A champion slimmer has lost more than half her body weight after realising she was eating her way to an early grave.
At her biggest Wendy Deacon weighed 22st 4lb and was a 32 dress size.
The 5ft 5inch Dublin woman decided things needed to change when she heard second hand that her daughter was worried she'd eat herself to death.
Spurred into action, she embarked on a slimming journey that would change her life, help her shed 12st and see her crowned Slimming World's Woman of the Year.
Wendy said: "I started gaining weight in my twenties and despite coming across as jolly and smiley, inside, I felt anything but. I desperately wanted to change but I didn’t know how.
"I was breathless, my joints were painful and at a doctor’s appointment where I said I was afraid of having a heart attack I was told I was pre-diabetic and at serious risk of having a stroke – and then I’d really be in trouble.
"It was getting to the point where I felt uneasy whenever I left the house."
The 49-year-old's confidence took a real knock when a boy in the street offered a dose of cruel honesty.
"I remember once a small boy pointed at me in the street and said ‘look at that fat lady’ to his mother," Wendy continued.
"She tried to hush him, but the damage was done. I’d never felt so embarrassed, I just wanted the ground to swallow me up."
"The turning point came when I found out that my daughter, Amy, had confided in my mum that she was worried I’d eat myself to death.
"Hearing that broke my heart and I knew I needed to change. The thought of my daughter being so worried about my health really spurred me into action."
When her daughter's words were reported to her, Wendy decided to act.
She said: "I’d tried lots of fad diets in the past. Everything worked for a little while, but they were quick fixes and I could never stick to them for very long.
"This time around I had to tackle my weight for good. I knew that Slimming World was based on eating everyday foods and never going hungry, so it seemed like the perfect fit.
"I also knew that, especially at the start of my weight loss, I needed motivation to help me stick with my commitment."
Wendy's fears that she would be the biggest person at Slimming World and wouldn't fit in vanished when she was met with open arms by her consultant Barbara.
She set off changing her diet to one based on food she could make from scratch.
"I fell in love with proper food and discovered so many different new dishes," she said.
"It’s a world away from the takeaways and rich, heavy sauces I used to eat. I now enjoy cooking healthy, filling meals like stir fries and spaghetti bolognese and batch cook when I can."
Now she has lost more than half of her body weight, Wendy's day-to-day life is hugely different.
"Losing half my body weight has inspired me to become more active," she continued.
"I used to struggle to climb a flight of stairs, so nobody was more surprised than me when I started to enjoy exercise.
"I’m often out walking at 7am and I ran a 5k with my daughter recently, something I’d never have been able to do at my heaviest."
The massive weight loss has also worked wonders for her love life.
Wendy said: "My fiance Dave and I have been engaged for a long time, but I never really felt brave enough to actually get married.
"Finally having the confidence to go wedding dress shopping was a huge moment for me.
"Before I would have just chosen whatever would fit me, but now I’m asking for size 10 and 12 outfits, it’s just an incredible feeling.
"I haven’t been able to do that for 25 years."
The best part of losing the weight is changing the way her daughter views her.
"By far the best thing about losing weight though is seeing the pride in my family’s faces – especially Amy’s," she said.
"I’ve finally started to feel proud of myself too. The idea of my little girl worrying about my future was heart-breaking – but now I’m really excited about my future and can’t wait to live every moment."
