Jo Hallam

JO HALLAM was at her wit’s end with her weight. “At the start of 2010 I was size 16, ate a lot of junk and had been drinking 160 cans of Coca Cola a month,” she says. “Yes, 160 cans! My health was suffering from all the sugar I was consuming. 

“I’d had operations to realign my knees and was told I’d be lucky to walk properly again. However, I felt a bit desperate because over the course of 25 years I had tried about 60 diets and I was still overweight.   I just had no willpower to stop drinking Coca Cola.  I didn’t know what to do for the best.

“Then in July 2010 I listened to a Slimpod for the first time and two days later I was so shocked because I just didn’t want to drink  Coca Cola.  All I wanted was water. After a few more days I started seeing a difference in my eating habits and actually wanted a salad rather than a burger! Really couldn’t believe it!

“After about 12 weeks I was down to a size 12 and had lost 34lbs.  The weight loss continued and I got to a size 10 which is a much better size for me because I’m only 4ft 11in. 

“Now I’ve lost about 50lbs and effortlessly kept it off for 10 years.

Every month Jo drank a staggering 160 cans of Coke – and stopped in just 2 days 

“I also noticed I had far more energy, mostly because I wasn’t consuming all that sugar.  I started dancing and swimming regularly and doing lots of walking – something I thought I’d never be able to do.  I became the Slimpodder of the Year in 2011, which was five years ago and I’ve kept the weight off ever since!  Best of all, I’ve not had one can of Coca Cola since 2010!    

“I couldn’t believe it when they built a wall out of the 160 cans of Coke I was drinking every month. It was taller than I am!” says Jo, from Balderton, Notts. Jo was consuming a staggering 2lbs of sugar a week from her Cokes.

“I used to be the Queen of Fizzy Drinks but now all I want is water. Even on a Saturday night at the social club I’m sitting here with my friend and we’re drinking water together. I’m feeling great – and I’m cheap to take out now!

“After a few weeks on my Slimpod my whole attitude to life changed. The more weight I lost, the more confidence I gained. For the first time in years I started to feel happy about the way I looked. Now I put on a new dress for a night out and when I look at myself in the bedroom mirror I can hardly believe that the slim, sexy person I can see is really me.

“It’s hard to believe that just a couple of years ago I had operations to realign my knees and after the second one the surgeon said I’d be lucky to walk again. The Slimpod has filled me with the kind of energy I used to have when I was a teenager. Losing weight and regaining my get-up-and-go is brilliant. On Saturday nights I go out with my friend Jane and we’re the first ones on the dance floor and the last ones to leave.

“Best of all, because my mind has been retrained to think differently about what I eat and drink, I don’t need expensive alcohol to get me in the mood to dance. Water does the trick just as well!”

Jo knew her eating habits had changed when she went to meet her daughter in Lincoln. They arranged to meet in Burger King and her daughter ordered a burger. “But I said: ‘I don’t want one of those, I’m going next door for a salad’ – and off I went. It was delicious. I don’t know how Slimpods do it but I just don’t think about food any more. It’s the easiest way to lose weight ever.” Despite her dodgy knees, Jo has also begun to exercise again. “I’ve been swimming for the first time in years and I’m walking a mile and half to the shops and back, too.”

Jo had tried over 60 different ways of losing weight over a period of 25 years but none of them had enabled her to keep the weight off permanently. Every pound she lost went back on again eventually. My kids say I’m like the happy mum I used to be again. I’m not half so ratty, I don’t shout like I used to and I’m calmer and more relaxed than ever. I certainly feel completely different, there’s none of the old me inside any more.

“I’ve got so much energy now that I very rarely feel tired, even after a hard day on my feet at work. Before I started my Slimpod, I’d often be ready for bed by 9 o’clock, but now I can keep going until 11 during the week – and at weekends life’s too exciting to ­stay in. I’m staggered that I’ve gone from a size 14/16 to a 10 (even an 8 in some styles) because losing weight with the Slimpod is the easiest way of losing weight I’ve ever tried.

“The whole family’s eating much healthier now because I’m buying a lot more fresh food to cook at home instead of buying in fatty takeaways. In fact, I think I’ve only eaten fast food twice in the past six months.” Slimpod founder Sandra Roycroft-Davis says: “Jo’s case is a brilliant example of how easily the mind can be retuned to feel differently about food and exercise. You can lose weight without the drudgery of diets, which never work in the long term any way.”

Here’s excerpts from Jo’s first daily diary as she began to lose weight with her Slimpod. Now of course she’s lost four stone and kept it off for TEN years.

I’ve set my goals. One is to be able to fit into my size 10 jeans – maybe a bit ambitious – and the other is get my clothes to fit better. Anything smaller than a size 16 will be a success!

I used to be the world’s biggest fizzy drinks guzzler but now I’ve noticed I haven’t had one all day. I just haven’t wanted a Coke, I’m drinking lots of water instead. I’ve also stopped eating bread three times a day. None of this is a conscious decision, I just don’t want it any more.

Went into Lincoln to meet my daughter at Burger King. She ordered a burger but I said: “I don’t want one of those, I’m going next door for a salad.” Don’t know what made me do that but I really enjoyed it.

I can feel my work skirt is a little looser. Weighed myself and I’m two pounds lighter already. Still no Coke, just tea, coffee, water and skimmed milk.

It’s Saturday night at the social club and I’m sitting here with my friend drinking water together. I’m feeling great – and I’m cheap to take out now!

Second week starting and I’ve lost a steady 3lbs already. If I keep this up I’ll be wearing those jeans again one day. I don’t want to be skinny, just comfy.

Slimpod’s brilliant. It’s working wonders for me. That work skirt of mine is starting to feel looser by the day. My kids can see a difference in me but can’t understand what’s doing it.

I haven’t been swimming for years because of problems with my knees. Guess what I did today? I went swimming! Didn’t fancy trying lengths yet, but I managed quite a few widths and felt really pleased with myself.

It’s a mile and a half to town and back, and I haven’t walked it for a long time. But I did today, and I think I’ll do it again tomorrow and again the next day. Still no Coke and no bacon sarnies!

My daughter’s starting listening to my Slimpod and it’s working on her as well. I think I’ll have to get her own of her own so she can set her own goals, as they’ll be different to mine. I’m now eight pounds lighter and feeling better every day.

Three weeks on and I’ve lost 10lbs and I’m feeling much fitter and happier about myself. I’m easily down to size 14 now and my target has been revised to a size 12. Fitting comfortably into a size 12 dress will make me very happy.

Size 12 gets closer every day. I’ve now lost 12lbs and I know there’s still more to lose. Who needs Coca Cola? Not me!