Inspirational Natasha maintains 11st weight loss for seven years!

A mum-of-two who lost 11st 1lb after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis has been named Slimming World’s Top Target Consultant and kept the weight off for an amazing seven years.

Natasha Bunby, 38, first gained weight at the age of 16 following the death of her best friend. She turned to food for comfort and admits that she was a classic emotional eater for much of her life. However, it wasn’t until Natasha spent time in hospital after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis that she realised she needed to tackle her weight for good.

Natasha, who lives in West Sussex with her husband Marc, 51, and sons Deon, 18, and London, 12, says: “I’d had problems with my legs since my teens, but doctors put it down to the trauma of losing my friend. Some years later, I woke up one night and lost all function and feeling from the waist down. I was taken to hospital and diagnosed with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis and hospitalised for six weeks.

“During that time my mum took me, in my wheelchair, to a park at the side of the hospital with my two children. There was a slope that led down to the park and my mum lost control of the wheelchair. I ended up stuck in a bush – and because I was too heavy for my mum to manoeuvre the chair – she had to ask a passer-by for help.

“The experience itself was embarrassing enough. Then when my oldest son Deon asked me how we’d ever go out as a family if I was too heavy to be pushed in a wheelchair, it broke my heart. I knew I had to do something about my weight as I wanted to do all I could to help myself with my health.”

As luck would have it, in March 2011 a Slimming World leaflet came through Natasha’s door, so she decided to join her local Slimming World group. She says: “Of course I was nervous about joining the group, but I was overwhelmed by the kindness from everyone in the room. At the time I was a size 28 and spent most of the time just wanting to hide. However, I knew deep down that I also wanted to do something for myself and take back some control.

“I fell in love with Food Optimising straight away – it was so adaptable for family life and meant we could all enjoy the same meals like roast dinners, curries and burgers. I just prepared and cooked everything differently. I was a bit of a ‘jar girl’ before so cooking from scratch was a real eye-opener for me. It’s just a way of life now and I couldn’t imagine living any differently.”

Within 18 months, Natasha had slimmed from 21st 7lbs to a healthy 10st 6lbs and was feeling much more positive about her weight. She says: “When I began my journey, I was still fairly mobile yet over the years my condition has worsened and I can no longer walk. My house and car are fully adapted which maintains my independence – and of course I’ve managed to keep the weight off because Slimming World truly does work for everyone whether you are able-bodied or not.

“As time went on, I realised that I would really love to become a Slimming World Consultant myself and inspire other people who perhaps thought they would never be able to lose weight. I have lots of support from my family, who help me set up my groups, and have two wonderful venues which are fully wheelchair accessible. I absolutely love being a Consultant and seeing members change before my eyes. It’s a wonderful feeling – in fact it’s the best job in the world.”

Before joining Slimming World, Natasha admits she was very inactive, yet since losing weight has found several ways to stay fit. She says: “Slimming World’s activity programme Body Magic is totally personalised to each person – there’s no goal too big or too small. For me, Body Magic can be activities like getting dressed or having a shower.

“I don’t let anything hold me back – I attend a gym which is fully wheelchair accessible and use the upper body machines to keep myself feeling fit. Members of my groups aren’t afraid to talk about activity just because I’m in a wheelchair – we know that getting active means something different for everyone.”

As well as being a Slimming World Consultant, Natasha also models for Zebedee Management, an agency working for people with disabilities and visual differences.

Natasha says: “I feel so proud to be named Slimming World’s Top Target Consultant for 2020. It’s not often that you see someone like me in newspapers or magazines so I’m really passionate about seeing people who don’t fit the usual mould in the mainstream media, I think it’s very important.

“I hope that by winning this competition I can show that Slimming World works for everyone and that there’s help out there for people who want to lose weight no matter what their situation is. I’m living proof that it works for everyone – and that it works for life.

“My multiple sclerosis will never be the most interesting thing about me, but it’s also not going away so I’m going to embrace it and use my experiences in the most positive way I can. One day my illness will win the battle and when that day comes, I want my friends and family to say, “She loved the life she lived and she did her best.” Giving up isn’t an option for me – and I’ll always help others along the way as best I can.”

VITAL STATS:

Name: Natasha Bunby

Age: 38

Height: 5’6”/1.67m

Starting weight: 21st 7lbs/301lbs/136kg

Current weight: 10st 6lbs/146lbs/66kg

Weight loss: 11st 1lb/155lbs/70kg

Starting dress size: 28

Current dress size: 12

Date joined Slimming World: March 2011

Time at target: Seven years and four months

Group: Natasha attends the Worthing Slimming World group in West Sussex run by Sarah Hills and runs her own groups in Littlehampton and Lancing in West Sussex.

Before menu

Breakfast: Nothing

Lunch: Lunch from a bakery along with a cake and a packet of crisps

Dinner: Microwave meal or something made with a jarred sauce

After menu

Breakfast: Overnight oats made with fat-free natural yogurt and fresh fruit

Mid-morning: Fruit

Lunch: Jacket potato with salad

Dinner: Homemade roast dinner, homemade Slimming World-style burger and chips or a curry made from scratch

Evening snack: Fruit