Super slimmer Trish gets a real confidence boost after shedding nearly five stone

Trish, 57, from Tunstall, had seen her weight increase to to 16-and-a-half stone.

She said: “I was busy with life and was not looking after myself. My father lived in Devon and I was travelling back and forth as he was undergoing end of life care.

“I didn’t have time to exercise. I also love to cook and I found cooking was my way of relaxing.

“My dad passed away at the start of the Covid pandemic. Around that time I was diagnosed with arthritis and had started the menopause and I knew that being overweight was not going to be a good mix.

“I decided to look to lose weight and start looking after myself.”

Trish initially decided to enrol on Slimming World’s online service but decided to visit the organisation’s Bethany Church group in Ashbrooke on the spur of the moment whilst driving home.

She said: “I had been to the dentist and saw a Slimming World advert in a magazine I was reading in the waiting room.

“On the way home I then saw a welcome sign outside the Bethany Church group for that day and time. It felt like everything was pointing me to Slimming World, so I pulled in and enrolled in the group.”

With the help of her peers, over the last year Trish has seen her weight drop to 11 stone 12lbs and has seen both her physical and mental health benefit.

She hit her target weight on Christmas Eve (2024)

Trish said: “I now have a light breakfast and fresh food for lunch. I like to cook what I call fake-aways, which are healthy versions of my favourite take-aways.

“Losing the weight has really improved my mental health. I’m much more confident and no longer that person who sits in the corner away from people.

“It has given me the confidence to apply for promotions at work. I also have much more energy to get out and enjoy the great outdoors.”

The onset of a new year can often be a time when people look to shed the pounds and get fit and Trish hopes her story can help to inspire others to go on their own weight-loss journey.

She said: “Walking through the door of Slimming World is the hardest thing to do, but it is the first step to a healthier lifestyle.

“Take advantage of all the tools and guidance Slimming World has to offer. Being part of a group every week will help get your head in the right place.

“Nothing is unachievable or as difficult as you may think."

You can find out more by visiting the Slimming World Sunderland website.