A mum of five has explained the heartbreaking moment that deeply upset her son – and prompted her to commit to a weight-loss mission. Mum of five Christine Connor, 66, saw her weight spiral on a diet of ready meals thanks to her busy life.
She hit 17st 4lbs and when she went shopping she had to buy size 24 outfits. Christine told MEN : “After my fifth child, I was very overweight. I was working full time and running around after five children. I was living off ready meals and convenience food.
“This went on for years, but during that time, I put on more weight and stopped socialising as I was ashamed of how I looked and the fact I didn’t have the confidence to wear fitted clothing. I was so embarrassed. I knew I was overweight as I’d stopped buying clothes or going out, but I hadn’t realised I was a dress size 24. I was devastated.”
Christine felt unhappy in her appearance before (Image: Christine Connor)
Ahead of renewing her 25th wedding anniversary vows, Christine decided to sign up for Slimming World along with one of her daughters.
“On finding out how upset I was (about my weight), my daughter told me, ‘I know how you feel, I feel the same way,’” the gran said. “I knew then that not only did I have to help myself, more importantly I had to help my daughter.”
Christine went on to shed five stone in 18 months.
Christine (Image: Christine Connor)
But busy work commitments meant her group attendance dwindled. Noticing her weight was creeping up again, Christine eventually gained a stone and stopped attending the group altogether.
Once the nan was three stone over her ideal weight, she spent two years trying to slim down again but gained another stone.
Everything came to a head when her son bought Christine and her husband tickets to see rock band The Moody Blues as a present.
Christine feels great now (Image: Christine Connor)
“On one occasion, my son saved up and bought my husband and I tickets to go and see a concert,” she added.
“I refused to go due to my weight and the fact I’d lost all the confidence I ever had. This really upset my son and he ended up going in my place. I never forgave myself.”
Christine decided to rejoin Slimming World and began attending martial arts classes alongside her grandchildren. She also signed up to a gym and took up aerobics and Pilates.
Her new healthy lifestyle meant the pounds quickly began to drop off, and by 2019, the gran weighed in at 10st 5bs – a total loss of seven stone. She now fits into size 10 clothes.
Christine now (Image: Christine Connor)
“I am now very confident,” she said. “I am happy about my weight and passionate about Slimming World, exercise and martial arts. I’m going for my black belt next year.
“The best advice I can give is to keep going to classes and stay. It’s the best thing that ever happened to me. The support, help and understand you get from class is amazing. I need the support.”
Christine has now been given the opportunity to run her very own Slimming World group. “I’m so excited to be able to support others on their weight loss journey, as I have been supported,” She added. “We are going to have the best group.”