Mayland woman loses 7 stone thanks to Slimming World

Kathleen Stevens, from Mayland, will be celebrating her 80th birthday in August.

The 79-year-old has given herself an early birthday present, saving her own life after shedding more than a third of her body weight.

At her heaviest, Kathleen weighed 19 stone, with a previous GP visit seeing her diagnosed with type two diabetes.

She joined the Mayland Slimming World group in March 2022, inspired to embark on a weight loss journey by her good friend Carol who died several years ago.

Before - an older image of Kathleen Stevens before she started her weight loss journey (Image: Mayland Slimming World)

Katheleen said: “I was disappointed with where I had let myself get to.

“Being overweight impacted so many aspects of my life, from worrying about my health, struggling to find clothes to fit, to not being able to do simple everyday tasks without feeling out of breath.

“Losing weight has literally saved my life, last year five stone into my weight loss, I was rushed into hospital following a heart attack and had bypass surgery.

“Had I not lost the weight and got fitter I would not have survived.”

Now, she has completely changed the way she shops for food, cooks and eats, while being more physically active.

Even with mobility issues, Kathleen purchased an exercise bike, starting at one minute a day of cycling up to 30 minutes a day.

She has also taken on toning exercises while sitting in a chair.

After - a recent image of Kathleen Stevens after her weighloss (Image: Mayland Slimming World)

Thanks to her hard work, Kathleen’s diabetes has gone into remission, and she’s earned Slimming World’s Platinum Body Magic award.

She said she found the support she received from fellow members of the Slimming World group very helpful, with everyone sharing food recipes, strategies, and ideas for getting active.

For more information on the Mayland Slimming World Group, contact Kay Driscoll on 07889 143934.