Clara man win's slimming award

New research by Slimming World suggests that many men don’t like to ask for help to manage their weight as they worry it looks weak – yet an Offaly man who had the strength to look past that has lost over two stone.

Since joining the Clara Slimming World group in December 2015, Michael Lynam has lost 2st 2lbs and in the process was named Clara’s Slimming World Man of the Year 2016.

Like many men, Michael thought that slimming clubs were aimed at women and assumed the focus would be on diet food and talking about people’s emotions. However, he decided to give it a try.

After walking through the doors, Michael was pleasantly surprised to find that the support provided by the group was practical and the camaraderie and sense of competition appealed to him. He also enjoyed following Slimming World’s eating plan enabling him to enjoy generous portions of healthy food to satisfy his appetite.

Michael says: “Deep down I’d been unhappy with my weight for some time but it took me a long time to face up to it. And then when I did admit to myself that I wanted to lose weight I still didn’t want to ask for help.

“I’ve realised now though that far from being weak, asking for help takes strength of character and getting support to make changes has given me a sense of confidence that is benefitting every aspect of my life.”

He continued: “It was nerve-wracking walking through those doors for the first time but I wasn’t the only man there and everyone was so supportive. Now I look forward to the sessions. There is lots of banter and laughter and I get some really good ideas too, from new recipe suggestions to ideas to boost my activity levels.

“I didn’t know what my mates would think about me attending Slimming World but they’ve been right behind it. Once they realised I could still have a beer they started to take an interest and when they see me eating things like steak and homemade chips, chicken curry etc they always asked how it’s possible to eat like that and still lose weight. But what really had them sitting up and paying attention was how well I was losing weight”.

As the weight came off, Michael found he had more energy and so he was eager to use it: “As a man I always thought that physical activity would be the best way to lose weight so I went out and bought a bike! I now go out for a cycle most evenings.

“Slimming World helped me to break it down into chunks and by starting small I’ve managed to build up my activity gradually. I can honestly say I feel like a different man since losing weight,” he enthused.

Sharleen, who runs the Clara Slimming World group says she’s incredibly proud of Michael and would love to see more men coming to the group.

“He has done brilliantly and we’re all amazed by his transformation. He’s a real inspiration to the group. We know that many men assume slimming clubs won’t be right for them, but Michael shows that once they come through the doors they do brilliantly.”

The Clara Slimming World group meets every Monday at the Clara Scouts hall at 5.30pm & 7.30pm. Anyone interested in joining the group can pop along or for more information they can call Sharleen on 086 3911128.