An Essex slimmer who used to struggle to walk yards to the shops in her home town has lost more than five and a half stone after changing her lifestyle.
Nathalie Alderton, from Halstead, said she now feels much more confident and hopes to inspire others to lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle.
Nathalie has a long history of ill health, including several major operations such as the removal of an ovarian tumour - which weighed more than 21 lbs.
The Co-op store worker also underwent brain surgery, an open appendectomy and several hernia operations as well as being asthmatic.
Nathalie’s health issues, along with poor eating habits and lack of exercise left her unfit, unhappy, and with chronic and painful lymphedema on her legs.
At a size 28 and weighing more than 22st, Nathalie said she had hit “rock bottom”.
“I live at the bottom of a high street and it was a real struggle for me to even walk to the shops, I knew I had to change my eating habits and lifestyle,” she said.
“I had tried several different diets from doing it on my own to joining a group but the plans weren’t working for me. I convinced myself none of them worked I felt like I had hit rock bottom, I hated my looks, especially my legs.”
It was then that Nathalie decided to join WW (formerly known as Weight Watchers) in an attempt to shift some pounds.
“I was nervous but just couldn’t carry on the way I was going,” she said. “Alison the WW coach gave me a warm welcome and explained clearly about how the plan worked, she gave me loads of encouragement and I left knowing it was the place for me.”
Nathalie added that the combination of the weight loss and exercise has had a very positive effect on her health.
“I began with walking one to two hours twice a week but found this very uncomfortable and painful with my legs.
“I gave swimming a go instead starting with once a week, and I absolutely love it. I now swim around seven to 10 times a week it helps relieve the agonising pressure on my legs, its great for my mobility and important for my mindset.
“My asthma has also improved which has meant less hospital visits and a reduction in the inhalers I use.”
Nathalie says the support of the group and her family, friends and colleagues has made the lifestyle changes easier.
“It has taken me a while to get to where I am but that’s OK, I’m so much more confident I feel fantastic at being in control of my meals,” she said. “I can now walk to the high street without getting breathless.
“I know if I never made the move to join such a well-supported group I would of still been over 22st. WW has completely changed my life around.
“Without the encouragement of my mum, family, friends, work colleagues, manager and WW coach [Alison Richardson] it would have been a lot harder.
“They have been incredibly supportive and important I will always be thankful.”
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