Super slimmer who shed a staggering 25 STONE is named Slimming World's greatest loser

Oliver Bales, 24, has been crowned Slimming World’s Greatest Loser 2016 having dropped 30 inches from his waistline in two years.

He was unable to stand for long periods without being in pain and could not fit in seats on public transport.
At his heaviest, Oliver Bales tipped the scales at nearly 39st and his size caused him to become extremely depressed.

The 24-year-old was taunted over his weight by cruel bullies throughout school and university.

As well as suffering the jibes, Oliver had sky-high blood pressure, found it hard to stand for long periods of time without being in pain and couldn’t fit into seats on public transport and in lecture theatres.

But after being inspired by a friend’s weight loss on social media, Oliver shed a whopping 30ins from his waist and says he feels “normal” for the first time in his life.
The youngster always knew he was overweight but it wasn’t until he reached his teens and early 20s that his size began to be a significant problem for him.

He said: “While I have some amazing memories from my childhood, I sometimes look back and wish I could have the chance to re-do it.

“I used to feel like people were always comparing me to other children my age, and feeling like ‘the fat, ugly one’ made me angry and upset.

“I missed out on a lot too – I always used to ‘forget’ my PE kit because I hated getting changed in front of the other pupils.

“As time went on, I got bigger and that’s when the bullying started.”
So two years ago he decided to turn his life around and after being inspired by a friend’s weight loss he followed her lead by signing up to Slimming World.
Oliver began following Slimming World’s Food Optimising healthy eating plan which allowed him to enjoy traditional Filipino cuisine without guilt and still have treats like a bar of chocolate or a glass of wine.

“”
He explained: “I was completely shocked that cooking something the Slimming World way could taste so delicious – better than before in fact – and coming from an Asian background, I am a complete lover of rice so I was over the moon to know I could eat rice and still lose weight.

“I can honestly say I have never felt hungry.
Since starting his journey in April 2014 he’s lost a total of 25st, taking him from 38st 13lbs to 13st 13lbs, and gone from wearing a 6XL and having a 64ins waist to a M and a 34ins waist.

Now Oliver, from Portsmouth, enjoys going on shopping trips with his mum who is extremely proud of his achievements.

Credits : http://www.dailystar.co.uk/diet-fitness/511194/Slimming-World-Greatest-Loser-2016-winner-weight-loss-how-to-lose-belly-fat
http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/665069/Oliver-Bates-Slimming-World-s-Greatest-Loser-lost-25st-bullied

9 Amazing tips for success with Slimming World

1 Eat clever

Base your meals around basic healthy foods such as fruit and veg, pasta, rice, potatoes, pulses, eggs, fish, poultry and lean meat and low-fat dairy.

Dr James Stubbs, research specialist for Slimming World, says: “By choosing these foods, which are very filling and low in calories per gram, slimmers can eat freely without feeling hungry or guilty.

"Better still, because they’re staple, everyday foods, it’s easy to enjoy all your favourite family meals like spaghetti bolognese, a roast dinner or a stir-fry.”

2 Experiment

When it comes to getting active, try something new.

Leisure centres are introducing new activities all the time, like Zumba, cheerleading, hula-hooping, Bokwa or walking groups.

You might be amazed at what you find – and what you enjoy!

3 Understand your emotions

Dr Jacquie Lavin, head of nutrition and research at Slimming World, says: “Think about the type of situations that often lead you to reach for high-calorie foods.

"Is it when you’re short of time, bored or stressed at work?

“Plan ahead and make sure you’ve always got healthier, more nutritious choices to hand on these occasions.”

4 Get rid of guilt

If you go off track, it’s tempting to beat yourself up and tell yourself you’ve blown it.

Don’t allow yourself to sabotage your success, simply get straight back on track with your health plan and feel confident that the weight will come off again.

5 Treat yourself

Nutritionist Jenny Barber says: “Losing weight doesn’t have to mean giving up all of your favourite foods.

"Have a treat every so often, whether that’s a glass of wine, a piece of chocolate or your favourite takeaway every now and again at the weekend.

“If you deprive yourself of something, you’ll only want it more and cravings could make you throw the towel in.”

6 Get your five a day and more

Aim to fill a third of your plate at every meal with fresh or frozen vegetables.

They’ll make sure you feel satisfied and stay feeling full for longer.

7 Focus on your food

If you’re distracted while eating, it’s easy to consume more than you intended because you don’t notice when you’re starting to feel full.

8 Eat breakfast

Research shows that people who eat breakfast are more likely to make healthy food choices throughout the day, and less likely to have snacks.

Dietician Carolyn Pallister says: “Mornings can be very busy, especially if you’ve got kids, but having breakfast doesn’t have to take up lots of time.

"A bowl of muesli or whole-wheat cereal with semi-skimmed milk and a piece of fruit is a healthy and filling choice.”
Credits :http://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/dieting/success-stories/staying-slim-for-life-25-top-1526497

Megan McGee loses FIVE STONE to become Slimming World's Miss Slinky

A woman who tipped the scales at 17 stone and would take up two seats on a bus says she wants to give hope to others after losing five stone. 

Megan McGee, from Middlesex, said she had no self-esteem and hated what she saw in the mirror - prompting her to completely overhaul her diet. She now weighs 11st 12lbs and says she feels like a new woman.

The 25-year-old, who has been crowned Slimming World's Miss Slinky, joined the group with her mum Sue and started to eat healthy food as well as exercising more. 

'But, in reality, I was a deeply unhappy person – I had no self-worth and no self-esteem.'

The student nurse revealed that she was always bigger than her friends while growing up, but saw her weight increase dramatically after being in an abusive relationship that lasted almost five years.

She said: ‘I stopped doing all the things I used to do like seeing friends and going to the gym, so I became quite isolated. When I started reconnecting with my friends again, I realised that I had become the "fat friend". 

'I didn’t like going out because I hated the way I looked, shopping for clothes would always end in tears because I had become so embarrassed about my size and could rarely find things I liked to fit. 

'On buses and trains I would feel incredibly self-conscious and humiliated about taking up two seats and invading other people’s space, so much so that I felt like my life had become an inconvenience to everyone around me.’

In early 2013, Megan enrolled in a nursing course and realised she would have to slim down for her new job. In September that year she joined a local slimming group along with her mum Sue. 

Learning new ways of making her favourite recipes - like using lean meat and making sauces from scratch - she insists she was able to eat just as much food as before.

She said: 'I used to skip breakfast or lunch and would end up snacking and grazing all day, now I have regular mealtimes and enjoy wholesome homemade dinners.' 

As she slimmed down, Megan became much more active. At her heaviest she found any form of exercise uncomfortable and felt self-conscious about working out.

Now she plays volleyball, goes to Zumba and Body Pump classes at her gym, and has just signed up for personal training sessions. 

She has now lost a total of 5st 1lb, dropping from 16st 13lbs to 11st 12lbs and a dress size 22 to a 10/12. Meanwhile, her mum Sue lost 1st 7lbs. 

Megan said: ‘I’m definitely still a work in progress, but I feel so much happier in my life and my smile is real now. 

'I feel like I’ve woken up from being asleep on myself for years and I’m discovering a whole new me.'

The 25-year-old has just been named Slimming World’s Miss Slinky 2016.

She said that the slimming group had offered her 'a glimmer of hope at a time in my life where I didn’t have any.'

Megan added: 'I’ve got so much joy, hope and excitement in my life and I feel as though I’ve been completely revived, so I’m incredibly proud to have won this title.'

She now hopes that her weight loss story will help inspire others. She said: ‘I want to be an ambassador of hope to those who feel as hopeless as I did. 

'I want to inspire people to be brave enough to take that first step and really embrace the chance to change. There really is nothing to lose and so much to gain.’ 

Source : http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3417241/Size-22-woman-took-two-seats-bus-loses-FIVE-STONE-win-slimming-award.html

16 things you only know if you've done Slimming World

You're seriously telling me I can eat as much pasta as I want?"


1. At least once you'll be tired and tidy away your Frylight into the bathroom cupboard thinking it's heat-protection spray. Just pray you realise before you go to use it…


2. Scan Bran is 100% the most disgusting thing you'll ever eat. And my god does it make you poop!?


3. Watching the boys shift about awkwardly when you discuss your Star Week woes during group will forever be my favourite thing.


4. You can still eat chips! Not the ones from McDonalds, and not the ones drowning in bucket-loads of full-fat mayonnaise and melted cheese, mind you.

5. Hi-Fi bars are so goddam tasty – especially the popcorn ones. And you can have two for dessert if you play your cards right.


6. Every time you get a sticker in group you'll be more excited than you were getting stickers from the dentist. Yeah we can all brush our teeth twice a day, but not everyone can lose half a stone!


7. You'll turn your nose up at the idea of Diet Coke Chicken. But the second you try it for the first time, you'll wonder how you managed without it for so long.



8. People will never be able to get their heads around the fact you can eat as much pasta, rice, noodles and potatoes as you like…

 9. And they'll look at you like you're a moron when you say you can't have avocadoes. "But it's good fat?"

"Yeah, but did you not just hear yourself say 'fat', mate? The clue's in the word…"

no avocado

10. Taster Evenings are the best. You can cancel your Sainsbury's delivery that night, because you'll get fed like a king by Maureen with her Weetabix Cake and Cheryl, whose Coronation Chicken Pasta Salad is world famous.

 11. Your kitchen cupboards will become a sea of Mug Shots, mushy peas and passata.

12. Oh, and instead of digestives and custard creams in your biscuit tin, you'll be confronted by Pink 'n' Whites.

13. Learning that fruits that have been juiced or smooshed up have to be synned. "BUT IT'S STILL FRUIT!?!?"


14. You're well within your rights to cry all the way home when you think you've been 100% on plan, and get to group and learn you've maintained. Or even worse… gained a pound.


15. There will be times when you feel like giving up and having an entire Black Forest Gateau. And that's fine. So long as you get back on plan the second you've washed the final remnants of chocolate icing off your face.


16. And you can always count on the people at your group to totally understand what you're going through, because they will be some of the most kind sincere, and wonderful people you'll ever meet.

She lost 14 stones in 18 months after her doctors told her she would die at 45, Following Slimming world

Cheryl Blythe was 31 when she decided she needed to make a change. This came shortly after a doctor told her that if she didn't do something about her weight, she would be in a wheelchair by age 45. Not such a good thing for a mother of two small children.

It was a near impossible mountain to climb. She was 339 pounds. She couldn't fit into chairs, she lost breath easily, and she was incredibly unhealthy.

Cheryl actually turned down Gastric Bypass surgery when her doctor offered her this treatment. She wanted to do it the hard way, by learning how to live healthy and setting a good example for her children. What an awesome woman.

How do you from looking like a balloon to a smokin' hot blonde? Cheryl lost a whopping 200 pounds, without surgery, either. The main reason she got so overweight was because she ate a lot of burgers and fries. So that's what she decided to change: her diet.

She started with the most important meal of the day: breakfast. She would have bacon, mushrooms, eggs and tomatoes, but she would remove all the fat from the bacon. She also cut out sugar.

Lunches went from a chicken sandwich with mayo to a homemade baked potato with chili. After making these changes to her diet and sticking with it, she lost 100 pounds and she was finally mobile enough to exercise. From that point on, it was easy. She worked out hard, and lost the weight until eventually she weighed 140 pounds.

Source: Likes.com

Moroccan Chicken (Slimming World friendly)

Credit : http://vicki-kitchen.blogspot.co.uk/



This is a super easy tasty dinner, It's a great one to make after work as it's so quick to make. I served it with rice but it would be good with cous cous too. Harissa paste is easily available in most supermarkets usually by the herbs and spices. I only used one tablespoon as I like it spicy but not too spicy but add more if you like it hotter also I used chicken thighs as I prefer them for flavour but feel free to use chicken breasts if you prefer.

Moroccan Chicken
8 chicken thighs (cut into chunks all fat and skin removed)
1 large onion (sliced)
2 peppers (sliced)
250ml chicken stock
1 tbsp harissa paste
1 can chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 can chickpeas (drained)


low calorie spray oil


Spray a large frying pan or wok with spray oil and add the chicken. Cook for a few minutes over medium/high heat until starting to brown then add the peppers and onions and keep cooking for another few minutes until the onion starts to soften.

Add the harissa paste and stir well then add the chicken stock, tomatoes and tomato puree. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 20-30 minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly. Add the chickpeas and cook for a few more minutes until heated through.


Serves 4 at 1/2 syn per portion

This Is How Much Water You Should Drink According To Your Weight

Water is the principal component which is essential for maintaining good health. Our body loses a lot of water in a day. Therefore, it's necessary that we replenish it by consuming sufficient water and food that contains water. 

Now comes the question, how much water should you drink every day? An easy-peasy question with complicated answers. The water needs of an individual depend on many factors. Have a look at them!

1. Water makes up about 60% of our body weight. It's an essential chemical component and every system in our body depends on water.

2. We humans lose a lot of water through perspiration, urine and bowel movements.

We humans lose a lot of water through perspiration, urine and bowel movements. 

Therefore, for the body to function properly, it is necessary that we consume enough food and beverages that contain water.

3. Dehydration is the condition where the body doesn't have sufficient water to carry out routine functions.

4. This is how much water you should drink every day according to your weight.

5. However, it is always recommended to drink 8-ounces glass of water every day.

However, it is always recommended to drink 8-ounces glass of water every day. 

This is about 1.9 liters of water; evidence doesn't support this rule. It is accepted because it is easy to remember. 

6. Increasing the consumption of water can cure several health problems like constipation, kidney stones and many more.

7. Tips to consume more water during a day.

Tips to consume more water during a day. 

1. Drink a glass of water after you wake up in the morning. 

2. Carry your water bottles everywhere you go. 

3. Always keep the water bottle on the desk of your workplace. 

4. If you're tired of the plain drinking water, add the sugarless flavor in it. 

Creamy pepper sauce

Credit : http://vicki-kitchen.blogspot.co.uk/


I LOVE pepper sauce with steak but its usually made with double cream and so definitely a no no but this recipe which I've made for years is really quick and easy and tastes delicious (if I say so myself!)

It's really good with chicken too and the best bit is you can control how peppery you like it. I start with half a teaspoon but you can always add more the same with the garlic you can use more or leave it out completely its the best part of home cooking is making it how you like it.


Creamy pepper sauce


250ml beef stock (from a cube is ok)
35g light philadelphia or low fat cream cheese  (plain or with garlic and herbs)
1 shallot or small onion (finely chopped)
low calorie spray oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper,
1 clove garlic (crushed - leave out if you don't want it too garlicky)

Method

Take a small frying pan and spray with the spray oil, Add the chopped shallot or onion and fry over a low heat until it's softened.

Add the stock and garlic and pepper (if used) and bring to the boil then turn the heat down so its just simmering then slowly stir in the philadelphia and keep stirring until melted into the sauce.

Taste to see if need salt then season ,stir and let it simmer gently until thickened.

Serve immediately

Serves 2 generously at 1.5 syns per person.

Creamy bacon and mushroom spaghetti carbonara ( Slimming World friendly )

Credit : http://vicki-kitchen.blogspot.co.uk/


This recipe is super quick and delicious, You only need a few ingredients to make this but just need to remember one important point ... keep a cup of pasta water!

Sounds odd I know but it is what makes the sauce so creamy and smooth. I now keep a empty cup in the colander so I remember before I drain the pasta to keep a cup of the pasta water.

This takes only a few minutes but gives you a creamy luscious sauce with no syns :)


INGREDIENTS


1 pack (200g) smoked bacon medallions (cut into strips)
100g mushrooms (sliced)
1 tub quark
2 large eggs
1 pack dried spaghetti
low calorie spray oil
salt and pepper


Method

Cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water as instructions on pack and while this is cooking take a  frying pan sprayed with oil and fry the bacon and mushrooms together until cooked through.

Place the quark and eggs into a large jug and whisk together thoroughly (takes a little time but it does become smooth after a few minutes). Add 1 tsp pepper and 1/2 tsp salt and whisk again.

Once cooked , Drain the spaghetti in a colander  ( PLEASE  remember to keep back a cup of the water the pasta was cooked in). Place the drained spaghetti back in the saucepan and add everything else in, The egg mixture, the cupful of pasta water and the bacon and mushrooms and mix everything together really well for a few minutes.

Serves 4 and is syn free :)