Meet the Slimmers
Last updated 26th Apr 2017
Chris Carlin
Although Slim for the Summer is a new concept for Chris, he isn’t altogether new to slimming.
The 27-year-old consultant is aiming to lose a total of four stone overall by the time his wedding day comes around in July this year. And he’s already well underway, having lost two stone since January 2016 and 11 pounds altogether at week nine, since joining Slim for the Summer.
We couldn’t feature Chris without mentioning his seriously romantic proposal.
He asked his partner of five years, Clare Robinson to marry him at the Mount Stewart Festival of Light with a bespoke handmade wooden box engraved with the words “more than there are stars in the sky.”
Of course, she said yes and Chris says he scored “a good few brownie points” for the affair.
Almost two years on and the Bride to be has herself lost five stone so far in time for her big day, spurring the groom on to achieve his own weight loss goals.
Chris says his lifestyle can make it difficult to eat well and make healthy choices and he works away for two days a week. Room service and hotel menus don’t offer great options for slimmers so the only way to do it is to be organised, according to Chris.
“Clare and I plan our meals a week in advance and try to eat together when we can.” He said
“It’s definitely more expensive to eat better and make healthy meals.
“On average, we spend around £15-£20 more on our weekly shop but the extra money is well worth it.” He added.
Chris has cited joining his fellow slimmers in the Slim for the Summer campaign as the help that he needs to maintain his weight loss crusade.
“Going live on facebook has helped enormously.” He said.
“You don’t want to make a fool of yourself and want your motivation and determination to lose the weight to come across.
“It has been a great help to me and with the help of my fiancé and my fellow slimmers, I am feeling confident that I can reach my target weight in time for the biggest day of my life.”
Chris is aiming to get his overall weight down to the 14 stone mark by July, having weighed over 18 stone when he first began slimming it would be no mean feat. But his determination is palpable and we have no doubt this slimmer will reach his target weight when he marries his sweetheart this summer.
Donard McErlean
Donard McErlean is one of our most inspirational slimmers.
The 34-year-old has lost a total of three and a half stone in one year, two stone of that since joining Slim for the Summer.
Donard decided he needed to make a drastic change in April last year when he reached his heaviest weight of 26 stone.
The father of two was told by his doctor that his weight was drastically affecting his health.
But he also has other motivation for shedding the pounds.
The credit controller and part-time DJ is attending a friend’s wedding in Boston this summer, a friend he hasn’t seen in 12 years.
Donard said he wants his friend to recognise him as the man he went to school with and not a much larger version.
“I’ve always been heavy,” he said.
“Since I got married, you get into comfort eating and you just get lazy.
“I’ve done diets before and never been successful but after following Stuart’s Slim for the Summer journey last year, I was inspired to make a change”.
The Magherafelt man drives almost 100 miles every Saturday to attend the Slim for the Summer weigh ins. He says the campaign has been the extra push he needed to lose the pounds.
“The added pressure of going on facebook and not wanting to make a fool of yourself is the best motivation.” He said.
And he also has another reason for losing the weight.
“My son Podraig has Downs Syndrome and he loves the pool,” he told us.
“I don’t want to think I’m too fat to go and be embarrassed when I go swimming.”
Donard is following a slimming world food plan and says the combination of making better choices and increasing his exercise output, has changed his lifestyle. With his family growing and another one on the way, the 34-year-old says he wants his whole family to have a healthier outlook.
He praised his wife for her support in his weight loss battle.
“I go to three classes per week and walk every night while my wife Michelle is at home with the kids,” Donard added
“I was eating out of boredom and habit but now I can say no.
“I don’t want to go back to the dark days.”
Maureen Casey
Maureen Casey’s weight loss journey started with a desire to shed the pounds in time for the family holiday of a lifetime to Florida.
The full-time secretary weighed a total of 12 stone 10 pounds at her heaviest and decided something needed to be done before she donned a swimsuit. The mother of one finds slimming particularly challenging as she has a number of health issues.
With coeliac disease, an under-active thyroid and type one diabetes, Maureen is flying the flag for diabetics everywhere trying to lose weight.
The Disney fanatic jets off on her family holiday to Disney World Florida the day after the Slim for the Summer final weigh-in.
She says it’s the incentive she needs to lose the pounds.
“I used to go on holiday and find the fattest person at the pool and sit beside them to make me feel better.” she said.
“It’s not a nice feeling.”
Her family booked the trip to mark their father’s retirement.
Maureen’s sister and her husband also hadn’t been away since their honeymoon in 2008 so this year was the perfect time for a holiday none of them would forget.
Maureen says joining forces with fellow slimmers has helped her gain friends as well as the motivation and support she needs to persevere with her weight loss crusade.
“The group has been helpful, we have facebook messenger and keep each other going every week.” She said.
“We plan evenings out together and on a Saturday we’re all like a group of teenagers catching up on everyone’s week,” she added.
Maureen says her weight loss has been the result of being careful with food, limiting herself to one treat a week and walking seven miles per day.
Although her weight loss is slow, is well on the way to reaching her target and says the thought of wearing a swimsuit in sunny Florida keeps her motivated from one week to the next.
Elaine Frazer
Elaine joined Slim for the Summer in a bid to improve her health after a scare shocked her into* *taking action.
The 49-year-old was diagnosed with breast cancer eight years ago and although she finally got the all clear, her life changed when she attended for her annual check-up.
“I go every year for my monogram and the nurse told me, not in so many words but basically you’re fat and if you don’t do anything your cancer will come back.
“It was like hearing you had cancer all over again,” she said.
Despite the tough love approach, Elaine insists she has that nurse to thank for her new health drive and weight loss crusade. She has lost almost two stone since week one of the campaign, taking her total weight down to 13 stone eight pounds from 15 stone five pounds.
Elaine works as a team leader in a local supermarket meaning the challenge of eating well and making healthy choices is even more testing. She insists that she now has a routine that works for her and new habits that help to curb the cravings.
“It’s difficult when you work in a shop that sells food. There are always sweet things on offer but as long as I bring fruit and healthy options to snack on I won’t give in,” she said.
Elaine joined Slimming World back in January as well as her fellow slimmers. She says the group has been ample motivation and provides great support. Since starting her health campaign, she has taken up spin and boxing and now walks to work.
“Since I joined Slimming World and Slim for the Summer mine and my families’ lifestyle has changed completely,” she said.
“When I go shopping now it looks like a different person’s trolley at the checkout.”