"I don't even think I am on a diet anymore. When I was on other diets, you would crave or something, but here you can have whatever you want and never feel you're losing out".
That's how Ederney mother of three, Denise McGrath described her year's experience having attended the weekly Slimming World class in Irvinestown. One of the original members, she joined the class on 16th April, 2007 and, after the first six months she had shed 4 stone 2lb and, though she continued to attend, she had reached her target weight.
The class is one of two which are run on Monday evenings in Mahon's Hotel, at 5.30 and 7pm, under the guidance of the Slimming World consultant, Elaine Miller. Over the course of the 12 months, she has seen numbers rise of around 90.
Denise attends one of the classes, and Geraldine McKenna, who also joined at the start, the other. She had lost 2st 7lbs when she was 'Woman of the Year', and, having shed seven pounds more, she is approaching her target weight. Geraldine is a mother of five and grandmother of two. The two ladies, Denise (husband, Sean) and Geraldine (partner, Paul) paid tribute to the support they got from the menfolk.
For Elaine Miller, the first anniversary of her Irvinestown classes has exceeded her expectations. And, it is clear that she has the right attitude. According to Geraldine McKenna, her class is like no other.
"It was the best thing I ever did, joining her class. I had been to other classes and it wasn't so much the class, more that I could not bond with it but Elaine made us very welcome the first night and kept in contact with us to make sure we were getting things right".
In fact, Elaine could think of only one night she herself did not attend in Mahon's, and she paid tribute to her 'social team' who record people's weight and collect the fees, allowing her to talk to the new members.
"We don't collect fees from new members until the end of their first class to allow them time to make up their minds whether to join or not, 'is this for me or is it not? If someone doesn't want it, they walk away".
The buzz words in Elaine's classes are, 'food optimising' and, 'body magic', terms which Denise McGrath and Geraldine McKenna handled easily.
"Food optimising", Geraldine explained, "is opting for lower calorie food, so instead of cooking oil you use Frylite which is a one calorie spray. Or, you stack your plate with vegetables and, on a rare day, you can have meat. It's important you're taking high proteins and low carbs the one day and the reverse the next".
Denise McGrath could not believe what the class were allowed to eat, and still lose weight. She had shed one stone after the first couple of weeks.
"I got to my target, so I didn't want to lose any more weight, but as well eating plenty of food, I do a little bit of walking, or 'body magic' as it's called.
The total weight loss from the two Irvinestown classes since they started on 16th May last year amounts to 281 stone 11 and half pounds.
