I can still remember that sinking feeling in my stomach when the wedding invitation dropped through our letterbox. Instead of excitement, I felt dread. At a size 24, finding something to wear felt like an impossible task. I searched and searched for an outfit, and in the end I found one I had to make do with, even though I didn’t feel confident at all. 

At the reception, my worst fear came true. Another guest made a comment about my size in front of everyone at our table. I laughed it off, but inside I was crushed. 

The truth was, it wasn’t just my confidence that was suffering – it was my health as well. I was living with an underactive thyroid, high blood pressure, prediabetes and constant back pain. I was only in my 30s, yet I felt much older. 

I knew about Slimming World because I’d watched one of my friends transform her life through joining a group. Something inside me wondered if life could be different for me, too.

Find your nearest Slimming World group

I felt terrified before walking into my first group. I was so nervous I almost turned right back around. I’d tried everything, and I really didn’t want this to be another disappointment.

But the group was nothing like I’d expected. No judgement, no humiliation, no public weigh-ins. Just warmth, understanding and people who genuinely cared. For the first time, I didn’t feel alone.

When I heard about Food Optimising, I honestly thought, ‘This can’t possibly work. How can I eat that much food and lose weight?’ After years of dieting and deprivation, it felt completely alien to me. So, in that first week, I didn’t really follow the plan properly. I tried to eat as little as possible and filled myself up with cans of cola. I lost 4lbs (1.8kg) and felt disappointed.

Find out more about Slimming World’s healthy eating plan, Food Optimising

My Consultant gently asked if I’d followed the plan to the letter. I admitted that I hadn’t – I just couldn’t see how it’d work. He encouraged me to fully commit for one week before giving up, so that’s exactly what I did.

That week, I ate proper breakfasts, lunches and dinners. I had seafood pie, burger and chips, lasagne… even a roast dinner! Every time I sat down to eat, I waited for the guilt to kick in – but it didn’t, and I felt satisfied.

Before I stepped on the scales the following week, I was convinced I’d gained weight and prepared myself for bad news. I can’t even begin to describe how I felt when I found out I’d lost 11½lbs (5.2kg)! For the first time in years, I believed I could actually do this.

From then on, I followed the plan 100% – and the weight kept coming off. But that wasn’t the only change: my confidence grew, my health improved, my back pain eased and my blood pressure came down. Most importantly, I began to feel like me again.

Being surrounded by people on similar journeys and celebrating each other’s wins every week was incredibly powerful. Their success inspired me – and my success inspired them. 

As I lost weight, I started saying yes to things I’d always avoided. Through Slimming World’s active lifestyle programme, I became more active – and amazingly, I discovered my love for kayaking.

We’ll help you gradually build up your fitness through our active lifestyle programme

I wouldn’t have even considered doing it before. The thought of squeezing into a wetsuit would’ve put me off immediately. I’d have convinced myself I wasn’t fit enough, agile enough, brave enough.

Now, gliding out onto the water feels like freedom. It’s peaceful and calming, a chance to reflect. When I weighed over 18st (114.3kg), my thoughts were consumed by my size – that constant noise has gone.

My most important yes was to my partner, Paul. He’d been asking me to marry him for years, but I never felt confident enough to stand in front of everyone in a fitted dress – the thought filled me with dread. Last year, though, I finally said yes, and I think he was in shock!

We had a beautiful, intimate wedding abroad, and I wore my dream white dress, feeling proud and confident. Paul has supported me every step of the way, and I’m so proud to call him my husband.

A year after joining my group, I made another life-changing decision – I became a Slimming World Consultant. I believed in the plan so deeply and wanted other people to experience the same joy and freedom I’d found.

Find out more about becoming a Slimming World Consultant

Over the past nine years, I’ve helped hundreds of people achieve their dream weight. Watching them walk taller and smile wider never gets old. Now I have a career and a life I absolutely love, something I couldn’t have imagined 10 years ago.

People often ask me what the secret is to keeping the weight off. And I always tell them there’s no pill, potion or quick fix. The real magic lies in changing your lifestyle – cooking healthy meals from scratch, moving your body in ways you enjoy and surrounding yourself with a community that believes in you – even when you don’t believe in yourself.

Weight loss will vary according to your individual circumstances and how much weight you have to lose.