MUM WHO WEIGHED 19 STONE SHARES THE AIR FRYER DINNER THAT HELPED HER DROP SEVEN DRESS SIZES
A mum has told how she turned her life around by dropping nine and a half stone with some simple switches that mean the whole family can still enjoy their favourite meals but be "healthier". Beauty therapist Lorraine Jervis-Garner had struggled to lose weight after having daughter Ayda and even felt like she had "lost herself".
But weighing 19st 6lbs at her heaviest and wearing a size 22 she knew she had to do something. So inspired by her mother's own success as losing weight, the 34 year old, from Holmes Chapel, Cheshire, joined her local Slimming World group in January 2023 and today weighs 9st 13lbs, wears a size 8 and is embracing an active lifestyle she once believed was beyond her reach.
- Dr Zoe health warning as some people taking social media bed trend 'too far'
- Aldi 'fan favourite' Special Buy item that 'smells amazing' returning next week
Her remarkable transformation has inspired the whole family, from husband Ryan, 33, to her mum Loretta, 70, who attends the same Slimming World group and has shed 3st herself. The positive changes are already influencing the next generation too, with three year old Ayda now keen to help out in the kitchen and pick up healthy habits from her mum.
Lorraine said: "I joined Slimming World because I wanted to be a good role model for Ayda. I gained more than two stone during pregnancy. I felt frumpy, uncomfortable and completely unlike myself.
"After Ayda was born, I struggled to look after myself. I often skipped meals, relying on custard creams to get me through busy days with a newborn – along with full-sugar cola and convenience foods. Looking back, I simply wasn't nourishing myself."
Things shifted when Lorraine's mum, Loretta Dunne, suggested she accompany her to the local Slimming World group led by consultant Julie Pugh. There she learnt how to transform her eating habits, without sacrificing the foods she enjoyed - centring meals around satisfying, wholesome foods high in protein and fibre.
Lorraine said: "It suddenly clicked that healthy food could be delicious. I stopped relying on takeaways and ready meals and started cooking from scratch, planning our meals and getting organised. I'd never done a weekly shop before, but once I started planning ahead, it was easier to make healthy choices for the whole family.
"I plan family meals for the week ahead now and Ayda's favourite meal – chicken nuggets – are made from scratch in the air fryer and served with carrot sticks and garden peas. Now we enjoy meals like peri-peri chicken, homemade chips with salad and sweetcorn and other family favourites that are packed with goodness and we all love to eat together.
"Ayda loves helping me cook now, she's always in the kitchen with me. I really hope I'm setting a positive example for her and showing her healthy habits that will stay with her as she grows up."
Lorraine ditched processed foods, takeaways and ready meals in favour of home-cooked dishes prepared with fresh ingredients. She says: "Our cupboards aren't stocked with the crisps, chocolate and biscuits I once relied on throughout the day. Instead, we enjoy healthier, filling snack options like apple slices, vegetable or breadsticks with hummus, low-fat yoghurt, wholemeal toast or homemade banana bread – all of which keep everyone satisfied for longer."
Her husband Ryan has also reaped the rewards as despite him not needing to lose weight he is now slimmer. His weight is also steady thanks to eating healthier family foods.
Lorraine credits encouragement from both her family and fellow group members as vital to her achievement: "There were times when my weight loss slowed and I started to doubt myself. In the first year I lost around two stone and then stayed at a similar weight for a while. Julie and the group reassured me that this wasn't a setback and helped me focus on the healthy habits I'd built, rather than just the number on the scales.
"Their support helped me recognise how far I'd come, especially during a busy period with a young baby and gave me the confidence to keep going. When people started noticing at around four stone lost, it gave me a real boost and helped me stay motivated."
Activity also became a big part in the mum's life, starting with evening strolls around her village before moving on to longer family walks with Ayda and their cockerpoo Hugo, and now runs. She said: " I always liked the idea of running but when I was heavier my ankles would hurt and I'd wonder how other people managed it, now I'm one of those people. I can head out and do a 5k in half an hour. I've also discovered a love of padel and CrossFit."
Her working life as a beauty therapist has also improved. She said: "I used to struggle with back pain and had stopped doing massage treatments because of it. Now I can be on my feet all day and work comfortably.
"The most important thing is knowing Ayda has an active mum who can run around with her, play with her and be a healthy role model. Sometimes I look at our family and think people probably assume we've always been healthy and active, the truth is we weren't.
"The person I am now is the person I've always wanted to be. Nothing beats the way I feel today. Most of all, I'm proud that Ayda is growing up seeing healthy habits as part of everyday family life."
Julie Pugh, Lorraine's Slimming World consultant, says: "Lorraine's experience is a wonderful example of the ripple effect of weight loss. Not only has she transformed her own health and wellbeing, she's inspired healthier eating, more activity and greater confidence across three generations of her family."
Lorraine's story mirrors the conclusions of newly published independent research in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) Paediatrics Open, which discovered that numerous parents attending weight management groups reported beneficial changes in their children's health behaviours, including greater physical activity and healthier eating habits. The survey, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), examined the experiences of 396 Slimming World members with children aged five to 11 and found that more than two thirds (67 per cent) who were concerned about their child’s weight felt more motivated to support them after addressing their own weight.
It also showed almost half (48 per cent) of parents reported healthy improvements in what their child ate after they joined the weight loss programme and more than a quarter (27 per cent) said their child had become more physically active.
The research, conducted at the University of Bristol, comes as experts caution that younger adults face the greatest risk of future weight gain. Global studies predict one in three children, teenagers and young adults could be living with overweight or obesity by 2050, and research indicates that children whose research shows children with parents living with obesity are more likely to develop it themselves.
Dr Sarah-Elizabeth Bennett, Senior Nutritionist at Slimming World, says: "The findings of the research reinforce what we've long known at Slimming World: when parents adopt healthier habits, the benefits often extend beyond the individual and become part of everyday family life."
She added: "Through a family-friendly eating plan and practical activity ideas, we've always encouraged healthy habits to support positive change across the family. Our own evidence has consistently shown that this approach helps create healthier home environments and brighter futures for the next generation."
Join your local Slimming World group or sign up online for even more recipes, guidance and support. To find your nearest group, visit slimmingworld.co.uk or call 0344 897 8000.
Lorraine Jervis-Garner
- Starting weight: 19st 6lbs/123.4kg
- Weight lost: 9st 7lbs/ 60.33kg
- Current weight: 9st 13lbs/ 63kg
- Height: 5ft 6in/168cm
Lorraine's food swaps
BEFORE
- Breakfast: Six custard creams and a cup of tea
- Mid-morning: Biscuits, usually around six custard creams
- Lunch: Two cans of full sugar cola, 2-3 packets of crisps and a chocolate bar
- Dinner: Takeaway pizza, a full sugar cola and a bag of chocolates for dessert
AFTER
- Breakfast: Overnight oats and fat free natural yoghurt, topped with fresh raspberries and strawberries or at weekends a bacon barm
- Lunch: Chicken salad or a cheese omelette with salad and a can of low sugar lemonade
- Dinner: Peri-peri chicken with homemade Slimming World chips and salad and a fat-free flavoured yoghurt
- SWIPS: Disaronno with cranberry juice in a large gin glass with lots of ice