A mum says she "finally feels sexy" after dropping from size 24 to 12 in a single year.
Yo-yo dieter Shel Jowett “tried every diet going” in a 30-year battle to lose weight.
She frequently shed the pounds but always put the weight back on afterwa4rds.
Finally, Shel found her “perfect” Slimming World group, and since January 2019 has lost 6st in weight.
She is now focusing on taking part in 12 challenges for charity to celebrate turning 50, Hull Live reports.
“I never dreamt I would be able to lose weight,” said the 49-year-old, who works for Rape Crisis.
“I would read stories of people in magazines who had transformed their bodies, and I just couldn’t understand how they had done it.
“I would try everything, but I just couldn’t seem to shift my weight. I love food, I could eat for England, and when I had my children I piled on the weight.
“I never seemed to feel full, and I was always looking for something to eat next. I would get home from work and my night would be spent on the sofa with bags of crisps or bars of chocolate.”
She enrolled at Slimming World in January.
“I made so many new friends and the consultant, Anna, is just incredible,” she said.
“I lost 2.5st quite quickly, which gave me the confidence to start exercising so I joined the council gyms at Beverley Road and Woodford.
“It was always my dream to wear a little black dress for Christmas Eve, but every year that didn’t happen, but this year I wore a short, red, sequined dress that was a size 12 and I felt a million dollars. I finally felt sexy.”
After losing the staggering amount of weight, Shel says she was left with a “kangaroo pouch”, and she went under the knife several months ago for a tummy tuck.
“My belly just hung and it was really holding my confidence back, but since I have had the surgery I feel even sexier,” she said.
“My family have been so supportive, and my husband told me he loves me no matter what weight I am, but it’s all about how you feel in yourself.
“I went naked on a beach on holiday, which I would never have done before, and it was so exhilarating to be able to do that.”
To celebrate turning 50 in March 2020, Shel has organised to do 12 challenges for different charities, starting with Veganuary.
“I’m a massive meat eater so this is going to be tough for me, but it’s all for a worthy cause,” she said.
“I’m also running the Miami Half Marathon in February, in aid of Hull Women’s Centre, which I never thought I would be able to do.
“The other challenges include abseiling for Hull Rape Crisis, climbing Mount Snowdon for Mind, shaving my hair off for Macmillan and running the 10k Tough Mudder for Paws Dog Rescue.
“I just hope people who want to lose weight can see that I’ve done it, and I never thought I would, it gives them some inspiration.”
Anyone wanting to donate to Shel’s charity events can do so by clicking here .
