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‘You’re never too old to lose weight’: How 77-year-old Dundee gran lost four and a half stone

Teresa Whyte lost four stone 10lbs over the course of 2023 after rejoining her local Slimming World

77-year-old slimmer Teresa Whyte from Dundee who re-joined Slimming World at the end of Jan 2023 and throughout last year lost a total of 4 stone 10lbs with the help of homemade soup and fruit.
77-year-old slimmer Teresa Whyte from Dundee who re-joined Slimming World at the end of Jan 2023 and throughout last year lost a total of 4 stone 10lbs with the help of homemade soup and fruit. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson

Teresa Whyte from Dundee is proof that age isn’t a barrier to weight loss.

The 77-year-old, who tipped the scales at 15 and a half stone, has lost an impressive four stone 10lbs in just 12 months.

The granny-of-three confessed to trying various weight-loss plans over the years and had previously maintained a healthy weight by following the Slimming World regime.

But after a fall during lockdown, she fell off the diet wagon and started piling on the pounds.

“I have always had to watch my weight,” she said.

“When I was younger I tried the slimming shakes and other diets, but nothing has ever been as successful as Slimming World has, for me.

“I have been a bit of a yo-yo dieter through the years and my weight has tended to go up and down.”

Dundee gran Teresa lost over four stone through Slimming World.
Dundee gran Teresa lost over four stone through Slimming World. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson

What made Teresa re-join the slimming plan?

Teresa, who now clocks in at 11 stone 4lbs, had stuck to the Slimming World weight-loss programme for around four years.

But in March 2020, just as the world was locking down due to the Covid pandemic, she had a nasty fall in her garden, fracturing her back.

This – coupled with unhealthy eating habits – saw the pounds begin to creep back on.

Dundee gran Teresa Whyte, pictured when she was at her heaviest. In the past year she has lost over 4 stone.
Dundee gran Teresa Whyte, pictured when she was at her heaviest. Image: Teresa Whyte

“I had a fall in the garden and fractured a bone in my lower back,” she said.

“It turned out that I have osteoporosis too which didn’t help.

“And because of where the fracture was, it couldn’t be fixed. I take medicine for it to help mend the bone, but it will take a long time.

“I had to use a stick to walk but I was struggling to move because of all the weight I was carrying.

“During Covid my daughter Shona, who lives with me, and I were practically living on processed meals from the supermarket and takeaways. We weren’t cooking so the weight just piled on.

“But it got to January last year and I said to my daughter that I couldn’t stand sitting around getting fat any longer.

“This was when I decided to re-join my local Slimming World group.”

When did she start losing weight?

Teresa said the weight started to come off quickly. She lost 10.5 lbs after a few weeks and by March 2023 she had lost one and a half stone.

She revealed that she shed the pounds by swapping Indian and Chinese takeaways and microwave meals for boiled eggs, poached salmon and chicken.

“For breakfast I would have two boiled eggs with toast (wholemeal bread) and a coffee with semi-skimmed milk,” she explained.

“For lunch I would have poached salmon and homemade lentil soup and for a snack I would have a Slimming World  Hi-Fi  cereal bar.

“And for dinner I would have low calorie meats like chicken or make burgers from five per cent mince.

“I might have a baked potato with the chicken and sometimes I will have macaroni cheese or bolognese.

Dundee gran Teresa ate homemade soup and oranges to help her lose weight.
Dundee gran Teresa ate homemade soup and oranges to help her lose weight. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson

“For dessert I would have a banana or a orange with yoghurt.”

As a weekend treat, Teresa allows herself a vodka with diet Irn Bru, rather than wine which has more calories.

In terms of exercise, she does a lot of walking in the summer but not so much in the winter when the weather can be bad.

Motivation to stick to the slimming programme

Teresa, who is widowed, said attending her weekly slimming group, run by consultant Rhonda Mitchell, helps to keep her on track.

Dundee slimmer Teresa with her children Shona and John
Dundee slimmer Teresa with her children Shona and John. Image: Teresa Whyte

And she finds that if she doesn’t go, she won’t be as motivated to keep to the plan.

“You have to keep going to the class. If you don’t you will end up falling by the wayside.

“You have to stick with it. It’s a lifestyle change and you will feel much better for it.

“It gets to the stage as well that you really look forward to going because everyone has a laugh.

“Rhonda, our consultant, is really good and she has the place in an uproar!”

Teresa pictured with her son John, daughter Shona and her grandchildren Oran, Alice and Freya.
Teresa pictured with her son John, daughter Shona and her grandchildren Oran, Alice and Freya. Image: Teresa Whyte.

Teresa, who has two stone to lose until she hits her target, said that her children, daughter Shona, 50, and son John, 54 – and three grandchildren, Oran, 18, Freya, 16 and Alice, 13 – think her weight-loss is ‘wonderful’.

She continued: “Losing the weight has also really helped my back. It has really improved.

“It took me a while to get over the fall but after losing some weight last summer there was one day I was able to do a four and a half kilometre walk.

“I wouldn’t have managed that before if I had been heavier.”

Dundee gran Teresa Whyte from Dundee who re-joined Slimming World at the end of Jan 2023 and throughout last year lost a total of 4 stone 10lbs.
Dundee gran Teresa Whyte. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson

Teresa recommends Slimming World to others – no matter what age they are.

And she says you don’t need to be expert at following recipes for the plan to work.

She added: “I would say to anyone wanting to lose weight that it doesn’t matter how old you are, if you stick to the programme, you can lose the weight.

“I don’t like cooking, so if I can do it, anyone can.”

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