A mum of two who was unable to keep up with her children and lost sleep over her body size and health has ditched half her weight in a year. Jules Turnock, 48, says she was going to sleep and waking up worried about her 23stone weight, and decided to join Slimming World.
She now weighs 11st 4lbs. Jules said: "In summer 2020, I realised that I was going to sleep – and then waking up – worrying about my weight. It was absolutely exhausting and I knew I needed to do something about it.
"It had reached the point where there was no part of my life that was unaffected. My confidence was shattered and I hated how I looked. I’d have happily become a total recluse. My body hurt and I struggled to keep up with my two young daughters, Amy and Jessica, so I was missing out on family life."
Jules said it was emotion that triggered her eating. She said: "I consoled myself with food. I ate when I was sad or anxious. I’ve experienced quite a lot of trauma through my life, including six miscarriages and sadly losing my son at 23 weeks pregnant. I used food to cope with my difficulties, and I’d eat when I was happy, too. Unsurprisingly, my weight kept going up."
By 2020 Jules was eating high-fat treats like takeaways, cake, crisps and chocolate. But the more she ate the more she wanted to eat. Jules said: "I’d feel guilty, which would make me want to eat even more. I’d become stuck in that vicious cycle."
She said 'the switch finally flicked' in January 2021 and she decided to try Slimming World Online - using the group's Food Optimising plan and discovering an online community of slimmers who shared ideas and tips. Jules said: "I’d found my own online slimming support network, which was always there."
Jules says online events helped her keep on track with her diet and weight loss, providing advice and information she needed. She said: "I was hooked. I achieved a 10lb weight loss in week one – and I’ve never looked back."
She has become more active with the weight loss, taking daily walks and using Slimming World online workout videos. Jules said: "In just over a year, I’ve lost 11st 7lbs – more than half my original body weight, and quite incredible when you think that I haven’t once felt hungry or like I was missing out.
"Now I’m full of energy and no longer in pain. I sleep better and I have so much more confidence. Instead of hiding away at home, I’m enjoying life and all the opportunities that come my way. One real highlight has been taking our girls to Lapland at Christmas. I had so much fun doing everything – husky sledging, snowmobiling, ice carting – and I didn’t think about my weight once.
"Rewind a year and I’d have been worrying before I even got there about whether the snowsuit would fit. And there’s no way I’d have been physically able to get in and out of a small plastic sledge. It was a magical family memory that just wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t found Slimming World – and I can’t wait to make lots more."
