'˜It's never too late to lose weight' says super-slimmer Sunderland OAP

Margaret Ede has lost six stone with Slimming World.

Margaret Ede, 72, has managed to shed an amazing six stones in weight and says she is living life to the full.

Four years ago when doctors tactfully pointed out that the Sunderland woman’s knee arthritis could be down to her weight, Margaret took the hint and joined the Slimming World group at Trinity Methodist Church in Shiney Row.

Margaret Ede before she shed 6st with the help of Slimming World.

She weighed in at 17st 7lbs and a size 24, but within two years had slimmed down to her target weight of 11st 7lbs and a size 14.

Not only has Margaret, who lives in Shiney Row with her husband, Danny, 81, lost the weight, she has continued to go to group every week and kept off the extra pounds.

She said: “I have never felt better. I am so healthy now and have no trouble bending down to put my socks on.

“I always wore the same clothes to get weighed in and it became a joke at the meeting that I really had to buy some smaller ones.”

Margaret Ede is presented with flowers by group leader Joanne Thirlwell.

Margaret, who was slimmer in her youth, said she started to pile the weight on more and more after she retired from her job as a personal banker.

She said she had more time and was content, so ate more.

She said: “A lot of people think once you get older you can’t lose the weight, but I want to encourage others to see that you can.”

Self-confessed food lover, Margaret, said she was worried that she wouldn’t stick to the plan, even her husband thought she would only go to classes for a few weeks, but Margaret was determined.

She added: “It’s not a diet, it is just healthy eating.

“My husband used to say ‘how can you be losing weight eating so much, your plate’s piled higher than a man coming in from pit’, but the weight just steadily dropped off. My husband has been really supportive.”

Margaret was surprised this week when she was named as the group’s Greatest Loser, for her commitment to her weight loss.

Joanne Thirlwell, who runs the group which Margaret attends, said: “Margaret is amazing.

“Many people feel that once you get older you cannot lose weight as easy as younger members, but this is certainly not the case which Margaret has proved.

“Margaret has never missed a group and I couldn’t be more proud of how supportive she is to other members and is always a great asset to our group.”