Two Sidmouth slimmers who shed 10 and a half stone between them have been crowned Couple of the Year 2022 by their local Slimming World group.
Claire Bright and Richie Williams joined the Sidmouth group together in 2019.
Since then Claire has lost six stone and Richie four stone seven pounds.
They believe their success is down to the support they gave each other, and the encouragement of the rest of the group.
Claire said: “When we first joined Slimming World, we couldn’t believe how much food we could eat and still lose weight. Making small changes to the way we cooked our meals meant we could still enjoy all of our favourites like full English breakfasts, steak and chips, lasagne and garlic bread and curries.
“As we’ve lost weight we’ve enjoyed being more active as well, which means we do more together like walking after work each day and on our days off. We found so many great walks in our local area during the pandemic.”
Richie said: “We’re lucky because as well as the support we had from each other, the rest of the group have also been there for us. If we’ve ever struggled there has always been someone ready to suggest a new idea or remind us why we started this journey. It’s listening to others and talking about our own motivations and challenges that has, week by week, helped us to understand ourselves as slimmers better so we can make changes that we’re confident we can keep up for life."
Harriet Steptoe, who runs the Thursday Sidmouth Slimming World group, said: “Claire and Richie are living proof that slimmers are more successful when they lose weight together and get support and motivation from others. This past couple of years have been incredibly difficult for so many of us, but Claire and Richie’s determination to reach their goals has never faded. They’re always the first ones to offer support and encouragement to others in the group too – they’re a real inspiration and I couldn’t be more proud of them."
To find out more about the Sidmouth Slimming World group, call Harriet on 07828 299391.
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