Mum-of-three Andrea loses over four stone and loves the ‘new me’

The 39-year-old from Limetree Avenue joined the class at St Colmans in October last year, and though she admits she has still quite a bit to go, she is pleased with the results so far.

Andrea said she refused to let her weight ever get her down and it was only when her aunts joined that she decided to give it a go too.

The finance information system officer has worked for the South Eastern Regional College in Lisburn for 18 years and had tried different types of diet, which never worked.

Andrea works in the Training Organisation department of the college

She deals with Training for Success and Apprenticeships NI and work with all aspects of the financial, administration and computer systems relating to payments to students and claiming funds back from the Department for Employment and Learning. “I had tried lots of ways before but always lost motivation and the lost weight piled on, plus more,” she said.

“I can’t say my weight really ever made me feel bad about myself; I just plodded on through life as you do when you’re a working parent with three children.

“I had my parents both die very young; my mum was just 47 when she died suddenly in August 2000, just six weeks after having a kidney transplant.

Unfortunately she’d been ill for a long time and didn’t get to enjoy her new life.

Then my dad died five years later in July 2005 aged 53, he’d a massive heart attack and was a diabetic.

“I’ve lost quite a number of other relatives over the last few years who didn’t see their late years and I decided I needed to look after me and give me some time to sort myself out.”

When Andrea joined the St Colman’s group she was put at ease from the start.

“I sort of dreaded the first initial meeting and the weigh-in,” she said, “but I shouldn’t have; the group were all very nice and Sandra the consultant was so comforting and supportive to me.

“I knew straight away I was going to try my best this time and I wasn’t going to fail.

“I am loving every minute of the new me.

“The whole household are eating more healthily and doing lots of exercise every day to keep me on track to my end goal.

“I can’t believe how much food I actually eat now and still manage to lose weight.

“I’m very grateful to have been introduced to Slimming World. So far I’ve lost four stone and two pounds.

“I’ve still a bit to go but with the help and support of my family, Slimming World group and my consultant, I can do it.”