A woman from Swindon lost five stone in 10 months and has dodged the medication.

Having lost the weight, Elaine Young’s ‘biological age’ is five years younger than her actual age.

Elaine from Ramleaze weighed 15 stone, four pounds when she retired at 66, and said she felt like her life was winding down.

Stairs were a struggle and walking would leave her out of breath: “I was thinking, this is it, this is what old age is. But it wasn’t really. It was what obesity was.”

She had lost her husband in 2017 and her blood pressure was high for the first time in her life.

She received a leaflet for Slimming World through the door, and on her birthday decided enough was enough.

She said: “I thought, you've got to sort yourself out as you're not going to be here to see your grandchildren grow up, married. You can do something about this.”

At the Shaw group, she was surprised about the amount she could eat with Slimming World.

She said: “I remember sitting there and the first thing I can remember was I can't eat that much and lose weight.”

“And then I noticed the weight just coming off. So each week I think it was five pounds, and then four pounds.”

She found it easier shedding weight as a group: “That's the thing for me, being able to go each week and get and give that kind of support, talking about the things you're struggling and succeeding with.”

She added: “And I never once felt hungry”.

Elaine is now 68 and instead of pulling herself up the stairs, she runs up them.

From the end of June 2022 to now, she lost 5st 10lb and has healthy blood pressure.

She has had enough of being retired and got a job she likes cleaning, as well as joining the gym.

She said: “I think I'm in a really good place. I feel positive about life. I'm very happy in my own skin now, my confidence is there. I go out and about. I meet lots of other ladies my age. We go for coffee and all of those things.”

Elaine learned some advice from her experience: “What you learn is you should celebrate your successes.

Pat yourself on the back when you've had a good day and give yourself a hug when you have had a bad one.”

Elaine attended Slimming World at Shaw Village Church.