Slimmer Jill's life transformed by eight stone weight loss

Jill Rutherford was diagnosed with breast cancer and her oncologist said her obesity and unhealthy lifestyle were major factors.

She was advised to re-join Slimming World after her treatment and this time she stuck with the programme, which has resulted in her going from 20st 10lbs at her heaviest to 12st 7lbs at present – a loss of 8st 3lbs.

The 53-year-old said: “I had to change my unhealthy lifestyle for good this time as my weight was affecting every aspect of my life.

“I love my Slimming World group because it’s so supportive, friendly and welcoming.

“Everyone is in the same boat with more or less the same struggles. I get so many tips, advice and recipes, it’s the highlight of my week.

“Before Slimming World I didn’t really have any structure to my eating pattern.

“Although most days I would not eat until early evening, by that time I did I was so hungry I would grab anything. I used to eat out at restaurants at least three days a week, then have takeaways every weekend.

“If I filled my car up at the garage, it was the norm to buy two or three bars of chocolate and eat them all before I even got home because in my head if nobody saw me eat, it then it didn’t happen.

“My eating habits have changed so much since joining Slimming World and I’ve even started cooking myself.

“With roast dinners, I love to pile my plate with all my favourite vegetables like cabbage, turnip and potatoes.

“I still like to eat out occasionally, and if I do I make much better choices, but to be honest the meals me and my husband make at home are far more tastier and more filling.

“Before I re-joined Slimming World, I was so unfit that walking up a flight of stairs was hard.

“Now I can run 5k (albeit slowly), I go to my local gym weight training three nights a week and I walk my son’s puppy for miles.”

For more information and to join a local Slimming World group, go to www.slimmingworld.co.uk