I shed 7 stone after fearing I would get stuck in a children's soft play tunnel whilst playing with daughter
“I feel a lot happier inside and out” - the words of South Hetton mother Gabby Burnside who has shed a whopping seven-and-a-half-stone and is now encouraging others to do the same.
Gabby, 34, started to pile on the pounds after falling pregnant with her daughter Amelia, with her weight reaching an unhealthy 18 stone 13lbs when she was at her heaviest.
She said: “I had always been a dancer, but after falling pregnant and having my daughter I really piled on the weight. To save time I was ordering takeaways and eating ready meals, as well as snacking on things like crisps and biscuits.
“I would also finish the food my daughter left on her plate so as not to waste food.”
It was not being able to be active with her daughter as well as a fear of becoming trapped in a children’s soft play area that eventually led Gabby to decide to shed the pounds.
She said: “I was getting pain in my knees and back from my excess weight and I wasn’t able to do all the active things I should have been doing with my daughter.
“I used to feel uncomfortable in my clothes and in my own body - I lost confidence in myself completely.
“I also had a fear of getting stuck in those tunnels at children’s soft play areas.”
Gabby decided to join Slimming World’s Easington Lane group and has now seen her weight drop to 11 stone 8lbs.
She said: “I now eat cereal for breakfast, have salads or a home-made soup for lunch, and have a pasta or meat dish with lots of vegetables for my evening meal.
“I also now go to the gym six times a week. I’m a lot happier on both the inside and outside.
“I finally feel comfortable in my clothes again and more importantly, in myself.
“I’m now settled with my partner of two years and my daughter is also much happier.”
With the start of a new year often a time when people make resolutions to lose weight and get healthier, Gabby has urged people to “go for it”.
She said: “It doesn’t have to be at new year, if the time is right then just go for it. Losing weight is the best thing I’ve ever done and Slimming World were a great help.
“It wasn’t just the guidance on my diet but also the support you get as part of a group with the same goal, as well as my Slimming World coach.
“I would definitely recommend people looking to lose weight to join a Slimming World group.”