Lewis found himself away from his home comforts and working within the busy city of London, renowned for its fast pace Lewis was totally out of his comfort zone. Ironically Lewis had been active before moving away with work, now living alone unable to cook anything resembling a healthy meal Lewis turned his attention to convenience food. Takeaways and a few cans of beer are how Lewis enjoyed his evenings. On returning home to Sunderland Lewis was encouraged by his mum to lose weight and this is when Lewis discovered some Slimming World members who kindly helped and encouraged Lewis to take the leap of faith to join his local Slimming World Group. Work was now calling Lewis to relocate to a remote part of Northern Ireland where Lewis could rely on great food with Hotel meals at the ready. At this point, most people would have caved under the pressure of being surrounded by rich food full of flavour, fat, and calories! However, Lewis made wise choices and after losing 10 stone 1.5lb the rest is history! This story shares an incredible transformation story of the mind, body, and soul, and having discovered a newfound confidence Lewis has regained control of his life.

If you have enjoyed listening to Lewis and his Slimming Story you can follow him on  Instagram  @sw-lew

Slimming Stories podcast is written and  produced by Claire Oldham - West, you can follow Slimming Stories on Instagram @sw_slimmingstories_podcast

Slimming Stories is also a Facebook Group.

Ashli Sterling had tried many fad diets but having previously worked as a Slimming World consultant Ashli knew that she had the tools at hand to make the necessary health changes she longed for. 2020 is due to be a big year for Ashli and amidst COVID 19 she seems to be taking all of the chaos in her stride with an exuberance of confidence Ashli explains this wasn't always the case. For Ashli dropping dress sizes from a U.K size 16 to a U.K size 8 has given her confidence a huge boost, Ashli never thought she would be halving her dress size. Ashli talks about her love for food and her desire to show others how preparing tasty food doesn't have to be complex and how taking snapshots as a blogger on Instagram played an integral part in her weight loss journey. Ashli reached her goal weight long before plans of a wedding making Ashli's success all the more sweeter with no pressure to slim down for the big day. Ashli's commitment to her weight loss gifted her with the power of choice both on her plate and in the wedding boutique.

If you have enjoyed Ashli’s Slimming Story you can follow her journey ashli_sw

Slimming Stories podcast is written and  produced by Claire Oldham - West and you can follow Slimming Stories on Instagram @sw_slimmingstories_podcast

Slimming Stories is also a Facebook Group.

 Episode 21, Jessica Faulkner the most positive bride to be amidst COVID-19 shares her weight loss as a Slimming World member.

Jessica joined her local slimming group with the intention of just losing half a stone. Several stones later and with healthy eating choices embedded into her lifestyle with a newfound love for fitness inches followed the weight loss, reducing Jessica's dress size from a U.K size 22 to size 10 - 12. Jessica exuberates confidence and it's difficult to imagine Jessica ever feeling any different but during our conversation, Jessica opens up about how changes to her diet and fitness have increased her confidence and how happy she feels compared with life in a larger body. This episode was published during COVID- 19 but Jessica doesn't show any signs of overwhelm a testament to the support of a loving fiance, family, and friends. Shopping for a wedding dress had been a worry for Jessica but now in a smaller size, Jessica has the freedom to choose whatever style she finds on the rail in the wedding boutique. Being an overweight mum was something that once laid heavy on Jessica's mind but now she is free to keep up with her young daughter and shine as a role model providing healthy footsteps for daughter Felicity to follow in.

If you have enjoyed Jessica's Slimming Story you can follow her journey @jess.abrahams_sw

Slimming Stories podcast is produced by Claire Oldham - West and you can follow Slimming Stories on Instagram @sw_slimmingstories_podcast

Slimming Stories is also a Facebook Group.

Episode 20, Andie Darlington my first transgender guest shares her slimming story as a Slimming World member.

Andie is a Slimming Stories first having won both "Man Of The Year" within her local Slimming World Class and "Woman Of The Year". Andie who works as a journalist felt so at ease within her local Slimming World class that unbeknown to the man that walked through the door several years previous she would be surrounded by an acceptance allowing her to lead an authentic life. Andie describes how she didn't want to be an old man looking back on life wondering what if….. Transitioning in 2020 is received with more acceptance than in years gone by but there are still challenges as Andie talks about hateful messages that she still receives today. Andie’s episode will be published amidst the Coronavirus pandemic during a time when people started to reach out to one another with a pause from their laptops and iPhones. Andie didn't expect the warmth and acceptance she received at her local slimming class but this is exactly what happened. Andie talks about lifelong friendships in a heartwarming story in a time when we are all in need of a virtual hug.

If you have enjoyed Andie’s story you can continue to follow her slimming journey on Instagram @andiedarlington

Slimming Stories podcast is produced by Claire Oldham - West and you can follow Slimming Stories on Instagram @sw_slimmingstories_podcast

Slimming Stories is also a Facebook Group.