Colchester mum drops four dress sizes in seven months, but confesses she can’t give up chocolate

Alice Turburville now leads Slimming World group after losing two stones on the programme.

Even after dropping four dress sizes and shedding two stone, Alice Turburville confesses she still has a sweet tooth.

But instead of reaching for biscuits, sugar laden cereals and her favourite sweet treat, chocolate, throughout the day, she overhauled her diet in 2015 by making healthier choices and has cut down on the sugary snacks - going from a size 16 to a slim line 8-10 in around seven months.

The mum-of-two and part time supply teacher has seen her life completely turn around for the better after she decided “enough was enough” in May last year and joined her local Slimming World group.

However, self-confessed choc-o-holic Alice, 38, from Colchester, believes moderation is key when it comes to maintaining health and happiness, admitting she still allows herself to have the odd treat since losing weight.

She said: “I have carried on eating chocolate, I’m kind of addicted to it, if I didn’t I think I’d end up having another splurge.

“It’s embarrassing really, I used to buy a pack of four chocolate bars or biscuits and they wouldn’t last the day.

“When I was tired or stressed I just reached for sugary food, it’s so easily done.

“I’d grab whatever I could - huge bowls of sugary cereals in the morning for example - you don’t realise how bad all that is for you.

“You need to make sure you’re aware of what’s in what you are eating.”

Alice first started to see her weight creep up after she had children. Having her two sons Justin and Matthew, now aged eight and seven, so close together meant she didn’t try to lose weight following her first pregnancy.

After her second baby was born, Alice said she was an “uncomfortable size 16”, her clothes were tight and although she tried to lose weight, fad dieting led to limited results.

She said: “I’d been unhappy with my weight since having the kids, but I never really did anything about it. At the time I was so busy and caught up with work I didn’t feel I had the time and then I started looking at things differently and thought there’s more important things in life.

“It was just a case of personal circumstances that triggered it really. I needed some me time and had to look after myself before I could look after anyone else. It’s important to look after your own health and we’ll being.

“I couldn’t keep up with the boys, walking into town I’d have to stop three or four times to get my breath, but now I do it without realising.

“I definitely have more energy, I’m not as tired and feel more alert and awake.”

Her husband Kevin has noticed a big difference in the new Alice too.

She said: “He can see I’m happier and more confident. Clothes I would never wear feel nice and I’m more willing to go out and talk to people rather than hide myself away. It’s changed my whole mentality.”

Alice has also started running as part of her new healthy lifestyle - something she had never done before, except for when she was “forced to do it at school” she said.

Now, like many successful slimmers, Alice has become a Slimming World consultant, cutting back on her teaching hours so she can split her time between her two jobs and motherhood.

It launched on December 29 with a wave of new members getting it off to a good start.

Alice said: “I’ve never been happier in terms of what I’m doing at the moment. It’s a nice balance of being in the classroom and educating adults about food and what they’re eating. It also means I can spend more time with the children and do the little things like the school run.

“I just hope I can help people in the same way Slimming World has helped me.

“My members are inspiring people, there are some who have lost more weight than I have and you really do see the difference.”

The group meets at Orpen Memorial Hall, in Lexden Road, West Bergholt on Tuesday evenings at 5.30pm and 7.30pm.

For more information, call Alice on 07834 195844.