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Wales Online

Elaine Blackburne

Slimming World mum ditched 11 stones in just over a year after cruel bullies taunted son

Slimming World Weight Loss

A mother-of-two lost 11 stones in just over a year stunning doctors with her transformation. Sophie Ratcliffe had tried all ways to lose weight but it took joining Slimming World to see a complete change in her health and appearance.

The 29-year-old, from Hayle in Cornwall, had prevously tried to lose weight in secret because she was afraid of being judged and was embarrassed about how much weight she felt she needed to lose. She even secretly hired a personal trainer, but nothing worked long term.

But fed up with trying to lose weight on her own and weighing 23st 13lbs, Sophie visited her GP who recommended a gastric band. When the date for the surgery came through though, Sophie decided not to go ahead with the operation.

She was determined to be healthier for her two children and develop long-lasting healthy habits that she could pass on to them too. So instead, she opted to join her local Slimming World group in September 2021, where she went on to lose 11st.

She says: “My health was declining rapidly, I couldn’t walk up the stairs without being out of breath or sitting down. I wasn’t sleeping and I did absolutely no exercise. My son was being bullied at school because of my weight which made me feel so guilty, but I didn’t know where to start when it came to changing things.

"During the lockdowns all I did was eat and bake with my children. When my friends mentioned they were joining the local Slimming World group, I decided to go with them and we joined the same day.

“I’d tried so many ways to lose weight, I never told anyone though because I was sure I wouldn’t succeed – just like all the times before. I even hired a personal trainer but along with the exercise plan there was a protein shake diet that I knew I wouldn’t be able to stick to long term because it left me hungry.

“When I joined Slimming World I was embarrassed at how big I’d become, but no one in the group every made me feel this way and I left the first session feeling hopeful for the first time. As soon as I understood how the eating plan worked – and that I wouldn’t have to give up all the foods I loved – and I met the other members who were such a lovely bunch of people, I knew I was safe and wasn’t going to be judged. Having the support of my group keeps me on track and lifts me up when I’ve had a tough week.

“Before joining my local group, I’d experienced one of the worst years of my life. In January 2021, I started having what we believed to be anxiety attacks, regularly around eight a day. I also had a major seizure which was initially misdiagnosed as brain cancer and turned out to be epilepsy. I was put on medication to control it because the seizures could have been fatal.

Sophie Radcliffe turned to Slimming World after a doctor recommended her to have a gastric band fitted (Colin Higgs)

“It was a very stressful time when I could easily have given up on my weight loss plans, yet because of the support of those around me, both in my Slimming World group and my friends and family, I knew I had to carry on. I’m so proud that during such a difficult time, I stayed on track with my weight loss plans.

"I know I couldn’t have done it if I was trying to lose weight on my own. My Slimming World group and Charlotte, the Consultant who runs it, have been there for me every step of the way.

“Since losing 11 stone, I’m a completely different person, I feel I’m better equipped to deal with what life throws at me and I’m not letting life pass me by. I’ve lost weight and I’ve not had a seizure since August.

"I feel like Slimming World has given me a new family and I know I’ve given myself the best chance I can to be a healthy mum. My son isn’t bullied anymore and both children are very proud of me. When they see pictures of me before I lost weight, they ask ‘Mummy, who’s that?’

“When I saw both my epilepsy nurse and my neurosurgeon recently, they couldn’t believe my transformation and they tried to impress on me that it’s saved my life. “I believe losing weight has saved my marriage, too.

"My husband was so upset as he said he was watching me lose the bubbly person I used to be.” says Sophie. “My children are so much healthier now as well and it’s brought us together more as a family – the great thing about Slimming World’s Food Optimising eating plan is that it’s all based on healthy foods so the whole family can enjoy the same meals and I don’t have to make different dinners for everyone.

“I’ve dropped 8 dress sizes, going from a size 26 to a size 12. Slimming World’s activity support programme helped me get more active at my own pace.

"I started doing a bit more week by week and now, from doing no exercise, I go to my local gym four or five times a week. I enjoy spinning and cardio and the occasional weight training. I now know that exercise can be fun and enjoyable which I never believed before.

“Losing weight has changed my life – I feel like a door has been opened and I’m excited to keep exploring what’s on the other side. Now when people see me out and about, they ask me what my secret is and how I’ve managed to lose weight and I can’t wait to tell them – and it’s funny my secret is that my weight loss goals aren’t a secret anymore!”

Sophie believes losing weight might have even saved her marriage (Slimming World)

Dr Jacquie Lavin, Special Advisor on the Science of Weight Management at Slimming World said: “Sophie’s story shows the power of the peer support members give one another is what sets Slimming World apart. Members become part of a community, which helps them to realise that they’re not alone in the challenges they face.

"That’s combined with a personalised approach which helps every member discover more about themselves as a slimmer, identify their own pitfalls and danger zones, and create plans to overcome them. As well as following the healthy eating plan which enables you to still eat the foods you love and becoming more active at your own pace, members are encouraged to dig deep into what motivates them, and to set realistic weekly goals to help them achieve their weight loss targets.”

Charlotte McCleary, who runs the Hayle Slimming World group and is Sophie’s Slimming World Consultant, said: “When Sophie first joined my group she was with some friends, and she didn’t seem convinced she was going to lose any weight at all. From that first week she just flew though and she’s become such an inspiration for all of us as we’ve seen her reach her target weight, losing an incredible 11st! We all care so much about her, she’s an amazing woman with a big heart – even with everything Sophie’s been coping with herself outside of group, she’s not stopped sharing tips and recipe ideas and caring for and supporting other members.”

New research has shown that joining a Slimming World group is more effective than losing weight alone as it’s revealed more than half (57%) of slimmers have dieted ‘in secret’ – many because of fears of being judged or failing. The study of 2,000 adults who are trying to slim down found that even of those who are open about losing weight, 83% have embarked on a weight loss attempt on their own.

The findings show that going it alone isn’t an easy or sure-fire way to achieve weight-loss success though. Over a quarter of secret slimmers say they struggle to feel motivated (28%) and a similar number (27%) agree it’s easy to go off track because no-one would know.

Led by the UK’s largest weight-loss organisation Slimming World, the research shows one in three secret dieters (31%) are worried about being judged for being overweight, while around the same number are embarrassed about needing to lose weight (32%). Some 35% admit to losing weight in secret so that if they fail no-one would know, and a fifth said this secretive approach to slimming made them feel lonely (20%) while 17% felt isolated.

Conversely, 87% of those who’d tried to lose weight in secret before joining a Slimming World group said they’d been more successful after they’d joined: 73% valued the support of other members and 90% said the accountability of the private weekly weigh-in was a key factor in helping them lose weight successfully.

The research also polled members of Slimming World’s 7,700 community weight loss groups and online programme. Prior to joining Slimming World, like Sophie 46% said they’d previously embarked on weight loss attempts without telling anyone, and more than half of these (59%) agreed they struggled to motivate themselves when solo dieting.

Nearly half (45%) of secret dieters say they’ve stopped a weight loss attempt on their own in the past as they struggled to resist temptation and 46% because they didn’t stick to their plans. When comparing their weight loss methods, 87% of members who’d tried to lose weight in secret before joining their local group said they’d been more successful losing weight as a member of Slimming World.

Some eight in 10 (80%) say a benefit of losing weight with other people is that you’re all on the same journey and can understand each other's goals, while 75% of members attributed their success to the effects of seeing the plan work.

Slimming World, the UK’s and Ireland’s leading weight management organisation who commissioned the research conducted by OnePoll, says the findings show people should embrace the encouragement and support of losing weight with others, even if that means stepping out of their comfort zones.

Sophie attends the Hayle Slimming World group run by Consultant Charlotte McCleary. For more information or to find your nearest group, visit slimmingworld.co.uk.