A Westbury dad has achieved his goal officially after losing 9st with Slimming World.
Carl Flack, 44, has gone from weighing 21st 10lb at his heaviest to 12st 10lb since joining the Westbury group, which is held at the Leigh Park Community Centre.
Carl said, “As a man, joining a slimming group was a big decision and very nerve-wracking – I expected to the only man there (however I was wrong and there were a couple of other men in group – I think there are now 9 men in our session alone) – but I can honestly say it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done”
Carl’s ‘big decision’ to lose weight came about due to losing a family pet and the sudden realisation that he couldn’t carry on at the weight he was.
Carl joined Slimming World in January 2014. “I’d heard about Slimming World before from both friends and family so I knew it worked. I was still concerned because I thought it would just be me and a roomful of women though. While actually that wasn’t far from the truth and it didn’t matter anyway as everyone was so welcoming and he already knew several members from school/work and thus felt at home straight away.
“I’m so glad I didn’t let my reservations stop me from losing weight and I’d recommend Slimming World to everyone – men and women.”
He began following Slimming World’s Food Optimising eating plan and swapped his cheesy/creamy/French style cooking, for healthy home-cooked meals. Carl said, “I used to think that losing weight meant eating nothing but salad and having to eat small portions, or having to eat this bar for lunch and this ready meal for supper, which definitely didn’t appeal to me. I couldn’t believe it when my Consultant, Juliet, told me I would still be able to cook most of my favourite dishes and could eat unlimited amounts of lean meats, pasta and veg. In my first week I couldn’t believe how much I was eating and I still lost 6lbs. I haven’t looked back since.
“Food Optimising isn’t a diet though, it’s a lifestyle change. I mainly still eat the same meals that I did beforehand, like curries, burgers and pasta dishes, but I make them in a more healthy way now like using low calorie cooking spray instead of oil or butter and I eat a lot more fruit and veg. I had a varied diet before joining Slimming World and if anything it has widened considerably since – I love the challenge of cooking either new dishes or old favourites, but in a healthy way.”
Since then Carl’s lost a total of 9st and dropped 22 inches from his waist (54″ down to 32″). He’s become much more active too and took up running early in to his journey and runs most nights. He has completed many different 10k trail runs and The Bath Half Marathon and will be running it again in 2017, hoping to smash his PB. Carl also instigated a ‘step count’ challenge within the group, to encourage more members to become more active and gain their body magic awards.
Juliet Morgan who runs the Leigh Park Community Centre group which Carl attends, hopes he will inspire other men in the Westbury who want to lose weight. “Men might think that coming to a slimming group is a bit ‘girly’. I hope through Carl’s success it will show that lots of different people come along to our groups and each and every one gets a warm and friendly welcome,” said Juliet.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re a man or a woman, young or old or anything like that because ultimately we’re all there for the same reason – to lose weight and to feel healthier and more confident and to be able to do more with our families and friends, and that’s what is most important.
“As Carl proves, whether you’ve got a little or a lot of weight to lose, it can make a big difference to how you feel about yourself and really boost your confidence. He’s ready to celebrate this party season and if other people in the area would like to lose weight before Christmas too, there’s no better time than now to start. Our eating plan is so generous that you won’t have to miss out on any of your festive favourites and there’s lots going on in the Westbury group so it’ll be lots of fun too.
“This Westbury Slimming World group is held at Leigh Park Community Centre every Monday at 3.30pm, 5.30pm and 7.30pm. People can simply come along on the day or anyone who’d like more information can call me on 01373 830925.
