A Dublin woman has shared how the Slimming World community has empowered her to take part in this year's London Marathon after she lost six stone.
Alexandria Conway first realised her weight was creeping up as she started university and began to rely on takeaways and pubs for her meals. Her weight gradually began to impact her daily life as her weight gain made her reluctant to go out socially.
The now 47-year-old eventually joined Slimming World through a local branch in Donabate and began making healthier changes to her lifestyle. She was spurred on to join the weight loss group after returning home from a trip and making a shock discovery.
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She said: "I was struggling to fasten my seatbelt on a plane home from a trip to Rome and the thought of not being able to do it up almost made me physically sick. I started searching for my local Slimming World group in the taxi on the way home from the airport."
Luckily, Alexandria found a safe community amongst her local Slimming World branch and eventually lost 5 stone and 12 pounds. She later took part in the group's physical activity programme, where she discovered her love for running.
Alexandria is part of a 14-member Slimming World team that is heading to the London Marathon this weekend. She has decided to run for the Irish Cancer Society, having had family members who suffered with the illness.
She said the group has instilled a love of healthy eating and she now has a genuine interest in keeping active. The group, who she describes as her own "personal cheerleaders", keep her motivated in making health-conscious choices.
She added: "Hearing about Slimming World’s physical activity programme inspired me to start walking. It was hard at first but noticed in the space of 10 days that I was getting faster and after about a month of daily walking I felt the urge to jog! I then joined my local athletics club and now run 3 times a week and I’ve made some lovely friends."
Alexandria hopes to raise awareness of how weight gain contributes towards certain cancers ahead of running in the London Marathon. The 14 members of the Slimming World marathon team have collectively lost 79 stone after joining the weight loss organisation.
The group are still seeking out donations ahead of the marathon this weekend. You can sponsor the Slimming World team through their website.
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