Dearbhail Rodgers shares how she went from never wanting to be photographed and dreading social occasions to gaining a new lease of life after losing 10 stone with Slimming World. This December, she celebrated three years as a target member, and the confidence and happiness she has gained is undeniable.
After struggling with her weight all her adult life, Dearbhail lacked confidence and felt extremely unhappy. “I would try to blend into the background as much as possible”, she says. “On nights out, I felt like I was in the way and taking up too much space in social environments. I was embarrassed to be in pictures and would try to hide in the back or stay to the side of the group. I knew I needed to make a change but was so unhappy that I would just try to make myself feel better by comfort eating”
Over the years however, having made multiple attempts at losing weight, Dearbhail would quickly lose interest, and the weight piled back on. She found having to weigh and measure everything too restrictive, and previous weight loss attempts had always left her feeling hungry. “I had tried every diet going, losing ridiculous amounts of weight in a week by starving myself to achieve that result only to then go and put it all back on and more.”
The turning point came in 2016 when Dearbhail’s sister asked her to be her Maid of Honour. “I was reluctant to because I did not want to “ruin” her wedding photos. She didn’t care what I looked like, but I thought that me being overweight would make her photos look awful”.
Dearbhail had been aware of Slimming World having joined prior to her own wedding in 2013, but it wasn’t until she bumped into a neighbour and was amazed by her transformation through Slimming World that she decided to revisit it. “If it worked for her, it would work for me”, she says. “Also, in the back of my mind I knew that my husband and I would want to start a family, so I wanted to try to be as healthy as possible to go through a pregnancy and to be a healthy mother afterwards”.
Six stone loss
Dearbhail decided to join Slimming World in December 2016 because she knew if she left it until January, she could easily have gained a stone before then. She was amazed by all the food her consultant Claire told her that she could eat and still lose weight, and she was delighted when she returned after her first week with 8.5lbs off. In fact, by Christmas, instead of gaining the stone as she was worried about, she had actually lost a stone, and she was delighted. By the time her sister got married the following July, Dearbhail had over four stone lost and was six stone lighter in her first year.
Slimming World’s Healthy eating plan, Food Optimising, focuses on filling up on healthy, tasty foods which helps to cut calories without counting them. Dearbhail says, “Food Optimising allows me to eat what I want without guilt, knowing that nothing is off limits. The variety of free foods that you can enjoy without weighing and measuring is huge. Our shopping trip now starts with a meal plan, this way I know exactly what we need for the week and it also helps eliminate as much food waste as possible”.
By changing how Dearbhail prepared and cooked her meals using lean cuts of meats and a low-calorie spray instead of oil, she was still able to enjoy her favourite family meals such as Spaghetti Bolognese and big roast dinners. She says, “Slimming World is different to anything I had tried in the past. It is a lifestyle, not a diet. Once that clicked with me, the negative thoughts and feeling of deprivation that comes with diet culture was gone. I was enjoying so much food, that was not only nourishing me but satisfying me also. It was a great feeling!! I love trying new recipes and it is so easy to adjust almost any recipe into a Food Optimising meal – one of our family favourites is a pasta dish with cherry tomatoes and feta cheese – who wouldn’t love that!”
Prior to losing weight, Dearbhail avoided exercise and struggled to walk, getting out of breath easily. “Everything was such an effort, and I didn’t enjoy any form of exercise as I was so unfit. I was so embarrassed each day knowing I would need to take the lift up two floors to avoid others seeing me struggle to breathe. I started to ease into exercise after I got my 7 stone award. I now enjoy skipping and I also take some online exercise classes which I can fit in around our busy family life from the comfort of home. I can also climb the stairs in my office without getting out of breath!”
Slimming World consultant Claire Flaherty witnessed Dearbhail’s transformation first-hand. She says, “We are all so proud of Dearbhail, and the confidence and happiness she has gained since joining Slimming World is undeniable”.
Welcomed
After having her son in 2023, Dearbhail resumed her weight loss journey at the Slimming World group in the Menlo Park hotel and quickly returned to her target weight. She loves the support she received in both groups and the encouragement she gets from the other members. She says, “At Slimming World, I felt at ease instantly and was welcomed with open arms by the wonderful members who were so encouraging and willing to share new product finds in the supermarkets, recipes and their own weight loss stories”.
“Since losing weight I am a happier, healthier more confident me. Also, it might sound silly, but I can cross my legs with ease now. I used to have to lift one leg over the other before I lost weight. I am excited for what the future holds for my little family and grateful that now with this healthier lifestyle I will be able to enjoy a more active life with my husband and son. I feel wonderful and have a great sense of great accomplishment. Having struggled with my weight for such a long time and I am proud of what I have been able to achieve with the help of Slimming World”.
Maura, who runs the Menlo Park Slimming World group, says: “Dearbhail’s transformation has been incredible. I hope her success will inspire others. There’s a warm welcome waiting at Slimming World – with the New Year upon us, maybe this is the time to make those changes and form new lifestyle habits to become happier and healthier”
To find your nearest Slimming World group, visit www.slimmingworld.ie
