Barrhead woman's miracle weight loss
Published 8 Nov 2012 09:30
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PLAGUED by a severe case of asthma, arthritis and back problems, Ellen Davis knew her weight played a big part in the chronic health problems she suffered daily.
Tipping the scales at 15 and a half stone and a dress size 22, the Barrhead woman admitted that she no longer prioritised her health as she was so busy helping other people.
Committed to taking her of her husband and sister, who also suffered from health problems, the 55-year-old told how she devoted time to everyone but herself and before she knew it the weight had 'just piled on'.
"I couldn't believe it when I stood on the scales and saw the needle slide up to 15 and a half stone," she said. "It was shocking - I imagined I was at least a few stone lighter than that.
"That's when I knew I had to lose weight. Things were getting beyond a joke. I was constantly huffing and puffing all the way along the road and I was fed up.
"I'd been hospitalised a few times because of my terrible asthma and I knew something would have to change soon."
Ellen, who works as a risk manager at the Department for Work and Pensions in Shawlands, says although she rarely ate junk, her passion for good food was one of the main problems contributing to her weight gain.
She said: "I am a big cooking fanatic so would cook these really rich meals full of fat. I'd hold Come Dine With Me Events and continue to graze for the rest of the evening.
"I felt horrible and hated going shopping. I would only buy clothes if I had to and even then it was a struggle to find items that fitted."
After joining her local Slimming World in January this year, Ellen has since lose 5st 9lb - just 5lb short of her final goal weight.
She is thrilled at having dropped six dress sizes to a trim 10, and has recently been given a South West Scotland Slimming Woman of the Year award.
Ellen, of Paisley Road, said: "It's an amazing achievement to win the award and to also be one of the last 47 out of 500,000 other women from Britain and Ireland to become a semi-finalist in Slimming World's Woman of the Year 2012 competition.
"However, it was more special to be awarded the local title because everyone who has supported me all the way was there at the time.
"It was a very poignant moment and the fact that people see me as an inspiration is incredible."
Ellen travelled to Derby last month to take part in the semi-finals at the national slimming competition and was delighted to be congratulated on her inspirational weight loss by Dancing on Ice winner and Emmerdale actor Matthew Wolfenden, pictured.
She said: "I'd tried so many times and so many ways to lose weight before, usually depriving myself of the food I I enjoy, counting calories and going hungry, so unsurprisingly my attempts usually failed miserably.
"Slimming World was completely different.
"I did have to make changes to the way I cooked and ate, of course, but they were small changes made easy.
"I loved tucking into delicious healthy meals and watching the pounds fall off. "
It was great to prepare meals that suited my family and friends too, so we've all benefited from eating more healthily. Often they couldn't believe they were eating 'healthy' food."
Ellen's asthma symptoms have also disappeared along with her joint problems.
She beamed: "The last time I weighed under 10 stone was about 15 years ago.
"One of first things my sister said to me when I lost all the weight was 'It's good to have my old sister back.'"
This article appeared in Barrhead News 07 Nov 12
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