Alex proves slimming isn’t just for women

Like a lot of people, Alex felt that ‘diets’ and slimming groups were just for women, but he was delighted to be proved wrong.

In fact not only has Alex lost over four stones in just 33 weeks, but he has carved a new career for himself and is so excited to have opened the first Saturday morning Slimming World Class in the area at The Grouse Inn, Ballymena.

Alex was only 23 when he recognised that things needed to change. He knew he had been overweight for around a decade and didn’t want to put up with it any longer.

He was fed up feeling tired, struggling with asthma and just wanting to hide away from everyone.

With the help of Slimming World he now feels he has a new life with boundless energy and so much more confidence.

Alex had watched his dad lose over four stones and become a Slimming World Target Member and receiving FREE Lifetime Membership. On top of that he had watched his mum lose weight more successfully than she ever had before and then begin her new career as a Slimming World Consultant.

Now an established consultant in Ballymena, his mum Tracey has just been awarded her 13 stones award.

When Tracey opened her first group on July 29, 2010, Alex put any concerns he had behind him and joined her group on her opening night.

Alex says “At first I was a little bit worried about joining a slimming group. I thought it would be full of women. I was also worried about what my friends would say and I was just so embarrassed that I’d let myself go.

“What I found couldn’t have been further from the truth! Yes the majority of members were female, but it didn’t matter, we are all there for the same reason – to lose weight.

“Me and the other men in our group just love going to group each week to hear all the ideas and motivate and support each other for the week to come.

“At the end of the day, it is just fantastic to have found a way of life where I can eat as much as I want as many times a day as I like... along with unlimited support each and every week.

“Food Optimising was just like a fresh start for me. I’d spent years being really frustrated by working really hard at the gym, eating very little and when I did eat it was normally processed, handy, microwaveable meals that left me hungry and I was still not seeing the results I felt I should be seeing when I stood on the scales.

“When I started following the plan, filling up between meals on rice, chicken and bacon and still being able, to have my favourite meal of fish and chips - the Slimming World way with just a few small changes to what I bought and how I cooked it, I couldn’t really believe I was going to lose weight.

“But I did and on top of the I began to realise I was no longer tired all the time, and I was full, never hungry and my regular sessions at the gym we becoming more enjoyable and as the pounds fell away, I was really beginning to shape up.

As Alex’s confidence has grown with his new found physique, he is just delighted that he didn’t need to give up his weekends out.

“One of the best things for me is that I can eat all these delicious foods, never feel hungry, lose weight and still go out at the weekends,” Alex said.

He added: “I didn’t want to have to give up having a few drinks at the weekend; I’m only 26 after all.

“But with the help of the group I was able to work out ways of planning my week so I could still enjoy my weekend outings.”

Eating out is still very much on the menu too, as Alex explained: “One of my favourite meals out is at the carvery at one of the local hotels. With Food Optimising I can just pick what I know fits best with the plan. If I’m out

anywhere else, I just ask if they can cook my meal without oil, or go for an easy option liked baked potato with baked beans and salad.”

Alex is really looking forward to helping men and women in Ballymena turn their lives around, just as he has.

He added: “My main ambition is now to stay at my Personal Achievement Target with Slimming World, which I means I have free membership for life at any Slimming World group. I know by continuing to attend my own group I will maintain my Target weight for good. I just want to help as many people as I can feel the increased confidence I now have!”

Alex’s new Slimming World class runs on Saturdays at 9.30am at the Grouse Inn Ballymena. For more information or to join, call Alex on 07843 111 880 or to find your local group visit www.slimmingworld.com.