A determined young woman told how she was bullied in her teens for being overweight but
now, after losing almost five stone, she’s got her confidence back.
Erin Ryle, from Kildare, had struggled with her weight all her life until she discovered Slimming World.
The 24-year-old told the Irish Mirror: “Even when I was in 5th or 6th class in school, I was quite big compared to everyone else.
“In secondary school I started to notice my weight because I was bullied.
“I was picked on, it was more like sly remarks from girls and stuff and making fun of me was normal. It was hard but I got through it.”
When Erin started college it was only when a concerned nurse asked her if she had considered losing weight that the penny dropped.
She said: “The bullying never even spurred me on to lose weight but when the nurse told me it would affect my future, it got me motivated.
“I tried personal training, but I couldn’t stick to all the plain foods – no chocolate or nothing. It was so restrictive.”
After a holiday with her boyfriend in September 2019, she knew something drastic had to happen.
Erin added: “Every photo from that holiday in Portugal, I thought, ‘Oh my God, I look so fat’. I wouldn’t even look at the surroundings, it was just look how awful I look.
“I was 15st 4lbs and I’m quite short and I carry a lot of weight on my stomach.
“My brother got type two diabetes later in life. I thought, ‘Oh God, what if that happens to me’".
After joining Slimming World she began to eat more healthily and the weight fell off.
She revealed: “It was purely watching my food until I started to get fit in April 2020 as I had more time. It’s not a secret.
“All the things I’ve learnt I would have known, but Slimming World makes everything really clear and simple and breaks it down.
“I used to eat pre-made meals and jars of
sauces but now I make everything from scratch and I’m never hungry.
“I still have chocolate every day now but only
a small portion.
“I’m about 10st 9lbs and a size 10 to 12.
“In total I lost 4st 9lbs One of my go-tos are the little Cadbury’s Freddo bars and if didn’t have any other sins in a day, technically I could have three of them.
“It’s all about eating more fruit and vegetables on your plate as they will speed up your weight loss. Loads of people in my group started the couch to 5K and after a few weeks I managed to keep it going and I can run the 5K now.”
