Small changes can make for a big difference

AS a new year starts, plenty of us will be thinking about how to make a 'new me! And for every new hobby or interest you might take up, there are other people who decide that 2024 is the year they want to do something about their weight.

- KIRSTIE MCCRUM

Whether for health reasons, or for confidence, thousands across the country turn to Slimming World classes annually, with January seeing a new spike in members following the excess of Christmas. Those who manage to lose what they aim to say that the differences are small to their diet but big to their lives.

Here are the biggest losers from 2023 in Plymouth. Slimmers who, between them, have lost more than 40 stones, and say they have never been happier.

'I was at a loss with what to do about my weight'

Sarah Green, 43, from Saltash dropped from 18st 2lbs to 11st 4.5lb. Her 6st 11.5lbs loss saw her reach the semi-finals of Slimming World's Woman of the Year 2023 competition.

Sarah made it to the semi-finals after members of the Saltash Slimming World group voted for her to go forward to the national Woman of the Year 2023 semi-finals at Slimming World's head office in Derbyshire.

She said: "Before I joined Slimming World I was at a loss with what to do about my weight, I was self conscious and often unhappy but I didn't know where to start."

Now she runs three or four times a week and has competed in five and 10k races. She said: "I was the first woman in my age category in the 5k race - something I could never have imagined before losing the weight."

'I needed to take back control'

Lesley Edgehill, from Plympton, lost a whopping 4st in just seven months with Slimming World, after she forgot to pack her clothes for a holiday. She had gone for a weekend away with her husband to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary when she realised she didn't have any clothing with her.