A super-slimming couple have shed a whopping 27 stone between them after vowing to get healthy on Valentine's Day. Kieron Buxton, 50, and wife Helen, 51, decided to get into shape after suffering health problems and even received abuse in the street.
The couple, who have been married for 16 years, gorged on fried breakfasts, biscuits, takeaways and beer and wine. Mental health charity worker Kieron tipped the scales at almost 30 stone and was so big he couldn’t even put his own shoes and socks on.
He and Helen, who weighed almost 18-and-a-half stone, decided to get healthy after Kieron was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The couple joined Slimming World on February 14, 2020, just weeks before lockdown and in just two years they shed an incredible 27 stone.
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They have now been named Slimming World's couple of the year 2022. Since losing 19-and-a-half stones Kieron has even reversed his type 2 diabetes.
He said: "I'd been overweight for much of my life, to the point where I didn’t really acknowledge it anymore. Being inactive, wearing 5XL shirts and asking for seatbelt extenders was just normal life for me.
"I was even used to the abuse that would get thrown at me in the street. It wasn't until my doctor told me that an injury to my leg was struggling to heal because I’d developed type 2 diabetes that I decided to make a change.
"I knew that type 2 diabetes was often weight-related, so it was a big wake-up call for me. I was almost 30 stone at the time and couldn’t even put my own shoes and socks on, Helen used to have to do it for me."
The couple, from Nottingham, swapped fast-food for fresh fruit and veg and lean meat and poultry. Kieron said: "I didn't know much about Slimming World so I assumed I would be on a diet of salad and worried it would be very restrictive and complicated to follow. I was blown away when I discovered how wrong I was.
"We found it really easy to fit the plan around our lives and we still eat our favourite meals like satay chicken, cottage pie and homemade chips - we just cook them in a different way - and we're never hungry."
Helen lost eight stone and dropped from a size 26 to a 12 and saw improvements in her rheumatoid arthritis.
She said: "I had struggled with my weight since school and although I’d had the odd weight-loss attempt here and there, I never really had much success. I thought joining Slimming World with Kieron would be a good way to support him and to improve my own health as well.
"The first group we could attend happened to be on Valentine's Day. We don't usually celebrate it, but it turned out to be a great night for our marriage.
"I dread to think where we could have ended up weight-wise if we hadn’t joined Slimming World before lockdown hit. Being furloughed meant we had time to experiment with new recipes and get to grips with cooking from scratch, which was great.
"Having each other really spurred us on and we encouraged each other to stay on track. The difference in our lives really is amazing - it's like the whole world has opened up for us.
"We're off to Berlin soon and for the first time ever we aren't worried about being uncomfortable on the flight or asking for a seatbelt extender - we're just looking forward to spending time together. For us, life really has begun at 50."
Helen and Kieron's gentle walks gradually increased until they were doing 10,000 steps a day or more. The couple's remarkable change in their appearance has left their friends and colleagues stunned - with one even failing to recognise Helen.
Kieron said: "I don't think we realised quite how different we looked until we started socialising again and some of our closest friends didn’t recognise us. In fact, on one shopping trips she walked straight past Helen, and one of her colleagues of 15 years asked her if she was a new starter."
Kieron, who stood 5ft 7ins tall, weighed 29st and 12lbs but is now a trim 10st 5lbs and went from a 56ins waist to 32ins. Meanwhile 5ft 4ins Helen weighed 18s 4.5lbs and is now 10st 3.5lbs and has dropped seven dress sizes to go from a 26 to a size 12.
Between them, the couple shed 27st 8lbs, which is the equivalent to a baby elephant.
Kieron and Helen's diet before
- Breakfast: A fried breakfast with sugary tea
- Lunch: Packets of biscuits, sandwiches, crisps
- Snack: Share bar of chocolate, sweets
- Dinner: A takeaway, two bottles of wine and cans of beer
Kieron and Helen's diet now
- Breakfast: Overnight oats made with fat-free natural yogurt and fresh fruit
- Lunch: A platter of lean meats, fruit, yogurt and vegetable crudites
- Dinner: A homemade meal such as cottage pie with lots of vegetables
- Snack: Slimming World Hi-Fi bar, gin and slimline tonic
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