SARAH Stubbs is half the woman she was - and she feels amazing.

Inspired by her own weight loss experience, Sarah is now preparing to pass on the benefits to others when she launches her own Slimming World class on April 24 at St Martin’s Church, Haworth Road, Heaton.

For Sarah, losing weight has been life transforming - becoming a Slimming World consultant has also given her a new career after spending many years caring for various family members.

Her own weightloss journey began when she joined her local Slimming World group at the Fairweather Event Hall, Fairweather Green, in her home city of Bradford on July 20 2017.

“I had always been overweight since being an adult,” explains the 47-year-old.

Being a mum to teenagers Sarah says: “Life takes over and you become the lowest priority.”

Sarah puts her weight gain down to not having regular meals. “The worst thing for me was not eating all day - I was so busy doing everything else and eating anything you could get hold of. A crisp sandwich was quick and easy, toast with lots of butter on.”

Teatime would invariably be a takeaway “and the weight creeps up and up,” she says.

Yet she admits she remained in denial. “I was in denial. I thought I’m not really as big as this. When I looked in the mirror I didn’t look as though I had changed.”

Sarah’s turning point was the physical impact her weight gain was having on her health. Struggling to walk up and down stairs, and seeking out parking spaces close to where she needed to be gave her the impetus to do something about it.

“It got to where I couldn’t walk up and down stairs without being out of breath,” she recalls.

“I thought I cannot keep doing this - I need to start losing a bit of weight.”

Sarah had previously tried to lose weight but made her meals too restrictive. Although she ended up losing some weight she also put it back on - and more.

Following a conversation with her aunt, Sarah decided to join her local Slimming World session. Incidentally, they joined their local Slimming World groups on the same day!

“Walking into that group to find you can eat lots of food so you are always full was like a revelation,” Sarah recalls.

Stepping on the scales she couldn’t believe she weighed 23 stone 10 and a half pounds. At that time she was wearing size 26 clothing. “It shocked the life out of me.”

Sarah thought she would struggle to lose two stone - but she lost 13 and a half pounds in the first two weeks.

“Right from day one when I first got the plan you think there is no way you can eat all that food and lose weight. I walked out determined to be the person who could prove Slimming World wrong and I lost eight pound in the first week so I didn’t prove them wrong, I proved them right!”

Seeing the weight coming off was sufficient incentive for Sarah not only to achieve her weight loss target - she ended up surpassing it! Her intention was to slim down to a size 14 - she actually trimmed down to a size 10 after losing a staggering 12 stone 10 and a half pounds.

“I have lost over 50 per cent of my starting weight,” says Sarah.

It took her 19 months to trim down and she explains she achieved it through healthier eating and exercise - she regularly attends the gym after initially working out to DVDs at home.

“It was buying the right ingredients and cooking it in the right way,” says Sarah, adding how she would buy low fat mince to prepare family favourites such as spaghetti bolognese and Shepherd’s pie.

Sarah also credits the encouragement and support she received through her consultant, Mandy Crowther, fellow members and the certificates she received recognising her slimming success.

“I went and I embraced the whole Slimming World plan, the whole Slimming World group, and as soon as you start to feel better each day is one step further towards wherever you want to be.

“Be confident in yourself, you can do it and don’t think you can’t do it. It can absolutely work for everybody whether you have got seven pounds, seven stone or 17 stone to lose - it can work for everybody. Be confident in yourself - you can do it because everybody can.”

Sarah’s Slimming World consultant, Mandy Crowther, says: “Sarah has become an amazing inspirational member within the Fairweather Green Group. She has embraced all that is part of our Slimming World group. She walked in as a nervous lady without much “self belief “ and has really blossomed into a confident member who stays to group every week and her enthusiasm is so contagious she shows members what is possible with determination and belief in Slimming World.

“This belief is why she has gone on to become a colleague of mine and become a Slimming World consultant where I know she will go on to inspire members in her new Heaton group.”

Sarah’s class launches on April 24 and runs at 7.30pm on Wednesdays at St Martin’s Church, Haworth Road, Heaton.

For more information about Slimming World, or to get involved, visit: https://www.slimmingworld.co.uk.