Covid fears drove Cheshire solicitor to ditch fad diets – leading to 15½st weight loss with Slimming World
Mum of one Amanda Hetherington says joining her local Slimming World group was a decision that ‘saved her life’. Amanda’s story backs up new research which shows that when it comes to lasting weight loss, following an effective, healthy and sustainable approach is key
In a new study, more than half of UK adults (56%) say they’ve followed a fad diet[1] in an attempt to lose weight with almost three quarters of those (71%) reporting they didn't lose any weight or didn’t lose as much weight as they wanted[2], and 11% gained weight.
The online survey of more than 2,000 adults[3] commissioned by the UK and Ireland’s largest weight-loss organisation Slimming World, found of the 1,123 UK adults who’d tried a fad diet, more than a third (38%) say they found it on social media and 35% said they could only stick to it for up to six days.
The prevalence of fad diets – promoting rapid weight loss without robust scientific evidence to support them – means they can be hard to ignore for people keen to lose weight quickly.
The most common fad diets adults in the UK have tried include weight loss supplements (29%), apple cider vinegar (21%), a juice diet (19%), skinny tea (16%), vitamin water (15%) and the cabbage soup diet (14%).
When property solicitor Amanda Hetherington realised during the pandemic that her weight put her at severe risk from Covid, she knew she had to leave the fad diets behind and make a lasting change. Weighing over 29st, Amanda joined her local Slimming World group – a decision she says ‘changed her life’ – and she went on to lose 15st 7lbs.
Amanda, 39, from Flintshire, says: “I joined my local Slimming World group during Covid. As soon as I found out I was in the high-risk category because of my weight, I felt I had to do something. When I saw those oxygen machines on the news, that was it for me. I thought this is serious, I’m too young, I can’t die yet. My thoughts went to my family too as I knew if I did pass away I wouldn’t fit in a standard-size coffin.
“Before joining Slimming World, I used to scroll through social media to see who’d lost the most weight in the shortest time and that would be the diet I’d follow, especially if I was going on holiday. I tried every diet under the sun including total food replacement diets which were so restrictive and extreme that I’d always cave in after a couple of days. I’d then be back to square one and feel so upset with myself for failing. That sense of failure would lead me to comfort eat – a vicious cycle I didn’t think I’d ever break free from. I was so tired of yo-yo dieting and not being able to stick to anything. I remember when my husband Gary and I went to see Michael Bublé in concert, instead of going for a lovely meal beforehand, I had a meal replacement shake in our hotel room and Gary went out to buy a meal deal sandwich.”
Amanda says: “It’s incredible to think back to those times looking at me now. Since joining Slimming World I’ve lost 15½st and I love that I’ve lost weight eating healthy everyday food that my family can enjoy too. I’d been a member of Slimming World before, and when a leaflet popped through my door, it reminded me it was the only weight loss method I’d ever followed which I enjoyed. I’ll admit when I was a member before I didn’t follow the plan properly. I’d do it in the week but go back to my old habits at the weekends. This time, I was committed to making a lasting change which meant changing my mindset. With support from my group, I began building healthy new habits into my daily life.
“Now, I know losing weight isn’t a quick fix. I’ve gone from a size 36 to a size 12. I’m so much more confident and I no longer have panic attacks about my health.
“With Slimming World’s healthy eating plan, my relationship with food completely changed. I make healthier versions of all my favourite foods. I’m never hungry, and it’s easy to adapt our family meals so we all eat the same thing. My daughter Philippa, three, loves when I make Slimming World's spaghetti and meatballs with lean beef mince and my own sauce from a tin of tomatoes. I’m also a big fan of the Slimming World food range at Iceland especially the Chicken Biryani or Chicken Balti.”
From not being active at all and struggling to go up one flight of stairs, Amanda is now a regular at the gym thanks to Slimming World's activity support programme, which helps you to find activities you enjoy and build up at your own pace.
Amanda says: "I go to fitness classes every week and no longer hide at the back or feel intimidated. It also gave me the confidence to try running. I’d never in my life ran or jogged before, but last year I signed up to the couch to 5k programme with my local running club and completed it! I love running now.
“My Slimming World Consultant Ruth helped keep me motivated each week and supported me throughout my journey. The Slimming World App is great too – I use it every day. Tracking my food and planning my meals in advance is important and the App helps with inspiration on recipes. I also love reading the member success stories.
“Being part of Ruth’s group has been crucial to my success. Each week, I’d get a boost of motivation, fresh ideas and support from Ruth and the other members which helped me to tackle challenges and kept my commitment strong. The accountability of the weekly group is important for me – you don’t realise how well you’re doing until people say so, and with the encouragement of others, I was able to stay committed week after week. Even after moving house, I still travel back to my original group because of the strong friendships I’ve made.”
“Ditching the fad diets was the best decision I ever made – losing weight healthily with Slimming World’s eating plan is a way of life that I will follow forever. The habits that my group help me build and embed are now a way of life for me. I feel confident that I can maintain my weight loss for good.”
As Amanda’s story shows, it can be so easy to fall for quick fixes when social media is flooded with misinformation, especially when we're desperate to lose weight. When it comes to lasting weight loss, we can see from our research how important it is to follow an effective, healthy and sustainable approach.
It’s completely understandable people want to believe there’s a miracle quick fix to weight loss, but quite simply there isn’t one. Losing weight and keeping it off isn’t easy, it requires change, which can be challenging. That’s why choosing an evidence-based approach and making sure you have support along the way, is so important. Staying on track and committed until your efforts become everyday habits is the secret to long term weight loss. Getting support to do that is exactly what Slimming World provides – and has done for 55 years.
The survey, carried out independently by Censuswide, also polled members of Slimming World’s 13,000 community weight loss groups and online programme. Demonstrating Slimming World's effective package of support for long-term weight loss, 93% of members questioned say since joining Slimming World they feel more equipped to make the lasting changes they need as they have the right tools and strategies to help them with their weight loss journey.
Choosing a plan that helps you make mindset and lifestyle changes can be much easier to stick to, as shown in a study published in Clinical Nutrition Open Science[4]. The study found three in four respondents who received support in building healthy habits at a weekly Slimming World group were lighter up to three years after joining, even if they’d stopped attending.
Ruth Newall runs the Runcorn Slimming World group in Cheshire and is Amanda’s Consultant. Ruth says: “Amanda's story is one that many of us can relate to. Before joining my group, she’d told us, that like so many of us, she’d tried every fad diet and quick fix under the sun, only to be left feeling hungry and disheartened. Seeing Amanda lose 15½st while enjoying meals that she loves which keep her full and satisfied is truly inspiring. I'm incredibly proud of her journey – it’s exactly why I became a Slimming World Consultant, to support members like Amanda in making lasting, positive changes.”
Group: Amanda attends the Runcorn Slimming World group in Cheshire run by Consultant Ruth Newall. For more information or to find your nearest group, visit slimmingworld.co.uk.
Amanda Hetherington
Starting weight: 29st 7lbs/ 187kg
Weight lost: 15st 7lbs/ 98.5kg
Current weight: 14st/ 88.5kg
Height: 5ft 7in/ 1.7m
BEFORE
Breakfast: Cereal with toast and butter
Mid-morning: Cereal bar or chocolate bar
Lunch: Shop-bought meal deal triple sandwich with mayo, pasty, bag of crisps and a chocolate bar
Dinner: Takeaway normally a Chinese, beef curry and fried rice or sweet and sour chicken with chips and a variety of starters such as prawn toast or spring rolls followed by a large sharing bar of chocolate
Drinks: Water or diet cola. I’d only drink alcohol when going out socially and this would typically have been wine or cocktails
AFTER
Breakfast: Overnight oats made with fruit and fat free yoghurt
Lunch: Spiced chicken thighs with a halloumi salad in a pitta bread or chicken or tuna pasta salad or an omelette
Dinner: Slimming World's spaghetti and meatballs made with lean beef mince topped with reduced fat cheese served with a mixed salad
Snacks: Homemade hummus with vegetable sticks and a pitta bread with blue cheese quark dip, fruit
Drinks: Water or diet cola. Now when we go out, I’ll have gin and a slimline tonic
[1] Fad diets – promoting rapid weight loss without robust scientific evidence to support them – can be hard to ignore for people keen to lose weight quickly. Popular ones include plans where you eat a very restrictive diet with few foods or an unusual combination of foods.
[2] Responses include those who lost weight initially but regained more weight than before when stopping
[3] The research was conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 2,004 nationally representative consumers across the UK (aged 18+) along with a self-selecting sample of 1,380 Slimming World members via Slimming World’s member website. The data was collected between 19.07.2024 - 24.07.2024. Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society and follows the MRS code of conduct and ESOMAR principles. Censuswide is also a member of the British Polling Council.
[4] Published in Clinical Nutrition Open Science
Slimming World was founded by Margaret Miles-Bramwell OBE in Derbyshire in 1969 and has become the UK and Ireland’s leading weight loss organisation with more people choosing to attend a Slimming World group each week than any other weight loss programme. We support hundreds of thousands of people, both in our groups and online, to lose weight and to adopt new habits to stay slim for life.
Over the years our founding principles haven’t changed:
· Our unique programme is based on a powerfully motivating support system called IMAGE (Individual Motivation and Group Experience) Therapy. Underpinned by a deep understanding of the psychology of overweight people, and incorporating the most effective sustainable behaviour change techniques, IMAGE Therapy is designed to inspire and motivate slimmers to make positive changes and to develop new, healthier habits around food and physical activity.
· Food Optimising is our healthy eating plan, based on the liberating concept of Free Food. We encourage our members to fill up on those foods that are naturally lower in energy density (calories per gram) and also highly satisfying while limiting foods that are highest in fat and sugar and are less satisfying, so they lose weight without ever feeling hungry or deprived and without having to weigh, measure or count everything they eat.
· Our physical activity support programme, Body Magic helps members to overcome any barriers around exercise. Members choose when to start and they set the pace, finding activities they genuinely enjoy, until regular physical activity becomes an intrinsic part of their daily routine.
At the heart of everything we do lies our passion for treating every member with genuine care, empathy and respect.
We’re proud to work with the NHS, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), The Royal College of Midwives, Diabetes UK and others to help shape the future of weight management in the UK and Ireland.
For more information about Slimming World’s approach visit slimmingworld.co.uk or slimmingworld.ie