Slimming World leader meets Peter Andre

Penni Ball, who runs a Slimming World group at America Hall, Exeter every Thursday and Friday, was thrilled to get a chance to cuddle up to Peter when he co-hosted the Slimming World Awards with the organisation’s chair and founder Margaret Miles-Bramwell OBE.

Penni said meeting the Mysterious Girl and Insania singer was a wonderful way to round off what’s been a great 12 months for the Exeter (Pinhoe) Slimming World group, as well as the perfect way to kick start another successful year: “I’m so proud of all of the members of the Exeter (Pinhoe) group. They’ve lost a staggering 596 stone in 2014, with many of them reaching their target weights and improving their health substantially.

“It’s so rewarding to see people achieve things that they didn’t think possible before losing weight, whether that’s wearing smaller-sized clothes, taking up new hobbies, reducing medication or being able to do more with their family and friends. Meeting Peter was a real treat – he was such a nice guy – and a great way to celebrate all of that. Now I feel powered up and I can’t wait to help my members hold on to all of the fabulous changes they’ve made, and to support even more people to become happier and healthier in 2015 especially with our new streamlined Extra Easy plan and super weightloss boosting tool Extra Easy SP, this year is set to be phenomenal.”

Two-time celebrity dad-of-the-year Peter, who famously featured on the ITV show I’m a Celebrity in 2004 and now presents Peter Andre’s 60 Minute Makeover, said he was delighted to meet Penni at the event, which was held at Birmingham’s International Convention Centre.

He added: “Being in the public eye there’s a lot of scrutiny and if you put on even a pound or two the magazines and newspapers are extremely quick to point it out, so I’ve always tried to take care of myself and watch my weight. However since becoming a dad I’ve realised it’s about more than just looking good, it’s much more important to me that I’m fit and healthy and setting a good example to my children. At the awards I met lots of people who’ve lost incredible amounts of weight and it has completely transformed their lives – and their families’ lives too. They’re eating more healthily and being more active, and so are their families. And every single one of them told me that they couldn’t have made those changes without the support of their Slimming World group and their Consultant, so people like Penni are clearly very important.”

Flattered by Peter’s kind words, Penni hopes even more people will join Slimming World and benefit from making healthy lifestyle changes this New Year: “I truly believe that joining Slimming World is the best way for people to lose weight, having lost nearly 4 stone myself, its life changing. Getting off to a great start is really important when embarking on a slimming plan; seeing results on the scales and feeling lighter and brighter will motivate people to keep going and achieve their goals. Everyone will be sure of a fab start with Slimming World this New Year and even if people have struggled to stick to weight loss plans in the past, I know we can help them to make a change for life this time around – my members and their success are proof of that.

“Slimming World’s Food Optimising plan isn’t a ‘diet’, we simply help our members to discover new healthy habits and a healthier way of eating that they can enjoy without ever feeling hungry or deprived. They make small easy changes to the way they shop, cook and eat, introduce activity to their daily routine, and get regular support to reward their successes and overcome the hurdles they face along the way. This helps them to stick to their personal goals and can make a big difference to the way members feel about themselves as well as their weight.

“On top of seeing success on the scales, our group is a great place to make friends. We’ve had a lot of fun throughout the year – we’ve held parties, raised money for charity and members have cheered each other on with every step of their weight loss journey. I can’t wait to see what 2015 holds for the Exeter (Pinhoe) Slimming World group and I’d love anyone who’s thinking about losing weight this January to join us at America Hall, Exeter every Thursday 5.15pm & 7.15pm and Fridays 9.30am & 11.30am.” Call Penni on 07792 358231 for more information.