A gran has revealed how she feels "fabulous" in retirement after losing 15 and a half stone.
Former midwife Sally Offer, 56, retired early partly because she was struggling with the physical exertion of delivering babies.
Sally joined Slimming World after hearing how many of her expectant mums had managed their weight during pregnancy due to the programme's plans.
At the time she weighed 26 stone and admitted to "snacking mindlessly throughout the day" but after realising that see needed to put herself first she joined the programme and has gone on to become a Slimming World National Finalist.
The grandmother-of-five, who now weighs 10 stone 8lbs, told Bristol Live : "As a midwife, I spent most of my life taking care of other people. I'd think nothing about going out of my way to help my expectant mums and their babies, it was just natural to me.
"What didn't come naturally though, was taking care of myself. I adored my job but ended up retiring early - partly because of family reasons, but if I'm honest, partly because at 26 stone I was finding the physical side of the job incredibly demanding, too.
"Before joining Slimming World, I would snack mindlessly throughout the day - now I have three healthy and filling meals which keep me satisfied. I cook all of my meals from scratch and enjoy lots more fruit and veg.
"My favourite meal is a tasty chicken chow mein - it tastes just as good as a takeaway. I have so much more energy now, which is needed with five grandchildren!"
Sally learned how to change her eating habits and soon found she had more energy than ever, which helped her settle into retirement. She went on to say: "These days I'm busy with swimming, long dog walks and pilates classes - I started small with all of them and found, over time, I could do more and more. It's a running joke that I'm busier now than before I retired!"
Sally initially tried to lose weight alone, but found that she really needed the support of others to help her make lifelong changes. She added: "The year I retired I tried losing weight alone, but I always used to end up back where I started.
"It was then that I realised I needed help to take control of my weight. I knew some friends had found success with Slimming World and some of my patients had also followed the plan to manage their weight during pregnancy, so I knew it was a healthy and flexible way to lose weight.
“I plucked up the courage to join my local group – and I’m so glad I did. Everyone there was so welcoming and friendly and I’ve made such good friends along the way.”
'For the first time I felt in control'
Sally credits her group in Keynsham for giving her the support she needed to learn about herself and her eating habits, and how to turn her life around. She said: “I always knew my journey would be a marathon rather than a sprint, so the support of my group was invaluable.
“Everything I learned about my trigger foods (those foods that I found very difficult not to overeat) and potential pitfalls really helped me to understand myself as a slimmer, so for the first time I actually felt in control of my eating habits.
“Two weeks after I reached my target weight, I went on holiday to Portugal with my girlfriends. Imagine my surprise when for the first time in years, I didn’t need a seatbelt extender on the aeroplane!
“We had a fabulous time, and I didn’t worry about my weight at all.”
Sally recently reached the finals of Slimming World’s Greatest Loser competition, which celebrates the success of members who have achieved life-changing weight losses. She added: “After all these years of caring for others I’ve finally found time for me, and it’s a wonderful feeling.”
Sally’s consultant, Kelly Watts, who runs groups in Keynsham said: “We could not be prouder of Sally and everything she’s achieved. She has literally changed her life and the transformation in her is incredible.
"Even having lost ten stone and more she was still open to how she could make changes and achieve the weight losses she wanted, and this has been such an inspiration to so many members in group. Sally is also the kindest person who wants everyone else to succeed too.
"Her caring nature will never be lost, and we’re so lucky to have her with us in group each week.”
