Leeds couple's healthier new year as they shed 10 stone

Sue and Stuart Jackson, from Wortley, Leeds have turned their lives around thanks to the mammoth weight loss, which they managed in less than a year.

When she joined Slimming World last March, Sue weighed 18st 13lb, was a dress size 26 and had type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.

Now she has shed 6st 3lbs, is a size 14, has dramatically reduced her medication and her most recent blood test results are normal.

Stuart and Sue Jackson, with their daughter Victoria, before losing weight.

She said: “Since losing weight I am almost off my medication.

“I was on four tablets and I’m down to just one now. My doctor nearly walked past me in the waiting room because he didn’t recognise me.

“It’s brilliant and my latest blood test results were fantastic.”

Her husband of almost 35 years has lost 3st from his original weight of 16st 2lbs and though he also has type 2 diabetes, the 58-year-old is also much healthier.

Sue, 57, said they decided to lose weight as their daughter Victoria was also a member of the Slimming World group in Lower Wortley.

She said they found it easy to stick to the eating plan and the most difficult thing was the mental shift required.

“It’s a mindset thing, it’s just about being open to listening to people,” Sue added.

“It’s hardest to admit to yourself that you need to do something.”

After changing their eating habits, and increasing their walking – including doing charity walks – the couple both hit their target weight before Christmas.

Sue, who works for British Gas, said their lives had been transformed.

“We’ve got 32 steps up to our house and I used to have to stop halfway up there.

“Now I can run for a bus and actually tell the driver where I want to go when I get on.

“One of the biggest differences is that I always used to dress in whatever clothes came in my size. Though now I’ve got the choice, I don’t know what I want to wear.”

* Type 2 diabetes is most common in people aged over 40 and accounts for up to 95 per cent of diabetes cases.

Treatment involves eating a healthy diet and increasing activity, while medication is also often required.

Sue Jackson said they had changed their shopping and cooking habits to lose weight, which had improved her health: “It’s just totally different, we eat lots of fresh fruit and fresh vegetables.”

She and husband Stuart attend a Slimming World group at Lower Wortley Community Centre on Tuesdays – call 07723 536378.