When Alex first discovered Slimpod, she was in a place many of us know too well—desperate for change, but exhausted by the cycle of hope and disappointment. “I felt awful about my body,” she shared. At 16 stone and with her wedding fast approaching, she’d already tried the health kicks and calorie slashing. “I’d seen a photo of myself in a wedding dress and hated it. I said to my doctor, ‘I’m not getting married if I look like this.’ I was so, so sad.”
Yet despite her efforts, she gained even more weight. “It was Christmas. You know how it goes.” But then came a moment of curiosity, perhaps one final flicker of hope. “I saw Slimpod on Facebook. It had come up a couple of times and I thought, oh, I’m just going to give it a go.”
That decision changed everything.
Finding Her Tribe
What struck Alex first wasn’t the weight loss. “I loved listening to Trevor ( the voice of the pods) —it put me to sleep and I was such a bad sleeper before.” But more than that, it was the culture. “This new way… it’s how I feel life should be. I don’t think we should be a number. Just because it says size 14 on my jeans doesn’t mean I’m a size 14. Very quickly I felt like I’d found my tribe.”
It was a shift from feeling shame to feeling excited. A feeling that many of you Slimpodders know all too well when they start to realise: this isn’t a diet. This is something entirely different.
Listen to her full video below or podcast here!
From Dreaded Hills to Half Marathons
Movement became a gateway to freedom. “There’s a hill near me. I said, ‘If you can just walk up that, that’s enough.’ And then I started couch to 5K… and then a couple of weeks ago, I ran a half marathon before breakfast. Just me. No race. Just because I wanted to.”
Her running isn’t about chasing numbers or proving anything. “I don’t want to compare myself to others. I just want to do this for me.”
Perhaps the most powerful shift came when Alex began noticing how she had been chasing instant gratification through food—and then replacing it with something deeper. “When I overate, I felt good in that moment, but afterwards, I felt horrible—shame and guilt. But when I run, it’s the opposite. No instant reward, but afterwards I feel amazing.”
From Brick Walls to Breakthroughs
Like many emotional eaters, Alex “knew what to eat”—her challenge was the why. Slimpod helped her explore that, without shame or restriction. “I read somewhere, ‘ride the uncomfortable wave.’ So now, when I sit in my chair and think, ‘I want to eat that,’ I ask myself why.”
Her relationship with food is no longer driven by rules. It’s built on care. “I got savvy with nutrients. I knew I couldn’t do these extreme diets and still nurture myself. I want to live my best life—and that means fuelling my body properly.”
She still weighs herself sometimes, but with perspective. “I’ve written on my scales in chalk pen: ‘You are more than a number.’” I absolutely love this! I think everyone who still uses scales should do this as a reminder!
A Vision Beyond the Dress
While she did get into her dream dress—two, actually, because she lost more weight than expected—her real goal is bigger than any wedding. “I’m 42 and I’m now really excited about being 50. I want to be fierce at 50.” And I absolutely think she will be!
Alex has lost three and a half stone and gained something far more important: self-respect, resilience, and a sense of belonging.
And she’s not done yet.
To anyone still sceptical, still unsure if they can break free from the patterns of the past, Alex has a quiet, powerful message: “It’s not a one trick pony. I’ve taken all the bits that resonated with me and made it work. I’m not perfect. But I’m curious. And I’m happy.”
