A Congleton grandad has lost five stone in nine months.

After joining the local Friday 9.30am Slimming World group held at Wellspring Church to support his wife, local man Andy Sumner has hardly missed any of his weekly group meetings and achieved a whopping 5st 1lb total weight loss.

Now a free life-time target member of his group Andy said "I wasn't really concerned about joining a Slimming World group, but when my wife suggested it, I went along with her.

"Everyone was so welcoming, because basically we are all on the same quest to look better and feel healthier. After receiving such a lovely warm welcome, I've never looked back.

"My group could not be more supportive, no-matter what the scales might say week by week, there's never any judgment."

"When you lose weight, after about a stone people say well done and you are grateful for the recognition.

"I feel that I'm helping to set a good example to everybody now and this just makes me feel so good."

"After being in-active and eating badly during the Covid-19 crisis, I had put even more weight on and was tipping the scales at 21st 13.5lb.

"I had also recently become a grandfather and I realised that I had to lose weight if I was going to be able to share in my granddaughter's growing up. So, on July 19 2021 I joined my Slimming World group."

"Until a couple of years ago I have always tried to take regular exercise, until my knees let me down that is, after old rugby injuries and so-on. I have always relied on exercise and self-created diet plans to keep my weight under control, with a little success, but eventually the weight always came back on".

Slimming World's Food Optimising Plan allows members to choose freely from a large list of 'Free Foods', which are available to residents of Congleton.

These foods are every day, normal ingredients that you will find in any supermarket and are the lowest energy-density foods.

Andy's Slimming World Consultant Laura Bounford explains how it all works.

"This means they are big packages that fill your tummy up, but are the lowest in calories, which means everyone following our Extra Easy Food Optimising plan ends up in a natural calorie deficit," she said.

"As we all know by now, that's what we need to lose weight. Less calories in than our body needs on a daily basis, all without the obsessive counting, weighing and measuring that comes with daily calorie counting."

Andy's group meet at Wellspring Methodist Church on 100 Canal Road.

"My favourite thing about Slimming World's Food Optimising Plan is that I can use a basic set of ingredients to rely on that I know will fill me up, which I like to base my daily meals around," added Andy.

"My favourites are chicken, potatoes, rice and pasta - this always appear at least once a day.

"I find Food Optimising incredibly easy and I can honestly say that I never feel hungry. I am a complete 'sugar-holic'. Rather than give a list of the food I used to eat it would be far easier to say what I didn't eat and there was nothing that I wouldn't eat with gusto and to excess. I loved everything that wasn't good for me.

"Since joining Slimming World my skills in the kitchen have developed amazingly. I now cook curries, pasta dishes, full English breakfasts' and many more from scratch making the most of as many unlimited free foods as I can. My wife is also a member of the same Slimming World group I attend, and we both enjoy the same menu."

"Slimming World also help, guide and support their members to become more active along-side learning to make healthier choices around food and drink.

"Their activity programme 'Body Magic' guides each individual gently through the process of making activity part of their daily routine, one step at a time.

"At almost 22 stone, Andy's biggest challenge was to get started with activity again. He explains "I started in very small stages, walking as far as I could.

"Initially it would be 10 minutes, then a bit further and a bit further. We then bought a little dog, Bruce. He has been instrumental in helping me to lose my weight, and was just the encouragement I needed.

"We started doing 10-minute walks, but now we are averaging 90 minutes and about 30 miles a week, which I would never have been able to do before losing weight.

"I like to wear a 'Fitbit' exercise monitor every time I walk and I am always trying to get a little bit faster on any particular walk. When I started with this, my 'Fitbit' told me that my heart health was poor but now it says it is good-excellent for people of my age which is a major improvement."

To anyone reading who would like to make a change, become fitter, healthier, lose weight and more confident in themselves Andy's final message is "Just come along and try it for yourself."

Laura added: "It has been a pleasure to witness Andy's transformation. He is such a lovely, friendly member of our group and really uplifts and inspires us with his consistent weight-losses, motivation and new-found confidence. He really is a different man from the one who joined us on that very first morning. Our group welcomes all walks of life, young, old, men, women - all faiths, backgrounds, religions and dietary requirements.

"Together we learn about healthy eating, how to become more active and with Slimming World's 50+ years of experience in the psychology being losing weight, we can all rest assured that we are all in the very best place to become healthier and happier for life."

Slimming World Congleton claim new people joining will be amazed at the positive vibe that you get the moment you walk through our group's doors.

As well as Andy's slot at Friday 9:30am, they also have groups on Thursdays at 9am, 5.30pm & 7pm also at Wellspring Church for convenience.

No booking is necessary, just pop along, no obligation to join, simply find out if it could be as life changing for you and your family & friends too.

For more information & joining offers contact Laura on 07595 535 816 or search #SlimWithLauraB on all social media channels.