Sharon celebrates Slimming World weight loss success

Sharon Bowell, who is relaunching the Saturday group in the New Park Centre at 9.30am every week, starting this week, has recently smashed her target and is back to the weight she was 30 years ago.

She said: “Slimming World changed my life! Fifteen months ago, I avoided walking anywhere and felt incredibly lazy all the time. My asthma was playing up every day and I felt the need to use my Ventolin inhaler just to climb one flight of stairs or walk up a slight incline. A recent ‘MOT’ blood test had also revealed high cholesterol level. I felt so upset that I’d entered yet another decade, overweight, unfit and so unhappy. Everything was a chore for me, I couldn’t even paint my own toe nails! I was breathless and blamed my asthma at every opportunity, stopping to take a breath whenever I could. My ankles were forever swollen and my face was often red and puffy that I hated having my photo taken. Then one-day last July one of my friends told me all about the Slimming World group she was attending and I decided this was my opportunity to change.

Before I walked into my local group I felt so nervous because I’d tried other ‘diets’ before but straightaway I found it was very different and oh so friendly. I couldn’t believe it when I was told I would never need to feel hungry again but it was true! My consultant listened to me and I could choose my own Personal Achievement Target. She was such a huge support both during the weekly meeting and gave midweek support too. My weight was never disclosed to anyone else so I never felt humiliated, we just talked about weight changes and the other friendly people there in the group offered lots of ideas for the week ahead. I love that it’s ‘real’ food and that I can still have my favourite meals such as eggs, chips and beans and my roast dinners. As a family I’m forever cooking spaghetti bolognaise and cottage pie, I’m so pleased that there’s always a way to Food Optimise our meals. I still have the treats of course I do but I’m usually so full up on Free healthy food that there’s not much room for them in my life now! I’ve lost a total of 3 stone 1 ½ lbs, something I never thought possible and have just ½ lb to get to my Personal Achievement Target weight now! Once I’m there I’ll receive my very own lifetime membership absolutely free.

As the pounds came off I was encouraged to start Body Magic, small easy steps to increase activity and now I have a real love of walking, I even joined in with the ‘Walk All Over Cancer’ campaign in June, something else I never thought possible. My breathing is so much better now that I cannot remember the last time I needed to use Ventolin and my last blood test showed a reduction of 1.6 in blood cholesterol. Slimming World and the support they offer have changed my life completely, I feel fabulous, I can walk upstairs without stopping halfway and I can even paint my own toenails!