A mum-of-three who was “ashamed” of her own body looks unrecognisable after shedding seven stone.
Before she decided to lose weight, Pat Taylor from Ellesmere Port, tipped the scales at 19st 1.5lbs and was a size 24/26 in clothes.
The 52-year-old said her diet mainly consisted of frozen food and takeaways which she now admits was down to “laziness.”
READ MORE: Price slashed on 'stunning' mini-mansion set within huge grounds
Pat said she didn’t realise just how much weight she had gained until she went to buy an outfit for her daughter’s wedding and they didn’t make the outfits she liked in her size.
This was the wake up call Pat needed to start losing weight and she signed up to her local Slimming World group in Ellesmere Port.
Pat told the ECHO: "I knew I'd put weight on but I didn’t think I was as big as I was.
"One day I just decided I wanted to be a bit slimmer for my daughter’s wedding and I don’t want to be having to hide behind the crowds.
"That was really it then and my daughter came with me.”
Pat’s “turning point” came when her daughter’s wedding was postponed due to coronavirus restrictions and she decided to stay at Slimming World and continue losing weight.
Pat said this decision has been life changing and she has now lost an incredible seven stone and wears size 14 clothes.
She said: “Before I lost the weight in all fairness, I would be honest I got lazy. When we had the grandkids I would rather have ordered a take out.
“Everything was frozen, whatever I ate - it was just out the freezer. There was nothing homemade, whereas now everything I eat right down to my chips are all homemade.
“The only time anything gets frozen is if I buy it in bulk like mince, then I freeze it and unfreeze it when I need it."
"Before I could just sit and eat crisps, crisps, crisps, chocolate bars and I could pig out on sweets. Now if I feel hungry I make frozen grapes and blueberries, I do a salad box and I’ll go and nibble on them.”
Pat said her weight had affected her self confidence and had an impact on her physical health, leaving her suffering from back pain and high blood pressure, which has now been reduced.
Pat added: “Going out with friends, I couldn’t do it before; I did the odd time but I never felt comfy in whatever I wore, I always wanted to sit in the corner where no one could see.
“I’d rather just stay in and everything I wore was baggy.
"I was ashamed of my own body to be honest because I’d let it go to the size it was. It wasn’t intentional to do it but I did it, but now I would never go back that way.
“Now I just want to go out there and let everyone see that I’ve become as I call myself, 'a slim Jim’ now.
“I just feel ten times better in myself, when I get up in the morning I feel good about myself.”
"I've got a lot more energy and I can do a lot more activities with the grandkids."
Pat said Slimming World “is not a diet, it’s a healthy lifestyle."
Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here.
She added: “It’s made me sit back and realise that i can have what I want, I just do it the healthier way."
Slimming World consultant Chris Robinson said: "I couldn't be prouder of Pat for sticking with it even though there was times when she did struggle and did find it hard.
"It's an amazing feeling to know that she's absolutely changed her life."
