THE launch of Slimming World’s month-long ‘Free Food February’ initiative has been helped along by the Launceston Football Club Slimming World group’s ‘Couple of the Year’, who together have lost a combined weight of seven stone.
The group celebrated its first month since launching with the start of Free Food February, named after the healthy ‘free foods’ member can enjoy without weighing, counting or measuring when losing weight on Slimming World’s Food Optimising eating plan.
The launch party saw Tracey Hillman and Mike Wallington named the group’s ‘Couple of the Year 2016’.
‘Free Food February’ is being held in Slimming World groups up and down the UK from February 1 to 27 and aims to show how members lose weight without hunger and often discover, or re-discover, a love of cooking.
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Members of the group, which is held every Wednesday at 7.30pm, created a delicious feast for the event. The 75 members each brought along a dish made entirely from ‘free foods’, which include fruit and veg, pasta, rice, potatoes, lean meat, fish, eggs and more.
Tracey and Mike believe preparing, cooking and eating the same meals and supporting one another on their weight loss journey has been key to their success. They 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 favourite meals.
“We enjoy spending time in the kitchen together and love sharing our new recipes with family and friends — people can never believe we can eat all the food we do and lose weight.”
“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. Every week in our group we swap recipes and if we’ve ever struggled there has always been someone ready to suggest a new idea or remind us why we shouldn’t give up.
“I don’t think we could have achieved all we have without the support of our consultant Jane and the rest of the group.”
The couple was voted for by fellow group members to represent the Slimming World group in the ‘Couple of the Year 2016’ competition.
Tracey and Mike met at Kate Elston’s Slimming World group almost two years ago.
Jane Roberts, who runs the Wednesday group, said: “Tracey and Mike are living proof that slimmers are more successful when they lose weight together and get support and motivation from others along their journey.”
To find out more about ‘Free Food February’ and Slimming World, visit any of the Launceston Slimming World groups, which are held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Anyone who joins Slimming World during ‘Free Food February’ and buys a 12-week countdown course will get a free copy of Slimming World’s ‘Free Food Feasts’ recipe book.