Slimming with Helen Chapel Allerton

💜 Taking weight-loss medication? You're not on your own... and you don't have to do it on your own either. 💜

Weight-loss medication can be a fantastic tool, but it's the healthy habits you build alongside it that really make the difference for the future.

That's where Slimming World comes in ❤️.

In my groups you'll find...

🤗 A warm welcome and absolutely no judgement, ever.

🥗 A flexible eating plan to help you stay nourished, even if your appetite is smaller.

💪 Simple ways to move more and help protect your muscle while you're losing weight.

🧠 Support to understand your habits, build confidence and make changes that last.

💕 A friendly group of people all cheering each other on every step of the way.

Medication can help you lose weight... but together we can help you build the habits to help you keep it off too.

✨ 6 Stone Gone ✨

I’ve been a Slimming World member for around six and a half years now, and if I’m honest, it’s been a rollercoaster.

When I first joined, I lost a lot of weight and was doing really well. Then COVID hit, and like so many people, the weight gradually crept back on. When lockdown ended and groups started again, I came back, but my head was never fully in it. I couldn’t find the motivation or determination I’d had before. It became a cycle of losing a pound here, gaining a couple there, losing a few, then putting them back on. I felt stuck in that constant up-and-down battle.

Then I fell pregnant with my little boy. My mindset was very much, “I’m getting bigger anyway, so what’s the point?” and I stepped away from group for a while.

When my son was born, our world changed completely.

He was born with a bowel condition and spent several weeks in the neonatal unit. During the first two years of his life, he was constantly in and out of hospital, undergoing multiple surgeries and becoming poorly time and time again. We nearly lost him twice.

For a long time, my focus wasn’t on me. It couldn’t be.

My priority was being a mum to a child with complex medical needs while also trying to be the best mum I could be to my other two children, keeping a house running, working, and simply getting through each day. Looking after myself fell to the bottom of the list.

Then, during all of that, I got engaged.

We set a wedding date, and for the first time in a long time, I reached a point where I could start thinking about myself again. I looked at where I was and decided enough was enough.

I knew I didn’t want to and couldn’t walk down the aisle looking and feeling the way I did at that moment.

Something just clicked.

My wedding became my motivation, but it wasn’t my only motivation. I wanted to set a good example for my children. I want them to grow up understanding what a healthy, balanced lifestyle looks like. I want to be as healthy as I can be, for as long as I can be, so I can make memories with them, run around with them, and be there for every milestone possible.

One moment that really sticks in my mind happened on holiday. Last year, when we went away as a family, the aeroplane seatbelt only just fastened. It was incredibly tight and uncomfortable, and I spent the flight feeling self-conscious about it.

Fast forward to this year when I flew out for my hen do in May, and the difference was unbelievable. The seatbelt fastened with ease, there was plenty of room to spare, and I was comfortable for the entire flight. It might seem like a small thing to some people, but for me it was one of those moments where I truly realised just how far I’d come.

That decision to put myself back on the priority list has brought me to where I am today.

✨ Six stone lighter. ✨

I’m not quite where I want to be yet, and I still have a little way to go, but if you’d shown me this version of myself a year or so ago, I genuinely wouldn’t have believed it.

When I look at old photos, part of me feels sad that I ever got to that point. I don’t look comfortable, and I don’t look happy.

The truth is, I avoided photos whenever I could because I hated seeing myself in them. And when photos were taken, I would often use my children as a shield, standing them in front of me or positioning myself behind them to hide as much of my body as possible. Looking back, that makes me sad because those moments should have been about making memories, not worrying about how I looked.

I was so uncomfortable in my own skin that I spent years trying to disappear from photographs.

But I’ve also learned to give myself some grace.

That period of my life was incredibly difficult. We were going through so much as a family. I was watching my child suffer, living with constant worry, and doing everything I could just to hold things together. It was hard.

The important thing is that I never completely gave up on myself.

And neither did my consultant, Helen.

No matter how many times I struggled, she was always there to listen, encourage me, and remind me what I was capable of. She’s been my cheerleader through it all. The same goes for every single member of my Slimming World group. The support, kindness, understanding and encouragement I’ve received has been incredible.

I genuinely don’t think I’d be where I am today without them.

This journey has taught me that progress isn’t always a straight line. Sometimes life happens. Sometimes survival is enough. But as long as you keep going, no matter how slowly, you’re still moving forward.

Six stone gone.

A healthier me.

A happier me.

A stronger me.

And proof that even after the darkest chapters, you can still write a new one. ❤️

If you want to find out more
Just come along to my Thursday evening groups at either 5.30pm or 7pm
Stainbeck community hall
Stainbeck lane.
Or drop me a message on 07846 507791
Helen x

Just the right weather for a salad.
So yummy with extra micro greens from the Meanwood farmers market and peaches from the greengrocers in chapel allerton.
Healthy extra fibre choice and calcium choice. Everything else is free.

If you want to find more great recipes

Just come along to my Thursday evening groups at either 5.30pm or 7pm
Stainbeck community hall
Stainbeck lane.
Or drop me a message on 07846 507791
Helen x

Want to find out more.
Just come along to my Thursday evening groups at either 5.30pm or 7pm
Stainbeck community hall
Stainbeck lane.
Or drop me a message on 07846 507791
Helen x

When you eat like this and still lose weight!

I love food Optimising and I have never eaten better 🥰🥰

One of my amazing target members agreed to share some of her weight loss journey. And I hope you will agree looks amazing.
Thank you for sharing you are an inspiration to us all.
Hello everyone,
In the past year I embarked on a journey to improve my overall health and wellbeing. It is not always easy to award yourself this precious gift, so any help along the way was most welcomed. I was a Slimming World member about 10yrs ago, I recall then (my younger self 😊) that I wanted to lose weight, so I set myself a target and got on with it!. I soon achieved my target weight and left the group taking with me some great health tips. However, fast forward on - life got in the way, and very gradually although I held on to some positive health tips, I slipped back into old habits.
I decided to rejoin my local Slimming World group. Helen our facilitator/consultant is fabulous, very knowledgeable with lots of experience, always keeping it real, encouraging and inviting conversations amongst group members to share their ideas. This time round I really started paying attention to what members said, it was not just about losing weight, it’s a lifetime shift, everyone’s journey is different, their stories and ideas are so inspiring, it motivates you. I used the slimming world tools available to map my habits not just what I eat but my exercise/movements (or lack of), how I prepared my food, my proportions/nutritional intake etc. I started making small lifestyle adjustments each week and I am pleased to say I now a target member 😊. Helen and our members are very resourceful, I love the comradeship we all share, there is no judgement, only compassion and encouragement.
Three pieces of advice I will share that worked for me are: STAY for the conversations in the group (they are priceless), DON’T be harsh on yourself, each week you will learn something new to help you improve your lifestyle, SLOW and STEADY will help you achieve your target, so don’t rush your journey and don’t give up!!

I wish all Slimming World members happiness and good health as you embark on your life changing adventure 😊
Wendy

With Easter just a few days away, there’s never been a better time to hop along to my Chapel Allerton Slimming World group 😉. Once there, you’ll discover how you can enjoy tasty treats just like this while still getting a cracking weight loss (okay, that’s the last Easter joke, I promise!).

Tap here for this recipe – https://www.slimmingworld.co.uk/blog/mini-egg-cheesecake/ – then Just come along to my Thursday evening groups at either 5.30pm or 7pm
Stainbeck community hall
Stainbeck lane.
Or drop me a message on 07846 507791
to kick-start your slimdown ❤️.

I love a curry in a hurry 😍! Have you tried the amazing curries in the Slimming World food range 🙌🍛?

From mild to spicy, there’s something for everyone – and with the new naan breads, curry night feels complete 🫓.

For more recipe ideas, weekly meal plans and support, come along to my Thursday evening groups at either 5.30pm or 7pm
Stainbeck community hall
Stainbeck lane.
Or drop me a message on 07846 507791
Helen x you’ll be so welcome 🤗.