Slimmer from Grangemouth stepping into New Year over five stone lighter

Alana McGowan from Grangemouth decided enough was enough in January 2024, following a holiday to Las Vegas. She spent the holiday feeling sluggish and was very uncomfortable on the plane- so decided she wanted to make a change and lose weight. She decided to join her local Slimming World group and in less than a year, achieved her dream Target weight having lost over 5 stone.

Alana says: “I’d never tried Slimming World before but I’d seen some banners advertising groups in the town and kept seeing it in magazines. I’d been chatting to a friend at work who had been on the plan and I liked the sound of it, so I decided to join. I couldn’t believe how much food I could eat. There are so many Free Foods I can choose to fill up with and it’s so flexible that I can use my daily ‘syns’ allowance to have the foods I don’t want to give up. My favourite meal is Cheeseburger Pasta or Cowboy pie and my husband loves the meals too- especially Campfire Stew.”

“I had never tried Slimming World before so I was so worried about getting my head around the plan. But within a couple of weeks I really got into the swing of it. I picked up so many ideas in IMAGE therapy (the group part) and love all the hints and tips I get from other members. Finding a great, supportive group has really helped me along the way- the support has been amazing and I’ve made friends for life in group. There will always be hurdles along the way, but you just deal with them as they come. I had two major hurdles to overcome when I sadly lost two close family members, but I kept my end goal in sight and with the support of my friends in group, I still managed to reach my goal.”

“It’s an amazing plan and with some moderation I can still have all the things that I like. I love that I can swap things in the recipes or add to them as I go. There’s thousands of recipes on the Slimming World app to try that are really easy to make- and if I’m pushed for time I always have my freezer stocked up with the Slimming World meals from Iceland. They’re so tasty and great portion sizes too. It’s just amazing to be able to lose weight without ever going hungry. Before I tried Slimming World, a typical day would consist of cereal for breakfast, a sandwich and crisps for lunch and pizza or a chicken korma for dinner. I would snack on chocolate, crisps or cake. Now I enjoy fruit and yogurt for breakfast, soup for lunch and pasta with loads of veg for dinner. I snack on fruit or Slimming World bars through the day. “

“Losing weight has helped my health so much. Having broken my pelvis and other bones in an accident, I was in so much pain carrying all that extra weight. Now, over 5 stone lighter- I’m in very little pain at all. I have so much more energy to do day to day stuff and the best part... I can fit into items of clothing that I couldn’t before.”

Alana attends Jenni Lapsley’s Slimming World group in Grangemouth. Jenni says: “Alana has done so well. Her focus and determination has been unbelievable and she just absolutely loves the plan. She’s never thought of it as a diet which is exactly the way it should be. She’s adapted the foods she loves by making a few small changes, allowing her to lose weight without ever going hungry or feeling like she’s missing out on anything. She is such an inspiration to the group and has helped many other members on their journey with her encouragement and top tips for staying motivated. She’s the first to jump in to offer support if anyone is ever struggling and the whole group is just in awe of her transformation. In less than 12 months we’ve watched Alana shrink in size but grow in confidence which is just incredible. I recently asked Alana-If I’d told you last January that you would be 5 stone lighter, 3 dress sizes down and at your target weight before the end of the year, would you have believed me? She replied... “no way!” She really is proof that it works and I couldn’t be prouder of her.”

Jenni’s group is held every Wednesday at 4pm, 5:30pm and 7pm at Beancross and Newlands Community Hall. Slimming World groups run Monday to Saturday with a variation of times. To find your local group:https://www.slimmingworld.co.uk/nearest-group-search