How super slimmer Dawn transformed her life by losing more than 10 stone

Dawn Hepworth joined her local Slimming World group in Heckmondwike in August 2019 and has never looked back.

Now, she has trained as a consultant for Slimming World, the UK’s largest group-based weight loss organisation, at their national training academy in Derbyshire.

Members welcomed Dawn as their new consultant when she took over the group on Tuesday, March 1.

The latest Government figures reveal that around one in four adults are obese and it is estimated that, by 2034, this will increase to one in three.

Dawn said: “My new role has never been more important. The support. encouragement and care that is guaranteed in our groups makes such a difference to everyone that joins group.

“I know that both the group and myself can make a huge difference to anyone in our community that wants to lose weight, improve their health and become more active and I can’t wait to welcome both new members and support current members on their weight-loss journey."

Dawn added: “When I first joined group I was so nervous and worried because I knew I would be the biggest person there. What would people think or say?

"Despite this, I plucked up the courage to go along after speaking to my friend who’d recently joined a group and was doing really well and was loving it.

"I’d had a sneaky peak at her pack she’d left on the coffee table and couldn’t believe how many foods she could eat. I was intrigued more than I was nervous and decided to go along.

"I didn’t know then however this would be the best decision I’ve ever made.

"Food had always been my comfort and support for as long as I could remember. It was my go to in times of feeling sad. bad, happy etc.

"I was never a confident teenager and has body image issues. At aged 14, a family friend had said to me “eh, aren’t you ugly!” and this set me off into a spiral of self destruction.

"I didn’t want to go out, see friends and instead I stayed in and ate and ate.

"When I started work I made friends and felt more confident, however my weight affected how I lived my life and how I felt about me all the time. Always painting a smile on my face when I felt embarrassed and self conscious, constantly worrying about what size the chairs would be, would there be enough room between furniture for me to move around?

"The humiliation of strangers commenting on my size and how I looked, the whispering and laughing, they all added to my low self-esteem and I would always walk looking down so as not to catch anyone’s attention.

"Then there was the moment when I realised that something had to change, I didn’t want to live the rest of my life like this.

"I was on an plane going to America. I could see passengers thinking 'I hope she doesn’t sit next to me'.

"I sat in my seat and as the arms and seat pressed against me, I realised that the seatbelt wouldn’t fasten. Feeling so ashamed, I asked for an extension and pretended it didn’t matter.

"As tears welled in my eyes I kept that smile on my face. Throughout the holiday I knew I would need to do the same thing on the way home.

"When I got home, I searched online and found a group I could attend in Heckmondwike.

"I remember walking in on my first day and Sue, my consultant, welcomed me with a huge smile and the group were so warm and welcoming. No one judged me, no one commented and everyone was kind.

"I set my own targets, I didn’t have to say no to anything, I could eat potatoes, bread, rice, even crisps. I left group feeling so excited and raring to go.

"I kept going to group every week and soaked up all the ideas, support and encouragement.

"I was awarded my Club 10 certificate which I was so proud of as I knew this meant I’d made a huge improvement to my health by losing 10 per cent of my starting weight.

"I loved seeing the award stickers on my book, they were a sign of my success.

“Like a lot of slimmers, I had tried to lose weight so many times before by following numerous diets but they were never sustainable because I’d always get tired of restricting what I ate.

"I thought I was destined to struggle with my weight for the rest of my life, but when I came to Slimming World it was different.

"I never felt like I was on a diet. I couldn’t believe I’d found a way to lose weight without starving myself."

Diane Cave, who runs Slimming World’s Tingley group and manages Dawn as a team developer, said: “Slimming World consultants are chosen for their positive outlook and because they genuinely care about the health and happiness of others.

"With Dawn’s experience of being a successful Slimming World member and her kind and warm personality and great sense of humour I just know that she’ll be an amazing support to members, cheering them all the way to their target weight.”

Dawn’s Slimming World group is held at The Comrades Club every Tuesday at 6.30pm. For more information or to join Dawn’s group, either pop along on a meeting night or call her on 07808 762753.