New energy for Denny mum after she loses seven stone with Slimming World

Val Hicklin joined Slimming World last June and in just over a year she has managed to lose over seven stone – going from a size 18/20 to a size ten.

During the pandemic Val found herself developing many bad habits.

She was working from home and hiding away from the world, unhappy in herself and she hated the way she looked. She felt tired and sluggish.

But it wasn’t until a friend took a photograph on the day she met their new baby that she knew she had to take action.

The 46-year-old said: “Close friends of ours had a baby in lockdown and we hadn’t seen him.

"Last May we got to see him for the first time and my friend took a picture of me with him.

"When I saw that picture I thought ‘that’s horrendous’, enough is enough, I need to do something about this.

"That’s the day my decision was made.

"I was in the position that I was living in the same outfits – leggings and a top – as I couldn’t fit in anything else and they were comfy.

“None of my clothes fitted properly and I hated the way I looked.

“I hated having to buy new clothes and I hated how awful I looked in them.”

After seeing the photograph, Val signed up to Slimming World, attending classes in The Scotts in Grangemouth.

She has recently passed the seven stone mark and feels much better for losing the weight.

She said: “My daughter Nieve has had her bike for a while, but after taking the stabilisers off she’d never got going.

“However this summer she learned to ride without them.

“If I hadn’t done something about my weight I wouldn’t have been able to keep up with her.

“Having lost the weight I was able to run alongside her and keep her going. She ended up learning in a day.

“I wouldn’t have been able to do that last year. There are so many things I wouldn’t have been able to do before.

“I used to have problems with my knees and ankles, with the added weight they became very weak.

“I can now run up and down the stairs with ease and do activities with my little girl – something I have always done but before there was a severe lack of energy to do it.

“I’m also now fitting into things that are a lot nicer and not just leggings and a top.

“I had a wardrobe overhaul when I got to the five stone mark, but now even those clothes are too big.”

Val, who is an IT category manager, said she decided to give Slimming World a try after a friend had recommended it: “I’ve tried various different things in the past – you name it, I’ve tried it over the years.

"I saw how well my friend had done with Slimming World in a fairly short space of time and I was in the right frame of mind so I thought I’d give it a go.

“I love that I can adapt a high calorie meal by making a few small changes to create a version that I can eat freely.”

Val’s friends and family, including husband Chris, are all very proud of what she’s managed to achieve.

Jenni Lapsley, Slimming World consultant, said: “Val is an absolute inspiration.

"She is in group every single week and brings her daughter with her to join in on the fun.

"She is so supportive to her fellow members and is constantly telling us her top tips and recipes.

"She is famous for her spicy cajun chicken recipe and always keeps us all inspired by posting her fabulous meals on our closed Facebook page.

"She has been so focused and worked so hard, we are all so proud of her.

"We have watched her shrink before us and she is just looking absolutely fantastic.”