Slimming banished my comfort food blues for good (PICTURES)

Diane Hunt has spent her life trying to lose weight, and now that she's successfully lost more than six stone, she's dropped five dress sizes – and she's fitter and happier too, writes Colette Warbrook

IT'S a common trigger that has spurred many people to transform their figures.

And for Diane Hunt it was not one, but two unflattering photographs that convinced the married mother-of-one it was time to tackle her weight.

The 55-year-old, of Hillfield Avenue, Trent Vale, went on a cruise with her husband John, aged 54, their 18-year-old son Ben, and friends, in June last year.

And while she'd asked that no pictures be taken of her without her agreement, she discovered afterwards that her wish hadn't been taken seriously.

Article continues below

Diane before and after.

Then, the following month, her misery was reinforced when she compared her size to other guests in a photo taken at a family wedding.

"I've been podgy all my life," she admits, "although I didn't think I was.

"When I started doing shifts at Michelin in my late teens, I'd have my tea at work then pick up fish and chips on the way home."

Diane, a clinical officer for the school nursing team at North Staffordshire PCT, reveals she was called names like 'fatty' as a schoolgirl, although she didn't take any notice.

And when it came to diets, she had tried them all, including a few homemade slimming plans.

"I've done all the diets possible," Diane continues.

"Rosemary Conley, WeightWatchers, Slimming World, Atkins, the F-Plan, and I've also tried cutting back and just eating vegetables.

"When I met my husband I was 9 stone 4lbs, and that was through just eating vegetables and doing manual work at Michelin.

"But I went up to 11 stone when I got married, and then afterwards my weight continued to go up."

Her changing waistline began to concern husband John too, though even his words fell on deaf ears.

"He made comments when I started putting on weight," she says, "but I just thought, 'sod him', and went into the pantry and started eating again. I thought, 'I'm not dieting for him. He should love me for who I am'."

Diane says she was unhappy, and that her weight had a lot to do with comfort eating and boredom.

"I'd eat toast, cheese, biscuits and ice cream," she says.

But it was following her shock at seeing herself in holiday and wedding photographs that she began the LighterLife weight loss programme.

At the time, she was 17 stone 3lbs and a dress size 22-24.

"I think the wedding photograph was the last straw," she says.

"I realised that if I put losing weight off any longer, I wouldn't do it."

Diane talked to her GP about LighterLife and broke down in tears while explaining how she felt about her weight.

"I think it all got too much for me," she says.

Since starting to lose weight, she has increased her walking from about 2,000 steps a day to 100,000 a week – which works out at about 30 miles.

She now plans to do a 10k charity walk in the near future, a walk she tackled two years ago, but ended up finishing with tendonitis and blisters all over her feet.

"With LighterLife," she explains, "you give up things like alcohol and fizzy pop.

"Instead, you drink water, soda water and fizzy water.

"There is porridge you can have, different types of biscuit, several types of soup and milkshakes."

Now Diane is over the moon to have reached her target of 10st 13lbs.

"It's the best thing I've ever done," she says. "I feel fantastic and have lots more energy.

"It's not just about the food package you get, as the group sessions you have every week after weigh in were more useful than anything because they talk about why you overeat, what causes it and what starts you off, and the class leader, Janet Ridgeon is fantastic.

"The groups are no bigger than 12, so we all know each other well so it's become a social thing."

And losing the weight also means Diane no longer suffers mood swings or migraines, while the skin disorder rosacea that plagued her for 10 years has now all but disappeared.

"I can now shop in places like Next and New Look," she says.

And, naturally, her husband is delighted with her new look.

"I wasn't very happy that she was so overweight," says John, an electrical maintenance technician.

"She's battled with her weight ever since I've known her, but it's unbelievable what she has achieved. She's fit and a lot happier – it's like having a new wife."

To find out more, contact LighterLife counsellor Janet Ridgeon on 01782 712323 or 273073.