20 years of helping people lose weight comes to an end for Julie
Julie Steele and Ady Deany. Photo: Julie Steele.
Weight loss consultant Julie Steele has carried out her final group meeting after running sessions for the past 20 years.
And during that time she has helped three people with incredible weight losses, amongst others, totalling over 54 stone … nearly seven hundredweight.
One man lost 21 stone 9.5lbs, another 15.5 stone and a woman 17.5 stone.
Julie, who up until the middle of April lived in Hessett with her partner Ady Deany, has left her Suffolk home moving to a run down bungalow in Wiltshire which she calls “The Shack”.
The couple intend to knock it down and rebuild it and during that time they will be what Julie calls “sofa surfing” at friends’ homes in Cornwall and Derbyshire and spending time with her extended family in America.
The 55-year-old initially joined a Slimming World group losing four stone in 10 months.
She then took on a consultancy role at Lakenheath, which she has run during the 20 years, and has also held sessions at Feltwell, Brandon, Watton, Westbury and Moreton Hall Community Centre, in Bury St Edmunds.
“When I initially joined Slimming World I did not realise that I could eat all this food and lose weight and that’s what motivated me to become a consultant,” she said.
“I lost the four stone in a 10 month period and I also had a month-long holiday during that time.
“So I decided to do this to help others and I have really enjoyed it.”
Up until she stood down as a consultant she was running three sessions at the Moreton Hall Community Centre and a further two at Lakenheath.
“I will truly miss all the people, I have just loved my time and it was never like I was just ‘going to work’.
“I’ve been so well supported by Slimming World.”
Along with her 53-year-old partner they have finalised their move away from Suffolk.
“We plan to knock down the two-bedroomed bungalow in Wiltshire and hope to turn it into a three-bedroom home.
“We have got to start all over again because all our friends are here in Suffolk but I’m sure it will be okay,” she added.