Lesley’s half the woman she was!

Lesley Chappell, from Berwick, has lost over eight stone in weight.

Lesley Chappell weighed in at 19st 2lbs at her heaviest but has now trimmed down to 11st and a size 12/14.

And she says she feels ‘happy, fit and sexy’ as a result.

It is all a far cry from November 2016 when she attended her first Slimming World session.

Lesley was over 19st before her weight loss.

"I didn’t think I needed to lose weight,” said the 48-year-old amusements manager. “I went to a group with a couple of mates to try and get one of their daughters to join.

"I sat in my introductory meeting and didn’t get it at all and said no way will I stick to this.

"I lost 6.5 pounds in my first week and started to understand what I was doing!”

Lesley admits she used to hate looking in the mirror and being overweight left her feeling sad, lonely and ugly.

“I was 24/26 (dress size),” she recalled. “I could only buy horrible clothes.

“I used to hide in my clothes so people didn’t see how big I was. I was unfit, unhappy but hid it with a smile and by being the class clown all the time.”

Takeaways and alcohol were her guilty pleasures in the past.

“I didn’t used to eat until after work which was always takeaway and lots of alcohol,” she reveals. “I drank every day at least half a bottle of vodka with red bull. My favourite takeaway was Indian which I could eat two or three times a week, every week.”

It’s all changed now with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables in her diet.

"I never ate veg before starting Slimming World but now it’s lots of fresh fruit and veg and homemade meals ,” said Lesley. “I eat meat at least once a day every day now. And lots of fish.”

She has also become a regular runner and gym-goer.

“I started running in the first lockdown to pass time and to try and help get to my seven stone (weight loss target) just a little bit at a time.

“Now I run 10-15k five days a week and go to the gym. I couldn’t even walk 10k before without struggling.”