Slimming World helps rebuild Amanda's life after heartbreak
Amanda Hardcastle today opened up about how Slimming World is helping to rebuild her life after the devastating loss of her husband – and why she now wants to support others.
Life's biggest changes often begin with the hardest moments.
For Amanda, the unexpected death of husband, Iain, aged just 53, turned her world upside down in May last year.
He was the popular founder of East Bierley Bantams, a dedicated Bradford City supporters group, based in their home village, which organises travel to matches and raises money for charity.
His death prompted an outpouring of love and support for Amanda, now 55, and their children, Amy, 25, and Tom, 21.
But, as she navigated her grief, she says she has found comfort, confidence and a renewed sense of purpose with the help of Slimming World.
Now, after being a member for 16 years, she is about to help others as a Slimming World Consultant.
Here, in her own words, Amanda, of East Bierley, explains how loss became the turning point that inspired her to help others make lasting changes to their own lives.
When people meet me for the first time in group, they often assume I’ve always been confident, organised, and in control, writes Amanda.
But the truth is, I became a Slimming World Consultant because I know exactly how it feels to struggle - with food, with confidence, and with putting myself first.
I’ve been a Slimming World member on and off for 16 years of life happening - work, family, stress, celebrations, tired evenings, new routines, old habits and everything in between.
Years of trying, pausing, returning, learning, and growing.I lost my husband, Iain, unexpectedly in May 2025. Nothing prepares you for that kind of grief.
That was the day I found my why. Not a number on a scale. Not a dress size. Not a holiday or an event. In that moment, I realised something huge: I owed it to my grown up children to look after myself.
My health wasn’t optional anymore. It was essential.
After years of dipping in and out, Food Optimising suddenly became more than a plan - it became my lifeline.
Slimming World Kitchen helped me learn to cook again, something Iain had always done for us.
Walking Archie, my cocker spaniel, became my therapy, my fresh air, my movement, and a reminder that I was still capable of putting one foot in front of the other.
Step by step, I rebuilt my routine, strength, confidence with food, and a healthy, active lifestyle.
Across 16 years, I’ve been in different groups, different rooms, different chapters of life - but the feeling was always the same.
And after losing Iain, I knew exactly where I needed to go: back to the consultant who had supported me in the past - Paul Fox-Cannell.
Paul had always made me feel seen, understood, and capable. So this time, I made a promise to myself: I would stay to group. Every week. No excuses.Not because I “should.” Not because I felt guilty. But because I finally recognised that staying to group was an investment in me - in my health, my confidence, my future, and my ability to be strong.
Group gave me confidence and community. It gave me me back - at a time when I desperately needed it.
Nearly 12 months after losing Iain, I was made redundant.
After finding my why, after 16 years of being a member, I realised something profound:Slimming World didn’t just help me lose weight. It helped me rebuild my confidence, my relationship with food, and my belief in myself.
At a time when everything felt uncertain, could Slimming World now provide me with a new rewarding career?
I became a consultant because I wanted to give other people the same gift I was given - support, kindness, and a place where they can breathe out and say, “I’m ready.”
You will never be judged. You will always be supported. You will learn to trust yourself again. And you will never have to do this alone.
You don’t have to be perfect. You don’t have to know everything. You don’t have to wait for Monday.
You just have to take the first step.
And when you do, I’ll be right here - ready to help you every step of the way.
* Amanda is the Slimming World Consultant at Wyke Methodist Church, Laverack Field, with Tuesday sessions, 9am and 10.30am.
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