Service mother lost 13 stone after reading two words in medical notes | United Kingdom | News

A Plymouth military mess official lost more than half her weight to be crowned World Slimming Woman of the Year 2024.

Ali Ridgley, 52, was almost 23 when she decided to transform her lifestyle after reading the words “morbid obesity” in her medical records.

She said: “Seeing the words on my doctor’s screen inspired me to take action. I was having a heart attack waiting to happen.

Ali, who lives with her daughter Rosie, 24, said her weight started to increase after she started university.

She had tried to lose weight in the past, but was never able to keep it off for long and had even considered weight loss surgery.

She then joined her local Slimming World group in Southway, Devon, in 2019. Ali said: “There was no judgement, just encouragement and support from the start.

“When I weighed, I realized I was the heaviest I had ever been. The person at the scale told me “don’t worry, this is the last time you’ll see this number.” It was just the boost I needed.

Ali has now reduced her weight to just 9st 13½s, going from a dress size of 28-30 to 6-8.

Supported by her partner Dave and Rosie, she prepares her meals from scratch and plans ahead so she’s not tempted to eat something unhealthy on a busy day.

Exercise was once “completely banned”, but after losing the first six stone, Ali joined a dance and fitness class. She added: “I fell in love with it and ended up getting my music exercise degree. So I now run my own classes twice a week.

“I can’t imagine my life without dancing, so I feel confident in maintaining these habits and losing weight this time. I also joined a local Couch to 5K group and recently signed up for a marathon.

Ali also enjoys spending time with her seven-week-old grandson, Taran. She said: “When my daughter Claudia, 29, told me she was pregnant I was over the moon.

“There are some things I missed when I was raising my daughters because of my size – I was often the mother on the sidelines, holding the bags and not getting involved – and looking back, this makes me so sad.

“Ultimately, I started this journey because I wanted to live life to the fullest – and that’s what I feel like I can do now.” These days, I’m not a heart attack waiting to happen – I’m the woman I always wanted to be.

Carolyn Pallister, dietitian and head of nutrition, research and health at Minceur World, said: “Ali is truly inspiring and demonstrates what can be achieved, without resorting to drugs or surgery to lose weight. weight.

“Ali lost weight by making significant healthy behavior changes that not only helped her lose 13st weight, but gave her lifelong healthy habits, not only for herself but also for her family, and confidence that she can maintain them for the rest of her life.”