Yvonne takes to the water after 8 ½st weight loss

A mum from County Wexford who lost 8st 7lbs almost 10 years ago – and has kept it off ever since – has now discovered a passion for kayaking, a hobby she says she never would have had the confidence to start before she lost weight.

Yvonne Byrne, 46, has now been named Slimming World’s Top Target Consultant 2026, a competition that recognises the company’s Consultants who have lost weight and maintained it long-term.

Having struggled with her weight for much of her life – weighing 18st 3lbs and wearing a size 24 at her heaviest – Yvonne says a cruel comment about her size made her want to lose weight for good.

“I remember my stomach sinking when I was invited to a wedding,” says Yvonne. “Finding a nice outfit to wear at a size 24 was a nightmare. I was only in my 30s at the time, dressing up should have been fun, not something to dread. Then at the reception another guest made a comment about how big I was in front of everyone at our table. At the time I laughed it off – inside though, I was crushed.

“My health was also taking a hit – I had an underactive thyroid, high blood pressure, prediabetes and terrible back pain.”

Yvonne, who has a 24-year-old son called Adam and lives with her husband, Paul, knew a friend had lost weight with Slimming World, so decided to give it a go. She says: “I was so nervous before I walked into my first Slimming World group, I was used to failing when it came to losing weight and I desperately didn’t want to fail this time. The group itself was so lovely and welcoming – nothing like what I was expecting. I thought maybe my weight would be read out loud, but it wasn’t like that at all.

“When I first heard about Slimming World's healthy eating plan I thought there was no way I’d be able to eat that much – enjoying food while losing weight was just so alien to me. For the first week I didn’t really follow the plan and instead just tried to eat as little as possible, filling myself up on cans of cola. I lost 4lbs, which I was a little disappointed with. Looking back now, I can see that this was because I was basically starving myself.

“My Consultant asked if I had followed the plan to the letter and I confessed I hadn’t because I couldn’t see how it would work. He asked me to really give it my all the following week, so I agreed.

“I spent the week eating big breakfasts, seafood pie, burgers, chips, lasagne… even a roast dinner. When I stood on the scales I thought there was no way I’d have lost weight… I lost 11½lbs! From then on, I was hooked. I followed the plan and the weight losses kept coming. I couldn’t believe it.

“The group support was also something totally new for me. I was used to losing weight alone – so to be surrounded by people who were all on the same journey made the whole experience much more enjoyable. Celebrating each other’s successes each week is such a joy.”

New research by Slimming World backs up Yvonne’s experience, and shows members aged 18-34 who attend Slimming World groups are losing weight, gaining confidence, improving their physical and mental health and creating healthy lifelong habits[1].

Yvonne was encouraged to become more active with the help of Slimming World’s active lifestyle programme and is now a keen kayaker. She says: “Before I lost weight I would never have even considered something like kayaking. The thought of getting into the wetsuit would have put me off completely – let alone being agile enough to get into the kayak and out onto the water.

“It’s such a peaceful hobby, it really gives me time to relax and reflect. When I was more than 18st, so many of my thoughts were occupied by my size – and I don’t have that anymore. Being free of that is just incredible – before I’d think of any reason I could to just stay at home and hide away, now I’m a ‘yes’ person.”

One thing she finally said ‘yes’ to was marriage! She says: “Paul had been asking me to marry him for years – I just never felt confident enough to have all those eyes on me in a fancy dress. Last year I finally said yes – I think he was a bit shocked! We had a lovely intimate wedding abroad and I wore my dream fitted, white dress. Paul has been so supportive of my weight loss journey, I’m so proud to call him my husband.”

A year after joining Slimming World, Yvonne decided to become a Consultant herself. She says: “I believed in Slimming World and the plan so much that I decided to open my own group to help others feel as great as I did. Over the last nine years I’ve helped hundreds of people to achieve their dream weight. I now have a job and a life that I love, which is something I just couldn’t have imagined 10 years ago.

“A lot of people ask me what the ‘secret’ to keeping the weight off is – and I always say the same thing. There is no substitute for changing your lifestyle – cooking healthy food from scratch, becoming more active and surrounding yourself with a supportive community. There’s no pill, potion or jab that can beat that.”

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Slimming World currently has opportunities for members or former Consultants who are keen to open a local group. To find out more or to sign up to attend an opportunity event, click here. 

To find out more about joining a Slimming World group, click here.

[1] 1 A self-selecting sample of 3,262 Slimming World members aged 18-34 were polled between 6th and 20th February 2025

Group: Yvonne Byrne runs groups in Wexford and Duncannon in the Republic of Ireland

Yvonne Byrne:

Starting weight: 18st 3lbs (115kg)

Weight loss: 8st 7lbs (54kg)

Weight now: 9st 10lbs (61kg)

Height: 5ft 7in

Joining date: February 2015

Date achieved target: August 2016

Length of time at target: Nine years and six months

Before menu:

Breakfast: Nothing

Lunch: Cans of cola

Dinner: A takeaway, loaves of bread with butter, processed junk food, litre or two of cola

Snacks:

After menu:

Breakfast: Cereal or oats with yogurt and fruit

Lunch:  A homemade pasta salad or leftovers from the night before

Dinner: Homemade lasagne, fish pie or burger and chips

Drinks: Sugar-free squash, tea and coffee, water

Snacks: