my health has improved. I can take the kids to school and go shopping, etc. without having intense panic attacks or being in a lot of pain. I'm not ill as often as I used to be. My immune system used to be really low, but all the fruit and vegetables I eat now have helped that.

Have the people in your life been supportive of you on your weight loss journey? Have there been any challenges created by others in your life? My husband and children have been absolutely fantastic. Rohan prepares and cooks all of the meals, and we all eat the same dinners. I just have to plan everything and tell him what to cook. There have been many challenges; some people are not as supportive as others, but I've worked around those and I think I'm doing alright so far.

What are a typical day’s meals for you?
Breakfast is usually 28g Muesli with fruit and fat free yoghurt. I sometimes have a cooked breakfast if time allows.
Lunches are either salads, soups, or mugshots depending what day I'm on.
Dinners are very varied; we enjoy many cuisines, such as Indian, Chinese, Thai, Cajun, Mexican, Soul food, and we also enjoy stews, pies, bolognese, lasagne, burgers, etc. It's all converted to Slimming World-friendly by Rohan.

What exercise, if any, do you do? I walk everywhere possible, and I use the Wii Fit Plus at home. I did go to the gym 3x per week but got bored with that. I am starting Spin Classes on 1st October. I need to increase my "body magic" now that I'm getting closer to target.

What was the most difficult for you while losing the weight? It was hard convincing certain people that it was the right thing to do for me. I was told, "You are what you are and can't change it," and it is not what I wanted to hear all the time. I learned that I can change it if I really want to. And I am very glad that I did.



What helped you the most?
The support from my husband and Slimming World friends from Group and those I've recently found on Facebook. (Yes Facebook actually has a use - I was shocked to find out.)

Any tips for others trying to lose weight? If you really want it, go for it! Don't let anyone stand in your way. It's not easy, but when was anything worth having easy?



Morgaen has not yet reached her target weight, but I have no doubt that she will reach it! She has already taken great strides in becoming healthier and in losing a large amount of weight. If Morgaen's story has inspired and impressed you, please take a moment to let her know in the comments below.



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Super Slimmer Helen Lost Over 66 Pounds!

I have to admit to being really happy about being allowed to interview this particular slimmer's story. Helen joined my Slimming World group when I was only a part of the way towards my weight loss goal, and she soon became a close friend. She is truly a sweet person with one of the most generous spirits I know. It didn't take long before our preschool-aged sons became best friends too! If Helen's story inspires you, please let her know in the comments below.



Name: Helen Lockyer

Age: 33

Starting weight: 207 ½ lbs. (14 st 11 ½ lbs.)

Ending weight/current weight: 141 lbs. (10 st 1 lb.)

Amount of weight lost: 66 ½ lbs. (4 st 10 ½ lbs.)

Time it took to reach: 18 months

Time maintaining it: 8 months

Goal weight: 140 lbs. (10 stone)

About yourself (i.e. age, occupation, number of children, married or single, hobbies, interests, anything else): I am married. I have 4 children. I like going to the cinema and out for meals. I also like going to exercise classes and taking trips with the kids.



How did you go about losing the weight? Was there any specific plan? I joined Slimming World.

What motivated you to lose the weight? What were your reasons for wanting to lose it? Did you have a particular moment that gave you the final push to start or was it more gradual? I was exercising on my stepper and I looked up to see myself in the mirror. I felt disgusted. I joined Slimming World the next week and have never looked back.



What struggles and problems did you endure while at your heaviest weight? What, if any, health problems were present? I was fortunate enough that I didn’t have any weight-related health problems, but I was very uncomfortable and self-conscious.



How has your life changed since losing the weight? How have you changed? Do you feel like your overall health has improved? My life has changed. I know I feel great in myself. I don’t care who’s looking at me, and I’m more energetic.



Have the people in your life been supportive of you on your weight loss journey? Have there been any challenges created by others in your life? My family has been very supportive. Their lifestyle has also changed. They eat more healthily now.

What are a typical day’s meals for you? A typical and regular meal for me is pasta with a homemade tomato sauce or a chilli made with Quorn (meat substitute).

What exercise, if any, do you do? I go swimming with the children on Tuesday. I attend a body pump class on Wednesday, and I usually do a home exercise video like Tae Bo on Friday.

What was the most difficult for you while losing the weight? The most difficult thing is having a food in the house that I am really craving and not being able to have it because I know it will spoil my eating plan.



What helped you the most? The thing that helped me the most was the thought of feeling great at the end, when I reached my goal. It helped me stay focused. My husband is also a really good motivator. He praised me every week when I lost weight and even made me feel good if I’d had a gain.

Any tips for others trying to lose weight? Just keep going. If you want it badly enough, you will stick with it. The rewards are great!

Super Slimmer David Lost 220 Pounds!

I recently met David through Twitter and Facebook and his story is an incredible story about how having the determination to reach your goals can get you through to them. He has lost an incredible amount of weight and is a wonderful example that anyone who really is willing to work for it can achieve success, no matter how far they still have to travel on their weight-loss and fitness journey.

Read on to find out more about how this amazing man has lost 220 pounds!



Name: David Fisher

Age: 42

Starting weight & ending weight:/ 425 lbs (30 st 5 lbs)

Current weight: 220 lbs (15 st 10 lbs)

Amount of weight lost: 205 lbs (14 st 9 lbs)

Time it took to reach: 12 months

Time maintaining it: 6 months

Goal weight: 210 lbs

About yourself: I started a small site which I’m still working on right now at Going For Goal and I’m on twitter @goingforgoal.

How did you go about losing the weight? Was there any specific plan? I’ve been a member of weight watchers for 5 years, and I finally decided to start following the plan.

What motivated you to lose the weight? What were your reasons for wanting to lose it? Did you have a particular moment that gave you the final push to start or was it more gradual? I was simply tired of being overweight, not able to participate in normal activities and it all came to a head in December of 2008 when my doctor pretty much yelled at me for not even making an attempt to lose weight. I decided that since I couldn’t lose the weight and live for myself, I needed to do it for my child. She needs a father and I want to be the one to raise her.



What struggles and problems did you endure while at your heaviest weight? What, if any, health problems were present? It was very hard to find clothing and I couldn’t touch my toes, let alone see them. When going to a restaurant I could never sit in a booth, only a table with chairs. I had high blood pressure, sleep apnoea, diabetes and had already had 3 strokes. I couldn’t even wear a seatbelt in a car because I was so large.

How has your life changed since losing the weight? How have you changed? Do you feel like your overall health has improved? Well I went from a 64-inch to a 38-inch waist and a tight 6xl shirt to a looser-fitting XL shirt. I can do everything my 7 year old can do and then some. My overall health has improved significantly; my doctor wrote across my medical chart, “Obesity resolved, Diabetes Resolved, Blood Pressure under control.” He also mentioned that, in over 30 years as a doctor, he had never seen anyone make such a turnaround weight-wise.

Have the people in your life been supportive of you on your weight loss journey? Have there been any challenges created by others in your life? While I have had a lot of support from family and friends, most of the support didn’t really start until I had results. That’s understandable really, since I had been telling everyone I was going to lose weight for years and never did. Most of my challenges come from my own inner demons. Since I don’t drink at all, depression breeds the munchies for me, so that was my biggest challenge I think.

What are a typical day’s meals for you? I try and have a variety of different meals on a daily basis and I never have sodas (well almost never,) never have red meat and I always eat a lot of vegetables including a lot of spinach. That’s really been my saving grace; you can eat a truckload of spinach and not even come close to your daily points limit.

What exercise, if any, do you do? I only walk and swim but to be honest, I didn’t start doing that until my weight loss had hit around 180 lbs (12 st 12 lbs).

What was the most difficult for you while losing the weight? I think snacking was the most difficult; it’s very hard to keep away from snacking on a daily basis.

What helped you the most? Weight Watchers and my leader Bev Hadley. She really gave me more encouragement than anyone. Through her encouragement I was able to win first prize in the Weight Watchers 2010 Role Model Of The Year contest.

Any tips for others trying to lose weight? In order to lose weight , you have to 1) commit yourself to losing the weight 2) find a support group, (I use Weight Watchers myself but I think any good support group will help) and 3) no matter what, believe in yourself and keep with it.



If David's story has inspired and impressed you, please take a moment to tell him so in the comments below!