Carole drops five stones in weight and from size 26 to 16

Carole has dropped from 19st to 14 stone - and clothes size from 26 to 16 - as a result of attending the Slimming World group which meets at The British Legion in Shaw on Thursday evenings, when Covid restrictions are not in force.

Carole said: “I’m proud of being a loser when it feels this good I feel like a new woman since losing weight.

"In fact, I look so different that people who I haven’t seen for a while often can’t believe I’m the same person.

"I have to say though, it’s the change on the inside that’s been the greatest – I’m happier, healthier and much more confident now.”

The proud 57-year-old joined the The British Legion Thursday evening group, which is run by Lorraine Crocker, in November, 2019.

Carole said: “My weight impacted on so many aspects of my life, from struggling to find clothes that I like to fit to not being able to do simple everyday tasks without feeling tired and out of breath.

"Before I lost the weight I was just existing, now I’m full of life and can do so much more”

Carole's weight was also putting a huge strain on her health Carole suffered with high blood pressure, borderline diabetes, hip and knee joint pain, and got breathless easily, and felt like she was dragging herself around.

People who are severely overweight, with a body mass index (BMI) above 30, are more likely to suffer from health problems like coronary heart disease, arthritis, diabetes and cancer, and of course Covid-19,and obesity is linked to a reduction in life expectancy of between seven and nine years.

An estimate for the percentage of adults classified as obese or overweight in Oldham in 2016/17 (66.4 per cent)15 suggests that the town performed worse than the national average for the same time period (61.3 per cent). This means that Oldham is ranked fourth worst in Greater Manchester.

Carole continued: “I was nervous when I first walked through the doors at my group.

"I was embarrassed about my size and scared that I might be the biggest person there. I needn’t have worried though, everyone was so friendly, especially my consultant Lorraine, and I was so relieved when I found out that my weight was confidential – I’d had visions of having to tell everyone how much I weighed.

“I’ve made so many friends at the group and I honestly don’t think I could have done it without their support each week.

"Lorraine and the group are so supportive with recipes, tips and ideas. If anyone is ever struggling, we are always there to remind each other just how far we’ve come, and of course, cheer each other on.”

Carole followed Slimming World’s Food Optimising eating plan and swapped high fat, cheese loaded Pizza for a Free Food Optimising Pizza and its gorgeous.

She said: “People think to lose weight you have to go hungry, but it’s not like that at all. I love food and it’s never once felt like I was on a ‘diet’ and i never feeling like I’m missing out – in fact, people are always surprised at how much food I have on my plate and can’t believe I’m losing weight eating so much delicious food and without ever feeling deprived.

“I still enjoy all my favourite meals, I’ve learned how to make small changes like using lean meat or cooking with low-calorie spray instead of oil or butter. Better still, it fits in really well with the rest of my family and we can all eat the same meals. We all still enjoy a full cooked breakfast at the weekend and this year I can’t wait for Christmas dinner, knowing that I can still enjoy my Christmas pudding. These are changes that I’ve made for life, and have the tools to continue and keep it up forever.”

Carole is also more active nowadays and regularly walks to work to help maintain her new healthier lifestyle.

Lorraine said: “I feel so privileged to have played a part in Carole’s transformation. Watching her grow in confidence each week has been amazing and I hope her success will inspire other people in Oldham who’d like to lose weight, who’d like to become happier and healthier, to take action."