Real Success

Two years ago Noelle Wilkinson felt fat and frumpy and her 12 year old son was being bullied about his weight. Now, the mum of three has lost 4st 3lbs, is a slinky size 10, her husband and son are each 3 stones lighter and she’s fulfilled a lifelong dream to get her motorbike licence. Plus she’s walked away with the top prize in Slimming World’s Miss Slinky competition. Noelle shares her story with us…

“I can’t believe how my life has been transformed. For 14 years, since the birth of my third child, I’ve struggled with my weight and tried many different diets, but nothing ever worked because I always felt hungry. 

“I was reluctant to meet people and felt self-conscious despite working in a sales environment,” says Noelle, a director in a car sales company.

“It was my 12 year old son that spurred me to do something about my weight. I was unhappy with my weight and my clothes were beginning feel tight. Then my son, who had begun to gain weight too came crying to me, very unhappy that he was being ridiculed about being overweight. We made a pact together to lose weight and regain our self esteem. My sister had lost 3 stones at Slimming World so that week I went along with her and joined.

“We began Food Optimising as a family and it fit into our lives easily. We enjoy a breakfast of muesli or wholewheat cereal with fruit and yogurt.  For lunch, depending on where I am that day, I’ll have a wholemeal bread ham and salad sandwich or egg on toast. And then for dinner I always cook a meal for the family - I love the Slimming World classic chicken curry. Or we’ll have steak and Free chips or a cottage pie with piles of vegetables or salad. At weekends we love a full English breakfast. I’ve learned how to cook all our favourites in a healthier way. With Slimming World it’s easy for the whole family to eat healthily together.

“My husband John is completely made up. When I first started he wouldn’t believe that it was possible to eat so much and still lose weight. He believed that you had to restrict yourself and cut down on portions. So I set out to prove to him it was possible.

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As well as the pounds, Noelle seems to have lost years too. “Not only do I feel younger, but everyone says how young I look. When I was out shopping with my 17 year old daughter and bought some headache tablets I was asked for ID. I thought the young man behind the till was joking until my daughter called me mum and he realised his mistake. He said he thought we were sisters!”

Nowadays you’re likely to find Noelle in figure-hugging leathers and taking to the open road.
The glamorous 51 year old admits that just 18 months ago she would never have had the confidence to ride bikes or take on jet-skiing and watersports.

“The best thing of all is because of the gradual and steady weight loss and making changes that are easy to stick to, I know that I’ll never put the weight back on,” says Noelle. “And that’s why I keep going to my Slimming World group. The great thing about my weight loss is that it hasn’t been difficult. As long as you’re focused and your mind is set, you can achieve anything with the right support and the right eating plan. It’s not about cutting calories or cutting portions, going hungry or depriving yourself, it’s about making simple changes in choices and the way you cook and sticking with them.”

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