Single-mum Kerri Hayes knew she had to take action after a major health scare which left her seriously ill in hospital. The primary school teacher was left with blood clots in her brain causing confusion and slurred speech after developing Covid-19 in January 2021.
But after fighting back to improved health she knew something had to change. After turning to Slimming World the 42-year-old dropped 11 stones in just over a year and says she's fitter than ever.
And she says while she feared the cost of switching to a healthier diet would be a strain on her purse strings the opposite has been the case. Rather than costing more, by filling her shopping basket with fresh food and ditching the convenience options has seen her save around £100 a month.
Kerri, from Walthamstow in East London, told how she had been struggling for years to lose weight. Then things changed when she became seriously ill with Covid-19 during the pandemic.
She said: “In January 2021, weighing 22st, I was hospitalised for several days due to Covid-19. After extensive tests, I was told I had several blood clots in my brain, of which some had haemorrhaged. I felt so confused and my speech was slurred.
"The consultant advised that being morbidly obese was a major contributing factor in my illness. I was put on so much medication and throughout 2021 I gradually got better, but I wasn’t losing weight, quite the opposite in fact.
"In January 2022 I decided enough was enough. I was determined to make a change and I decided to go along and join my local Slimming World group.
“I lost 7lbs that first week. I was so happy to be losing weight by eating real food and not shakes or packet food, which I’d tried before to lose weight and they just weren’t sustainable."
She added: "I was very nervous walking into the group as I was the heaviest I’d ever been. Everyone was so welcoming and supportive, though. They’re so proud of my weight loss and it’s incredible to think now I’m supporting others!
“Although I’m lucky to have a close-knit family, I genuinely see my group as my second family now. We’re all ‘in it’ together, we understand the challenges of trying to lose weight and no-one judges each other.
"We talk to each other openly and there’s such a warmth in the group. We see each other through the highs and the lows.
“Being a single mum and a teacher, I was worried it might cost more to eat healthily to lose weight, it really hasn’t though. In fact, I’ve saved around £100 a month on my food bills as I’m not buying ready meals and takeaways.
"If I think back to how I ate before joining, I wasn’t cooking, I was just putting convenience food in the microwave. My diet used to consist of ready meals, sugary drinks, lots of crisps and very little fruit or vegetables.
“Now I’m eating much more fresh food than I did before. I enjoy cooking and making healthy versions of all my favourite foods which are nutritious and filling so I’m never hungry.
"I’m using up all the vegetables in my fridge which would probably have gone to waste before, too. I make a lot of soup at the weekends and freeze it and Sunday is my day to cook meals in bulk to ensure I’m prepped for the week ahead.
"The recipes on the Slimming World App are amazing too – my favourite is chicken chow mein and I love adding loads more vegetables to it to bulk it out. I feel in control of what I’m eating for the first time in my life, and that feels really good.
“Before I lost weight, after standing up in the classroom all day my knees would hurt and my ankles were always aching and swollen. I was lethargic, lacked motivation and had very low self-esteem. I have so much more energy and confidence.
"My teenage son Nic and I live on the fourth floor in a block of flats and when I was at my heaviest, I’d dread it if the lift was out of order. Now, it’s no bother! I don’t get out of breath at all when walking up stairs.
"I go to Zumba classes twice a week – I was inspired by hearing other Slimming World members talking about activity and actually one of the ladies from my group is the instructor. I love the Slimming World online activity videos too and I walk 10K steps a day."
Kerri added: “I share the tips I’ve learned with my friends at work and they tell me how inspiring they find me, which is lovely. The parents of children I’ve previously taught even told me they thought I was a new teacher!
"I’m 11st lighter and I’ve dropped five dress sizes from a 22 to a size 12! I feel like I’m reliving my youth and I’m so much more confident.
"I’m enjoying eating real food and feeling in control of my food choices. And, not only is my plate a lot more colourful, my wardrobe is too as I no longer want to just blend into the background, I have a whole new confidence and mindset!”
Joanne Wason runs the Leyton Slimming World group and is Kerri’s Slimming World Consultant. She said: “It’s been such an honour for me to part of Kerri’s weight loss journey. It wasn’t long after Kerri joined my group, and as she began to swap takeaways and ready meals for her own home cooked food, that Kerri found she was losing weight and she was also saving money.
"She now shares her tips and experience with the group and she’s such a valued member – we can’t imagine our group without her! Awarding Kerri with her 11st award was a moment I will never forget – it was a magical moment and I’m so proud of Kerri’s success.”
A study of 2,000 adults, led by Slimming World, showed half of UK adults are finding it harder to make healthy food choices. One in three say they prioritise the cost of food over how healthy it is (31%).
It also found more than one in five adults say they weigh more now compared to one year ago and, of these, 58% believe the financial crisis contributed to their weight gain. Of those who gained weight, 38% felt this was due to comfort eating or eating more convenience food, 36% felt they gained weight because they were buying cheaper, less nutritious food and 31% say they’re less motivated to eat healthily because of the cost-of-living crisis.
The survey also polled members of Slimming World’s 13,000 community weight loss group sessions and online programme. Of these four out of five who’d joined a Slimming World group agree it is possible to lose weight on a budget, and three quarters feel confident they can eat healthily on a budget.
Dr Jacquie Lavin, Special Advisor on the Science of Weight Management at Slimming World, said: “Kerri’s story shows how getting practical advice and tangible tried-and-tested tips from fellow slimmers on the same journey can be especially valuable when you're finding it difficult to eat healthily and lose weight or stay on track. Like Kerri, more than half (56%) of members in this survey said they’ve found it easy to eat healthily on a budget since joining Slimming World and 83% say that sharing tips, support and advice at their weekly group helps with this.”
She added: “We can see from the member survey that receiving support and advice to make healthy eating choices is more important than ever when helping people to lose weight on a budget. In fact, since joining Slimming World, 90% of members now feel more in control when it comes to their food choices and 83% agree it is possible to lose weight on a budget.
"Being part of a group where you're facing the same challenges together and helping each other to stay motivated makes a real difference. It’s even better when this support is in a warm, friendly community particularly during such difficult times.”
The research conducted by OnePoll, shows the impact the rise in food prices is having with 80% of those polled saying this is causing them concern. The research shows over a third (37%) say their physical health has been impacted by the cost-of-living crisis and 46% say it has affected their mental health.
