A mum shed an incredible six stones in eight months. after "hating" how she looked.
Nikki Panner weighed more than 17 stones (108kg) and was unhappy in her own skin.
She was desperate for some lovely pictures with her then-three-month-old daughter, but hated seeing herself.
The 19-year-old mum had struggled with her weight and couldn't look at herself.
Nikki told MyLondon she had tried different diets and struggled to find one which worked for her.
She said: "I remember that Christmas We were taking photos, and I just did not like myself. In one photo, I hated myself in it.
"I'd been struggling with my weight for a few years at that point, I just wanted to feel happy."
Following a suggestion from her mum, Nikki signed up to her local Slimming World group to begin her weight loss journey.
She'd tried many different diets in the past but never found one that worked for her, partly because she'd never really taken the time to cook for herself and her family, or spend time preparing nutritious, tasty meals.
"I barely cooked before, I never really took the time to," she explained.
"I [also] wasn't really active at that point: I'd had a C-section and I had quite a bad recovery, so I couldn't be too active.
"But I had time in the evening where I was able to just cook, so I found loads of Slimming World recipes that had what we call 'free food'.
"I spent that time for myself cooking dinner for my family."
Slimming World's 'free foods' are healthy staples that make up the bulk of a nutritious meal, and members are encouraged to eat as much 'free food' as they like, until they feel full.
They include things like lean meat and meat replacements, fish, dairy, eggs, pasta, rice, potatoes, vegetables and fruit - the main healthy food groups that are incorporated into a balanced meal.
Nikki, from Hillingdon, west London, said: "It was just small changes in the foods I was eating, the way I prepared food, and it just fit into my lifestyle.
"They were average meals that we'd have every day beforehand, but I learned how to cook them better. I started to really enjoy it, to learn [how to cook], it taught me a lot long-term and changed the way I looked at food."
"No foods are banned, so I never felt like I was restricted," she added.
"When I joined [Slimming World] I was breastfeeding, and obviously I needed extra calcium and fibre so Slimming World added that into my plans, I never felt like I had to give up or sacrifice anything - I could even have a chocolate bar if I needed to."
As Nikki started to shift the pounds through enjoying a balanced diet of nutritious, filling meals - and still enjoying the odd treat to avoid unsustainable, restrictive dieting - she felt able to be more active and found it easier to move more.
She began walking with her daughter as a relaxed way to exercise, and appreciated not feeling forced to go to the gym or endure strenuous exercise by her slimming plan.
Her weight loss didn't feel real until she saw photos of herself after losing around five stone.
She noticed a stark difference in how she looked compared to the photos she hated from Christmas, and started to feel more confident in her own skin.
After reforming her diet in January 2021, by August Nikki had lost six stone, or 38 kilograms.
This hasn't only transformed her body image, but also her family life: losing the weight helped Nikki, who has polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), conceive her second child.
Getting pregnant is difficult for people with PCOS, and one of the main symptoms of the condition is weight gain, which can make it even harder.
Losing so much weight is, therefore, a twofold success for Nikki, who feels happier and healthier while getting ready to welcome another child into the world.
"My doctors said it was going to be really difficult for me [to get pregnant], but I think losing the weight really helped," she said.
"I'm already noticing a difference in this pregnancy : "I'm going up the stairs so much quicker, I just feel more active, which is really nice."
While Nikki continues her new lifestyle, she's also about to embark on a new career as a Slimming World consultant, helping other people achieve their goals - she couldn't be more excited about her new job, or more proud of how far she's come.
