'I changed my life once and for all after guilt over a birthday present from my son'

Christine Connor spent years juggling the demands of parenting and work. Her quality changed and she went connected a value nonaccomplishment travel - but it was guilt implicit a contiguous that led to lasting change

An overweight grandma has revealed however a acquisition from her lad caused her truthful overmuch guilt that she ditched her unhealthy manner for good. Christine Connor mislaid assurance aft spending years juggling the demands of parenting alongside a full-time job.

The 66-year-old gran-of-10 recovered herself surviving disconnected acceptable meals and convenience nutrient arsenic a effect of her engaged lifestyle. Her unhealthy habits led her to extremity the scales astatine 17st 4lbs.

She vowed to alteration her life. But her inspirational value nonaccomplishment travel had its ups and downs, with periods of advancement followed by despair arsenic she recovered it hard to support the value off. It was a acquisition from her lad that yet gave her the determination to succeed.

Christine said: “After my 5th child, I was precise overweight. I was moving afloat clip and moving astir aft 5 children. I was surviving disconnected acceptable meals and convenience food.

“This went connected for years, but during that time, I enactment connected much value and stopped socialising arsenic I was ashamed of however I looked and the information I didn’t person the assurance to deterioration fitted clothing.

“I was truthful embarrassed. I knew I was overweight arsenic I’d stopped buying apparel oregon going out, but I hadn’t realised I was a formal size 24. I was devastated.”

Ahead of renewing her 25th wedding day vows, Christine decided to motion up for Slimming World on with 1 of her daughters.

“On uncovering retired however upset I was (about my weight), my girl told me, ‘I cognize however you feel, I consciousness the aforesaid way,’” the gran said. “I knew past that not lone did I person to assistance myself, much importantly I had to assistance my daughter.”

Christine, from Gatley successful Stockport, went connected to shed a whopping 5 chromatic successful conscionable 18 months. She recalls feeling “buzzing” implicit the unthinkable value loss.

But engaged enactment commitments meant her radical attendance dwindled. Noticing her value was creeping up again, Christine yet gained a chromatic and stopped attending the radical altogether, she told the MEN.

Three chromatic implicit her perfect weight, she spent 2 years trying to slim down again but gained different stone. Everything came to a caput erstwhile her lad bought Christine and her hubby tickets to spot stone set The Moody Blues arsenic a present.

“My lad saved up and bought my hubby and I tickets to spell and spot a concert,” she said. "I refused to spell owed to my value and the information I’d mislaid each the assurance I ever had. This truly upset my lad and helium ended up going successful my place. I ne'er forgave myself.”

Christine decided to re-join Slimming World and began attending martial arts classes alongside her grandchildren. She besides signed up to a gym and took up aerobics and Pilates.

Her caller steadfast manner meant the pounds rapidly began to driblet off, and by 2019, the gran weighed successful astatine 10st 5bs – a full nonaccomplishment of 7 stone. She present fits into size 10 clothes.“

I americium present precise confident,” she said. “I americium blessed astir my value and passionate astir Slimming World, workout and martial arts. I’m going for my achromatic loop adjacent year.

“The champion proposal I tin springiness is to support going to classes and stay. It’s the champion happening that ever happened to me. The support, assistance and recognize you get from people is amazing. I request the support."

Christine has present been fixed the accidental to tally her precise ain Slimming World group. “I’m truthful excited to beryllium capable to enactment others connected their value nonaccomplishment journey, arsenic I person been supported,” she said. “We are going to person the champion group.”