An Aberdeenshire slimming group is celebrating after its members lost 221 stone – just a matter of months after it was established.
The Alford Slimming World organisation was set up by Aboyne woman, Julia Fry, following on from her experiences in her own local branch.
Since getting the group going in July, she has welcomed more than 130 members into the ranks.
And the branch has now collectively lost a huge 221 stone through amending their eating habits and a variety of weight-loss strategies through Mrs Fry.
The Slimming World consultant said she was keen to shout the success story “from the rooftops” and hoped their exploits would inspire more people to take part.
The group is made up of men and woman aged from their teens to their 80s – with one member losing a huge four-and-a-half stone on her own.
Several of the group suffer from such conditions as diabetes and heart conditions.
Mrs Fry, 42, said: “We were only set up on July 23. It is absolutely fantastic and when I first decided to do Alford, I went to the group as a member in Aboyne.
“The thing with Slimming World is that it is not like being on a diet. I have been on a lot of diets and, with a lot of them, you have to count calories. With Slimming World it is not like that.
“It is very flexible.
“The majority of our members probably come from Alford, but I also have members coming from Rhynie, Clatt, Tullynessle and Insch.”
Fifty of them have also lost 10% of their body weight.
The mother-of-three added: “It is doing brilliantly and the really important thing is that the members are coming back, they are the ones getting to the targets.”
Alford Slimming World meets at Alford and Tullynessle Hall every Monday at 3.30pm, 5.30pm and 7.30pm. New members are welcome.