"I hated being fat" Derbyshire woman who lost 6st and went from a size 24/26 to a size 14 can now buy 'pretty clothes off the rack'

Lesley Ward, 69, of Wingerworth said: “My confidence has definitely grown as my weight has reduced. My wardrobe has got bigger as I got smaller. I can now buy all the pretty colourful clothes I need. I’m no longer out of breath walking or stopping to “admire the view."

Now a dress size 14, Lesley was a size 24/26 when she joined Slimming World in Wingerworth at its first ever meeting in January 2017.

She said: “I had been diagnosed some years ago with osteo arthritis in my spine, but I also had it in my left knee. My doctor recommended surgery but I needed to lose weight. I managed to lose enough to have a total knee replacement in 2012. However, after time my old eating habits resurfaced and I regained all that I’d lost plus some more. By now the extra weight was starting to affect my right knee and the pain was getting worse and I feared that needed replacing too. Pain affected my everyday life (I refused to acknowledge I was contributing by being overweight). I couldn’t walk for long as the pain was debilitating. Even the thought of having to do a weekly supermarket shop was daunting as I was in so much pain. I dreaded it.“My Mum had died the year before I joined Slimming World and I was still grieving, my mother in law was in a care home and her health was deteriorating. I was due for my annual health check and expected it would follow the same pattern, lose weight exercise more etc. Exercise? It took me ages to get up and down stairs never mind going out to exercise.

“Prior to joining my diet would be poor. Breakfast if I had any was either cereal – lots of it and or toast with jam and butter. I loved bread and that’s what I took to work for lunch each day – white bread too usually either ham or cheese as I didn’t like much else. That’s if I made any to take for lunch at work, more often than not I would buy something locally. I loved crisps, pizza, cheese, sweet stuff in general and definitely cake. Veg was usually peas or carrots as I didn’t like much more. I would bake but cakes didn’t last long… I also snacked regularly.

“I hated being fat. Hated shopping for clothes. Hated worrying if I could squeeze into a seat on the other side of a table so close to other tables. Could I get between closely parked cars? I longed to go clothes shopping for pretty clothes and have a choice in Big Clothes – that weren’t black. I felt that most outfitters seemed to think if you were fat you only wanted to wear black or navy as this appeared to be the only option available to me. I’ve always loved colour and the only way around this problem was to make my own.

"I tried most diet plans, other groups, slimming drinks, counting calories, counting points, you name it I’d probably tried it. Some worked – well for a short time before boredom set in.

"I finally had my lightbulb moment when a flyer from Slimming World was put through my front door. A new group was opening on a Friday morning. It was local and it was a convenient time. Despite knowing I would have to go to a slimming group on my own, something I’d never done before. I was fairly new to the area and didn’t have any friends or family locally, but somehow I found the confidence to walk through those doors to Slimming World.

"Little did I know when I walked through the door that Friday morning in January 2017 that it would prove to be one of the best decisions of my life.”

It took Lesley four years to shed 6st and she has maintained her target weight for the past three years, a feat which was honoured when she was crowned Wingerworth Slimming World’s Diamond Target member 2024.

She said: "My keys to losing weight - I never lost sight of my dream and ultimate goal – getting to my personal target weight. I didn’t set an unrealistic timescale on losing so much weight as I felt it would be too restricting and too daunting to attain as I had so much to lose. I vowed I would “get there” no matter how long it took. I stayed to group, even when I felt down at either maintaining or gaining. I felt I may not go back the next week if I left after a gain. I knew it was a slippery slope, I knew because I had done that so many, many times before. Finally learning from my mistakes over the years.”

Changing her eating habits were a big fact in Lesley’s weight loss. She said: “I can still have bread, but I rarely do. I occasionally do have cake but rarely as it’s still a trigger. Veg these days - I have loads and like them all. I’ve learned to like Danish blue cheese instead of the Stilton that I would have had. I’ve learned to like natural fat free yoghurt and quark, finding them both useful to use as they are or used as a basis for a sauce. I’ve even used quark – sweetened as a substitute for cream especially on strawberries. I enjoy most foods these days. Salad is always without salad cream (ugh I’ve never liked it), I rarely have mayo but always measure if I do.”

Her social life has also picked up over the past seven years. She said: “Being a member of Slimming World has not only helped me become a slimmer me, but it’s also given me so much more confidence and I’ve made many new friends. I still attend group weekly and help on the social team. It keeps me grounded.”

*Slimming World holds meetings at the Parish Rooms, Wingerworth on Fridays at 8am and 9.30am. For further details, contact consultant Rachel Plevey on 07729002264.