Slimmer’s life transformed by seven stone weight loss

Paige Elsender weighed in at 23st 6lbs before the Covid-19 pandemic but has trimmed down to 16st 2lbs – and watched her dress size tumble from a 28 to a 14.

"Before losing weight, I didn’t really think about what I was eating,” she admits. “I never used to make my own meals from scratch.

"I used to go out night clubbing a lot and would eat takeaways when I went out. My biggest downfall was cheese!”

“I make all of my meals from scratch now, which I much prefer – and I will now eat most vegetables, whereas in the past I wouldn’t touch anything except carrots.”

Now, the 23-year-old from Shiremoor is reaping the rewards of a change in lifestyle.

"I wanted to lose weight because I felt unhealthy, unhappy and I couldn’t and I didn’t want participate in other things that other people were doing,” she explained.

“I was conscious of my weight all of the time. I was scared to sit on wooden benches in beer gardens in case they broke or tipped.

“Being slimmer, I’m a lot more confident, I’m so much happier, I feel free and I don’t feel scared to do “normal” things anymore."

She hopes to continue her weight loss journey at the West Allotment branch of Slimming World in the new year – with ice skating and a skydive on her ‘to do' list.

“Slimming World was the best thing I have ever done, not just for my physical health but for my mental health as well,” said Paige.

"I suffer from bad anxiety and depression which takes a toll on my day to day life, however in losing weight I’ve gained more confidence to tackle some of the things that make me anxious, such as going out alone.

"I can go into town on my own now, I can get on public transport, I’m able to talk to people and it has given me even more confidence at work as well. I have more energy too. I’d never have done that prior to losing weight.”