A Mayland woman is celebrating her 49-pound weight loss, and her improved mental health, thanks to the lifestyle changes she made at Slimming World.

Paula joined the Mayland Slimming World group in January last year and has since lost a total of 3st 7lbs, reaching her target weight.

She said: "I have struggled with my mental health for many years which lead to comfort eating, weight gain, discomfort and negativity, which added to my poor mental health."

Thanks to twice-daily walks with her dog and getting more physically active, Paula won a 'Platinum Body Magic Award', part of Slimming World's unique activity programme.

A Slimming World spokesperson said: "Paula's inspirational story backs up research showing that people who struggle with Mental Health can see improvements to their wellbeing by following Slimming World's generous and healthy Food Optimising plan, and by getting more active through our Body Magic plan."

Being overweight affected many aspects of Paula's life, including health worries, difficulty finding clothes that fit, and struggling to carry out everyday tasks without feeling out of breath.

She said: "I always felt like I was lacking energy, and like I was on a slippery slope to gaining more and more weight. I didn't really see a way out."

Paula attributes her success to the support from her consultant, Kay Driscoll, along with fellow Slimming World members.

"The welcome I received at my local group was incredible. We share recipes and ideas for getting active, and it's useful to get tips from other members.

"With support, I made some simple changes to the way I shopped, cooked, and ate - and was encouraged to get more active. This really improved my mental wellbeing."

Mayland Slimming World meetings are held every Tuesday at 3.30pm, 5.30pm, and 7pm; and Wednesdays from 9.30am, at St Barnabas Family Centre. For more information, contact Kay Driscoll on 07889 143 934.

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