Life has begun at 40 for Derry man Dee since weight loss

Dee McLaughlin from the city lost over 6.5stone when he found the key to losing weight is not keeping it a secret and doing it alone. 

His story backs up new research which shows that joining a Slimming World group is more effective than losing weight alone as it’s revealed over half (57%) of slimmers have dieted ‘in secret’ – many because of fears of being judged or failing.

Dee who turned 40 on his journey at Slimming World, never realised that trying to diet without support would be so easy. 

Here he explains his story:

“The fear of trying something you’d never done before and joining a group that I thought was for woman only was always a stopper in the past, that trying myself at home was always why I started and stopped so quickly.

“The thoughts of going somewhere and been judged the fear of not succeeding. 

“Try to lose weight without support is always so hard and so easy to stop and start again.

“I joined slimming world at the Waterfoot Hotel with my sister-in-law and the welcome in the group on week one made me feel so comfortable and every week after seeing the members losses and my losses inspire others made it so much easier that I fell in love with the food choices I was making and also the results and support I was getting weekly and the food I was able to eat was mind blowing.

“Weighing in every week is amazing and also the weeks that didn’t go as planned gave me accountability and the support I got helped me get right back on track.

“I feel like a new man. I’m living life, life has begun at 40.

BEFORE: Dee McLaughlin before he joined Slimming World.

“I’m not just eating the foods I love and my favourite is a chilli and it’s even nicer after a night out!

“I also love the activity that I’m doing that I haven’t done in years and the interaction I have with so many other people.

“The support of joining Slimming World has helped my life mentally physically and emotionally.”

Dr Jacquie Lavin, Special Advisor on the Science of Weight Management at Slimming World, says: “Worries about our weight and the decision to start a weight loss journey can feel deeply personal, so it’s natural to think that a private approach might be best. And for lots of people the idea of admitting you need help or joining a group can be daunting.

"Losing weight isn’t easy, though, and going it alone is especially hard. Slimming World members say that it’s the shared motivation, plus feeling valued, cared for and understood, which act as a powerful and positive incentive to lose weight, and to keep going if you’re struggling. This is often missing from weight loss attempts that we embark on alone and it’s what makes joining a Slimming World group so effective.

“Making the decision to lose weight and improve your health is a positive step and absolutely not something people should ever feel embarrassed about. These findings show people should embrace the encouragement and support of losing weight with others, even if that means stepping out of their comfort zones. They’ll be sure of a warm welcome at a Slimming World group.

“The power of the peer support members give one another is what sets Slimming World apart. Members become part of a community, which helps them to realise that they’re not alone in the challenges they face.

"That’s combined with a personalised approach which helps every member discover more about themselves as a slimmer, identify their own pitfalls and danger zones, and create plans to overcome them.

"As well as following the healthy eating plan which enables you to still eat the foods you love and become more active at your own pace, members are encouraged to dig deep into what motivates them, and to set realistic weekly goals to help them achieve their weight loss targets.

“The accountability of attending a weekly group is also key. In this survey, 90% of these members said the private weekly weigh-in was a key factor in helping them lose weight successfully, while for 81% it’s the eating plan and for 73% it’s the support from other members.”

To find out more about joining your nearest group:- visit www.slimmingworld.co.uk or check out Slimming World Derry on Facebook.