A retired midwife has managed to lose an incredible 15.5 stone after tipping the scales at almost 26 stone, going through an amazing transformation.
Sally Offer said she spent most of her life looking after other people, and that meant she would often overlook her own needs when it came to eating - instead choosing convenience.
Sally, 56, who has ten grandchildren, retired early, partly due to her weight meaning she was unable to keep up with the physical demands of the work.
She decided to join a local Slimming World club, and aimed to stop snacking "mindlessly" through the day reports Wales Online.
After reaching her target weight, she went to Portugal on holiday with friends. She said: "I went to Portugal with my girlfriends. Imagine my surprise when for the first time in years, I didn’t need a seatbelt extender on the aeroplane. We had a fabulous time, and I didn’t worry about my weight at all."
She continued: "As a midwife, I spent most of my life taking care of other people. I'd think nothing about going out of my way to help my expectant mums and their babies, it was just natural to me.
"What didn't come naturally though, was taking care of myself. I adored my job but ended up retiring early - partly because of family reasons, but if I'm honest, partly because at 26 stone I was finding the physical side of the job incredibly demanding, too.
"Before joining Slimming World, I would snack mindlessly throughout the day - now I have three healthy and filling meals which keep me satisfied. I cook all of my meals from scratch and enjoy lots more fruit and veg.
"My favourite meal is a tasty chicken chow mein - it tastes just as good as a takeaway. I have so much more energy now, which is needed with five grandchildren!
"These days I'm busy with swimming, long dog walks and Pilates classes - I started small with all of them and found, over time, I could do more and more. It's a running joke that I'm busier now than before I retired!
"The year I retired I tried losing weight alone, but I always used to end up back where I started. It was then that I realised I needed help to take control of my weight.
"I knew some friends had found success with Slimming World and some of my patients had also followed the plan to manage their weight during pregnancy, so I knew it was a healthy and flexible way to lose weight. I plucked up the courage to join my local group – and I’m so glad I did. Everyone there was so welcoming and friendly and I’ve made such good friends along the way.”
Sally said without the support of the local Slimming World club, she wouldn't have managed to keep the weight off. She said: “I always knew my journey would be a marathon rather than a sprint, so the support of my group was invaluable.
“Everything I learned about my trigger foods (those foods that I found very difficult not to overeat) and potential pitfalls really helped me to understand myself as a slimmer, so for the first time I actually felt in control of my eating habits.”
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