BIG SLIMMERS
Couple’s 14st weight loss after making simple diet swaps so they would ‘live to see grandchildren’
A COUPLE who feared that their colossal weight would kill them before meeting their grandchildren have shed an incredible 14st 4lbs.
Katie and Tony Viney, from Bicester, had such low energy that on family holidays, they'd drive to the beach and watch their kids play from the car rather than join in.
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It was only when their eldest daughter turned 18 that they began to worry about their long-term futures.
Katie, 45, said: “As a busy mum-of-four, I’d put my own health to the bottom of the pile for years.
"I’d always been big but with every pregnancy, I just became bigger and bigger.
"Each of my pregnancies was deemed high-risk because of my weight – so much so that I needed a big luminous sticker on all of my notes.
“Our eldest daughter Rhiannon was about to turn 18 and it hit me that suddenly my children were becoming adults themselves – and that one day I might have grandchildren.
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"At the rate I was going, I knew that I wouldn’t be around to see them."
Katie, who has gone on to shift more than 9st, was so unfit that even a short walk would tire her out.
"I didn’t even like walking up the stairs unless I absolutely had to. Something had to change.”
And it wasn't just her fitness that was a problem.
At a size 24, Katie had developed lymphedema in her legs after getting cellulitis a few years before.
That meant her having to wear surgical stockings all of the time.
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So for Christmas 2017, teaching assistant Katie asked husband Tony for an unusual but potentially life-saving present.
Tony, 52, said: “Like every year, in December 2017 I asked Katie what she would like for Christmas.
"She became a bit emotional and asked me if she could have a Slimming World membership.
"I could see how much she wanted to make a change, so I decided to bite the bullet and go along with her."
Eighteen months later, hotelier Tony has shed 5st 2lbs.
“I’d always been overweight myself – I grew up in a fish and chip shop so there was always fried food on the menu.
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"In fact, I used to get bored of eating fish and chips so developed a liking for deep-fried pies.
"When Katie told me she didn’t think she’d be alive to see any of our grandchildren grow up, it really shocked me into action.
"We joined our local group that January and honestly we haven’t looked back since.”
Although the pair were nervous when they rocked up to their first meeting, they found that they were quickly put at ease - with Tony being especially happy with the eating plan.
“As a professional chef, I was a little bit worried that we’d have to give up all of our favourite foods and just live on a diet of lettuce leaves," Tony recalls.
Katie's diet before and after
Katie’s before menu:
Breakfast: Cereal and milk or a pain au chocolat
Lunch: Sandwich, crisps and biscuits
Dinner: Takeaway
Snacks: Biscuits, crisps and sweets
Evening: More snacking on biscuits, sweets and crisps
Katie’s after menu:
Breakfast: Porridge with mixed berries
Mid-morning: Apple and banana fruit pot
Lunch: Large homemade chicken salad
Dinner: Beef stroganoff, goulash or stir-fry served with rice or veg
Evening: Fresh fruit, fat-free yogurt, a Slimming World hi-fibre bar
Tony's diet before and after
Tony’s before menu:
Breakfast: Small bowl of cereal with milk
Lunch: A burger with bacon, cheese, mushrooms and black pudding
Dinner: A takeaway or creamy carbonara with lots of cheese
Snacks: Chocolate, biscuits and crisps
Evening: More chocolate, biscuits and crisps
Tony’s after menu:
Breakfast: 2 Weetabix with fruit and fat-free natural yogurt
Mid-morning: Banana and an apple
Lunch: Large homemade salad with tuna or chicken
Dinner: Beef stroganoff, goulash or stir-fry served with rice or veg
Evening: Fresh fruit, fat-free yogurt, sugar-free jelly
"I couldn’t have been more wrong though. I soon realised that I could adapt many of our favourite family meals to make them the Slimming World way – just by making simple swaps like switching from oil to low-calorie cooking spray and using lean cuts of meat.
"One of our favourites is a beef stroganoff, it’s absolutely delicious.”
The couple has now been crowned the Slimming World Couple of the Year.
As for the couple's health, things have skyrocketed since the weight's come off.
MORE ON DIET
Now a size 10, Katie's circulation has improved so much that her legs are back to normal.
And Tony says that they've gone from being parents who'd watch their kids play to running five miles a day with their two dogs.
"We're so full of energy - so active days out are the norm for us now and we hope to be this fit and active for many more years to come."
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