When Jan Steele needed to buy a bigger bath for her home, she knew her family's lifestyle needed to change.
Bathtimes were no longer relaxing for her autistic son Adam, 25, as he "just fitted" in the tub.
And weighing 22st 1.5lb and wearing a 5XL by 23-years-old, Jan was worried about her son's health.
The 48-year-old said: "I took him to the doctors because he wouldn't stop eating, he just constantly grazed.
"He was even hitting the sugar bowl and I thought that’s not normal."
She added: "We used to go to the bingo for a couple of hours and in that time he would eat a full big bag of chocolate, a chicken parmo with chips and salad, a bag of sweets, two pints of full-fat pop and any leftovers from me and his sister Amie."
Adam's erratic eating habits led Jan to believe that her son had Prader-Willi syndrome, a rare genetic condition that can cause an excessive appetite and overeating.
But when doctors ruled out the condition, Jan, who is a full-time carer for Adam, was eager to develop a healthier lifestyle.
With holidays to Disneyland and Spain booked in 2020, she decided to ask Adam if he would join Slimming World.
And now the duo, from County Durham, have transformed their lives after losing over 12st between them.
Jan said: "I thought I’d be over the moon if we lost a stone in a year, so I'm gobsmacked at just how much we've achieved.
"Adam is an inspiration and when I see how far he's come I just feel so proud."
The life-skills student has lost almost 7st in a year-and-a-half, weighing 14st 11lb and now comfortably fits into size large clothing.
He smashed his goal to be within the 15st range by Christmas and has been awarded Mr Sleek twice, as well as Man of the Year.
Jan has also dropped an impressive six dress sizes, from a 24 to a 10-12, after slimming down from 16st 10.5lb to 10st 13lb.
And although their planned holidays were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, the pair are more excited for their trips due to their new-found confidence.
The mum-of-two, from Hartlepool, added: "We love how we look and feel now.
"I would never go on rides or be in photos when we were on holiday. I was always the one saying 'I'll hold the bags' or 'I'll take the photos'.
"My daughter once said to me 'Mam, we have no photos of you at all' and that's sad to think about.
"But now I can't wait to go on holiday, to go on the rides and be in the photos, and go in the pool."
Joining Slimming World has been life-changing for Adam, who was diagnosed with autism at two years old.
Jan explained that it's not only transformed his health and fitness, but improved his social skills and provided him with a new hobby.
He enjoys calculating the 'syns' in food and, when groups can meet face-to-face, he helps out by handing out awards and stickers to members.
Jan added: "I was so worried when I joined Slimming World because I didn't know how Adam would be in the group, or how people would perceive him.
"But I was blown away by how comfortable he felt when he was there. He stayed for the full hour and I couldn't believe it.
"It's totally transformed his life and he's even received an award at college for his wellbeing awareness - his journey has been so inspirational."
