Burnley resident kicks off new career after losing five stone in as many months

Janine Parrington, 45, from Padiham had always found managing her weight pretty straightforward. She says “I’ve always led a healthy and active lifestyle and didn’t give my weight too much thought – that is until I reached my 40s. Feeling perimenopausal, the weight slowly crept on. Before I knew it, I was 5 stones heavier and feeling dreadful.”

Having tried many diets – without success - in an attempt to shift the weight, Janine turned to her good friend Sarah and asked for her advice. “I’d noticed that Sarah had lost some weight and was looking great, so I asked her how. She let me know about the fabulous Slimming World group she was attending in Rosegrove, Burnley and suggested I come along and join her.”

Having found trying to lose weight difficult in recent months, Janine was sceptical, worried that she was about to embark on another fad diet, feeling hungry and restricted and worse still – without achieving sustainable weight loss!

However, the start of the New Year gave Janine a much-needed boost – what better opportunity to start afresh and give it her all? So, in January 2024, Janine walked through the doors of consultant Denny Dodds’ Slimming World group. She was amazed to learn all about Food Optimising, a unique eating plan based on the science of satisfying appetite with healthy, everyday foods – no fads/quick fixes by eating tiny portions, just new ways of shopping, cooking and eating which the whole family could enjoy. “At first, I thought that it all seemed too good to be true. As a pasta lover, I was amazed to hear that I could enjoy my favourite meals and still lose weight! But, after losing half a stone in my very first week, I was convinced. This was the plan for me, I could do this!!”

With the weekly support of her Slimming World group and fellow members, Janine continued to lose weight, much to the delight of her consultant, Denny. He says “The tremendous satisfaction I get seeing my members change their lives is hard to describe. Losing weight alone can be difficult, there’s unbeatable power in being part of a group – a group full of people with shared experience and a common goal. We’re all in this together. As Janine shed the pounds, her confidence grew, her positivity became infectious, and we love nothing more than celebrating each milestone along a weight loss journey. The group is such a fun, buzzy place to be.”

A healthy, balanced diet is important at every stage of life, and Slimming World’s flexible Food Optimising eating plan makes it easy to get the nutrients needed while still enjoying foods we all love. There are some foods that can be especially helpful in supporting health and managing symptoms during the perimenopause and beyond. These include:

· Calcium rich foods, such as milk and yoghurt to optimise bone health

· Oily fish and small amounts of other foods containing healthy fats (such as nuts and seeds) to support heart health

· Foods rich is phytoestrogens, such as tofu and soya, which can alleviate certain symptoms for some women if they’re eaten regularly and in sufficient quantities.

It's estimated that, during perimenopause, 80% of women will experience symptoms such as hot flushes, feeling tired or lacking energy, difficulty sleeping, and difficulty concentrating. For many, there is a concern that weight gain is inevitable or that weight loss will be more difficult. Denny says “Every woman’s experience is different. As a consultant, it’s my role to offer support, empathy and access to Slimming World’s resources of help and guidance. Member booklets and our website, Lifeline Online offer extra information and support to members. Our own research shows that, with the support of Slimming World, members around the average age of the menopause, and beyond, lose weight just as well as younger women!”

By the end of May, Janine had lost 5 stones in weight, giving her a whole new lease of life – something which she wanted to share and pass on to others. “Helping other people to shed the burden and misery of being overweight is something which I am hugely passionate about and so, when I discovered the opportunity to train and become a Slimming World consultant myself, I grabbed it with both hands.”

After completing extensive training at the Slimming World Academy in Derbyshire, Janine now runs her very own group on Wednesday evenings at 7.00pm at Padiham Football Club. And she wants nothing more than to help everyone in her local community achieve their weight loss dreams.

If you’d like to join the group or find out more about Slimming World’s unique Extra easy eating plan and group support head to www.slimmingworld.co.uk. Or you can contact Janine on 07766 241282.