At Fagan & Whalley, it’s no secret that we cherish and value our team members like they’re family. With people at the forefront of everything we do – it’s important to us that we celebrate their personal achievements, as well as their professional successes.
That’s why this month, we’re particularly proud to highlight the incredible weight loss journey of our Warehouse Manager, John Durkin, and his partner Jo. Over the last two years, the couple have shed an astonishing combined weight of 17st and 3lbs – or, in relative terms, the weight of a giant panda!
This remarkable achievement hasn’t gone unnoticed – as Slimming World has crowned the inspirational duo as their national ‘Couple of the Year’ for 2023. An incredible achievement and a testament to their enduring dedication to a healthier lifestyle.
We’ll let the photos speak for themselves!
John & Jo – Slimming World’s Couple of the Year, 2023
| John |
Jo | ||
| Starting weight | 21 st 8lbs | Starting weight | 17 st 6lbs |
| Weight lost | 10 st 11lbs | Weight lost | 6 st 6 lbs |
| Current weight | 10 st 11lbs | Current weight | 11 st |
John began his journey here at Fagan & Whalley over ten years ago, and it has been a pleasure to follow his journey and watch him achieve his goals.
Spurred on by the birth of his grandson and a desire to play a more active role in his life – the couple decided to swap their lifestyle of takeaways, chocolate, crisps and biscuits to one of the nutritionally balanced meals, healthy ‘fakeaways’ and regular exercise.
His partner, Jo, described a little about their previous lifestyle.
“During lockdown, John and I sought comfort in food – having a takeaway or indulgent meal was often all we had to look forward to! However, it meant we developed some pretty unhealthy habits, which then proved hard to shake. At 17st 6lbs, I knew I needed to take control of my eating, and John felt the same. So when our daughter-in-law, Jodie, joined Slimming World and started raving about all the delicious food she could eat and how supportive her group was, we decided to give it a go.”
How did they do it?
With the support of Slimming World meal plans, group support and mentoring, mindset sessions and a deeper understanding of their potential triggers or danger zones – everything fell into place for the couple.
Now the couple enjoys a healthy and active lifestyle as grandparents, complete with a regular and commendable exercise routine…
John said: “Jo and I had always been quite active – I enjoyed cycling, and Jo had been a member of a gym. We’d done Parkruns together, too, but it wasn’t until the weight started coming off that I properly caught the running bug! It just felt a lot easier, and my recovery time was much faster. I soon progressed from 5K to 10K, then a half-marathon… and this April, I ran my first full marathon.
“I still can’t quite believe that I’ve halved my body weight and run more than 26 miles! I’m proud that I’ve run a marathon, but I’m even prouder of the type of grandparents we’ve become. When we joined Slimming World, our first grandchild, Abel, had just arrived, and knew we wanted to be fit and healthy enough to be fun, involved grandparents. He really gave us that extra push to lose weight for good. He’s since been joined by our granddaughter, Etta, and running around with them is the best exercise!”
Proud of our Fagan & Whalley family
It goes without saying that we are exceptionally proud of John for his achievements. Having played an integral part in our Fagan & Whalley family for over a decade, we consider ourselves extremely fortunate to have John as a member of our team – and have seen witnessed his growth and determination firsthand.
A huge congratulations again – we couldn’t be happier for you both.
To find out more about their journey please visit the Slimming World website here.
