From £750 out of pocket on weight loss drugs to losing 6st with Slimming World
Mum of two Charlotte Daniels says after spending years trying to lose weight and even trying weight loss drugs that left her feeling sick with stomach cramps, joining her local Slimming World group was a gamechanger – she’s gone on to lose 6st.
Charlotte’s story backs up new research which shows that when it comes to healthy, lasting weight loss, there is a way to win without resorting to drugs
A new survey[1] of more than 2,000 UK adults commissioned by the UK and Ireland’s largest group-based weight-loss organisation Slimming World reveals 50% of UK adults say they’ve put off even trying to lose weight. More than one in five people (22%) say they’ve delayed losing weight for three years or more, with many saying that has impacted their health and caused them to gain even more weight.
The survey, carried out independently by Censuswide reveals four in 10 (42%) have thought about losing weight at least once a week without taking action, despite around half being unhappy with their size (48%) and saying they know they eat unhealthy food (54%) and almost three-quarters wanting to improve their health (70%).
These findings back up a separate study[2] of more than 7,000 new Slimming World members conducted last January which showed more than two thirds said that before going to a Slimming World group, they didn’t dare dream they could lose weight and stay slim (69%). More than half of the members surveyed said that they’d had feelings of doubt, uncertainty and a lack of motivation and control for more than a year, and for some people 10 years or more.
However, in just one session, almost every new member left filled with self-belief, self-confidence and self-determination. This switch came from learning more about Slimming World’s health-giving eating plan, seeing the success of other members, and experiencing the empowering support to help them overcome their personal barriers. They left feeling:
· Committed to their weight loss (98%)
· That they could lose weight and keep it off (96%)
· Motivated to make changes to their lifestyle in order to lose weight (97%)
· More confident to manage the things that had previously got in the way of them losing weight (89%)
When mum of two Charlotte Daniels joined her local Slimming World group weighing 20st, she’d been unhappy with her weight for years. It’s a decision she says ‘changed her life’ – and she went on to lose 6st.
Charlotte, 32, from Bungay, says: “I knew I needed to lose weight. I was in such pain, even doing the simplest tasks and I was ashamed of my size. I lived in baggy cardigans and leggings to hide myself – wearing a dress was out of the question!
“Before joining Slimming World, I was prescribed weight loss tablets and then decided to pay privately for weight loss injections. Neither worked. They left me feeling dizzy and sick with stomach cramps. I paid £250 a month for three months of injections and only lost 3lbs. My doctors kept suggesting gastric band surgery, but I said no, as I like my food. Knowing how many times I’d tried and failed to lose weight – my confidence was on the floor. I realised I wanted to feel proud knowing I’d taken control back for myself.
“Then, one day at the park, my two-year-old daughter ran for the gates to a busy road. I was so overweight and unfit I knew I’d never be able to stop her. If it wasn’t for my dad and husband sprinting to save her, she could have been injured. That was my final straw, and thankfully this time my doctor suggested I try Slimming World on a 12-week referral programme. I haven’t looked back since – I love that I’ve lost 6st eating healthy everyday food that my family can enjoy too.”
Slimming World on Referral (SWOR) is a partnership scheme with the NHS which provides those living with overweight or obesity to access to a 12 week weight loss plan from Slimming World. It’s available in 72 areas across the UK.
Charlotte says: “I thought I was destined to struggle with my weight for the rest of my life, but when I came to Slimming World, within minutes that feeling started to change. I knew from that first group that my pause button had switched to play! I immediately felt welcomed and not judged. 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.”
“Learning about the real food I could eat with my family, the strategies and thinking time I’d get each week in group, the knowledge I’d build and seeing other members, I gained a belief in myself that I hadn’t felt for years. The accountability of the weekly group is important for me and with the encouragement of my Consultant and the other members, I was able to stay committed week after week.”
From not being active at all and struggling to race after her daughter, Charlotte 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.
Charlotte says: "I’ve gone from a size 22 to a size 14. I’m still on my weight loss journey however I’m so much more confident now. My Slimming World Consultant Liz helps keep me motivated each week and supports me throughout. The Slimming World App is great too – I use it every day. Tracking my food and planning my meals in advance works well for me and the app helps inspire me with recipes too. I also love reading the member success stories.
“Being part of Liz’s group has been crucial to my success. I saw the success other members were achieving and that gave me hope that I could do the same. And the belief Liz had in me was like nothing I’d felt before – it felt like I’d come home. I’ve always tried to lose weight on my own and failed. I now realise that the support, understanding and friendship of others who know what you’re going through – that’s what was so vital for my success. I feel like I’ve found myself again – I enjoy every single day and every single meal! Slimming World has changed my life for the better, improved my health and I know it’s given me extra healthy years to spend with my children and hopefully grandchildren one day – a long way away!”
Charlotte’s story shows for anyone delaying putting off weight – there is good news. There is a way people can win the battle for self, rebuild their hope and optimism, and achieve a healthy, lasting weight loss.
With over a decade of expertise in neurogastroenterology and cardiovascular pharmacology from leading institutions including the University of Sheffield and the University of Nottingham, Dr. Jemma Donovan PhD, Slimming World’s Research Manager, says:
Charlotte’s inspiring story backs up our research and confirms what so many of our members tell us, that after many years of feeling hopeless, out of control and desperate about their weight – very soon after joining our groups – they experience a powerful shift in self-belief, self-determination and self-confidence. This shift restores their hope about what they can achieve – without resorting to weight loss drugs or surgery. And that shift happens in less time than it takes to watch a movie!”
This January, people could look to weight loss drugs as a silver bullet. However, we know the costs are high – painful and expensive weekly injections, with possible side-effects of diarrhoea, constipation, bloating, vomiting and more. Furthermore, the long-term safety of the regulated drugs is still unknown and unless they get effective support to make lasting changes to their eating and activity habits, they’re very likely to regain the weight once they stop the medication. They're also far less likely to experience the sense of personal achievement and the increased self-worth that comes with knowing you’re in control in the long term.
[1] The research was conducted by Censuswide, with 2000 Nat Rep Respondents (aged 18+) in the UK between 22.11.2024 - 26.11.2024. Censuswide abide by and employ members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles and are members of The British Polling Council.
[2] Between 2nd and 31st January 2024, 7,106 Slimming World members who joined their local group that week completed an online survey asking for their feedback about their experience
Group: Charlotte attends the Beccles Slimming World group in Suffolk run by Consultant Liz Sunderland. For more information or to find your nearest group, visit slimmingworld.co.uk.
Charlotte Daniels
Starting weight: 20st 1lbs/ 127kg
Weight lost: 6st 1lbs/ 38.1kg
Current weight: 14st/ 88.9kg
Height: 5ft 6in/ 1.7m
BEFORE
Breakfast: All butter croissant or white toast with butter
Mid-morning: chocolate bar or crisps
Lunch: Full fat sausage and chips
Dinner: Takeaway or lasagna ready meal or curry made from a jar of sauce, with poppadom’s and naan bread
Snacks: Chocolate bar or biscuits
Drinks: Full fat milky coffee or a sachet latte
AFTER
Breakfast: Overnight oats made with fruit and fat free yoghurt
Lunch: Salad and jacket potato or tuna pasta salad or an omelette
Dinner: Slimming World roast chicken dinner, vegetables and golden roast potatoes (then I’ll have leftovers the next day in a salad or with vegetables and rice)
Snacks: Blueberries, high fibre bars, apples or oranges
Drinks: Coffee with oat milk, water and low-calorie mango drink
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 members 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
Follow Slimming World on Instagram @slimmingworld or become a Slimming World fan on Facebook at facebook.com/slimmingworld
For the Press Office visit our newsroom or email public.relations@slimmingworld.co.uk