Nottingham couple shed 27 stone between them in two year weight loss
A couple from Nottingham say they have experienced a new lease of life after losing 27 stone between them.
Helen and Kieron Buxton, decided to join Derbyshire based weight loss organisation 'Slimming World' on Valentine's Day 2020, following a 12-week referral from Kieron’s GP.
Since losing 19.5 stones Mr Buxton, who is 50-years-old, has reversed his type 2 diabetes and no longer needs medication for the condition.
In an interview Mr Buxton said: “I’d been overweight for much of my life, to the point where I didn’t really acknowledge it anymore.
"Being inactive, wearing 5XL shirts and asking for seatbelt extenders was just normal life for me. I was even used to the abuse that would get thrown at me in the street.
"It wasn’t until my doctor told me that an injury to my leg was struggling to heal because I’d developed type 2 diabetes that I decided to make a change.
"I knew that type 2 diabetes was often weight-related, so it was a big wake-up call for me. I was almost 30st at the time and couldn’t even put my own shoes and socks on, Helen used to have to do it for me.”
Mrs Buxton, who is 51, was keen to support her husband of 16 years.
She said: “I had struggled with my weight since school and although I’d had the odd weight-loss attempt here and there, I never really had much success.
"The first group we could attend happened to be on Valentine’s Day. We don’t usually celebrate it, but it turned out to be a great night for our marriage!"
The pair started an eating plan, which enabled them to enjoy a wide variety of healthy everyday foods.
This meant they could lose weight without being hungry and also personalise the plan to the way they wanted to eat.
Mr Buxton was able to fit the plan around the dietary advice he received from his diabetes healthcare team, too.
Mr Buxton added: “We found it really easy to fit the plan around our lives and we still eat our favourite meals like satay chicken, cottage pie and homemade chips – we just cook them in a different way – and we’re never hungry.
"I was worried about being judged, having my weight read aloud or being the only man, none of these things happened though and instead we found ourselves surrounded by so much support.
"After a few weeks the country entered a national lockdown, so our group moved to a virtual service.
"It was still brilliant in ensuring we never felt alone though – without the usual visits from our family and friends it became a bit of a lifeline for us. It was the highlight of our week and really kept us motivated.”