Francesca will always remember the "heart-breaking" moment she realised her nine-months pregnant sister was wearing clothes in a smaller size than her.
She had been concerned about her size for some time, and was even diagnosed with swelling on her brain - thought to be linked to her weight.
Despite being called the "chubby" twin once at school, the 34-year-old from Sale only started to put weight on when she joined a fast-paced graduate scheme in 2012.
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Having to travel regularly with work, as well as the strain of early shifts with late nights, and regular hotel stays, meant that unhealthy habits crept into her life.
Coupled with the fact her partner was working shifts, it meant Francesca had no motivation or ability to cook properly for herself and found it easier to order a takeaway.
Her "self-loathing" led to her emotionally eating and, after worrying about her weight for a while, she was diagnosed with swelling on the brain which was leading to migraines and eyesight problems.
When Francesca discovered her hypertension was likely related to her weight, in August 2019, she joined Slimming World and radically overhauled her diet and lifestyle.
Four years later, she has now lost 5st 11.5lb and just completed the Manchester Marathon. Now, she is gearing up to take part in the London Marathon on Sunday (April 23).
Speaking about her incredible weight loss journey, Francesca said: "My Slimming World group means so much to me. I look forward to every Thursday night – I feel welcome, safe, and not judged for how my week has gone, and without fail I leave feeling inspired and ready to have a great week. It’s a lot of fun actually!"
Francesca ditched Chinese takeaways and pizza and followed Slimming World’s Food Optimising healthy eating plan, and took up running.
"Since getting to my target weight, I have now been discharged from hospital and I was commended by the neurosurgeon for being able to resolve my eyesight issues without any medical intervention," she said.
"He told me I’m one of the very few patients he’s seen achieve this. I wanted to frame his discharge note crediting my newly found love of running and Slimming World for this, I was so proud!
"As well as this, I now no longer have to take blood pressure medication – in fact, at my last check up the nurse said my heart rate and blood pressure are now more like that of an "athlete" because they are on the low side due to the amount of running I do."
Francesca is joining a 14-strong team of Slimming World members, consultants, Head Office staff and managers from across the UK, who have lost more than a total of 79st.
The runners are raising money for Cancer Research UK, the Irish Cancer Society and Alzheimer’s Research UK - Slimming World’s official charity partners.
"I want to raise as much money as possible for Cancer Research UK whilst running the London Marathon – so many people’s lives are touched by cancer, and I can’t think of a better cause," she said.
"I had a minor cancer scare myself last year and it was a wakeup call that it really does happen to anyone, at any time. Raising money for Cancer Research UK can help make a real difference."
Money raised for Cancer Research UK, Irish Cancer Society and Alzheimer’s Research UK helps fund life-saving research. Anyone who would like to sponsor the Slimming World Marathon team can do so by visiting: https://justgiving.com/campaign/SW-LondonMarathon2023.
For more information or to find your nearest group, visit slimmingworld.co.uk.
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