IN just over a year Pat Maybury, above, has lost six stones and dramatically cut her BMI and improved her health.
The 74-year old had put on over five stone since she was diagnosed with autoimmune disease Myasthenia Graves in 2013.
Pat, who is from Dumfries, said: “There is no cure but it can go into remission with lots of good days and a few bad days.
“To control the symptoms I was prescribed steroids in large doses, the side effect was an increase to my appetite, so over the last five years I put on more than five stone.
“I didn’t want to socialise and would only go out if I really had to and no way did I want my picture taken.”
By June 2023 she was having problems walking, needing a stick, and had also become diabetic and was feeling old before her time.
Pat decided “enough was enough” and started attending Jo Oliver-Hartley’s Slimming World class in Dumfries on a Monday morning.
The first week she lost five pounds and has continued steadily losing weight most weeks – proving her doctor wrong who warned the medication could make it hard to lose weight.
“I knew it was not a quick fix, that was not what I wanted,” she said. “Slimming World had given me everything I needed to get to my target weight, the rest was up to me: I just had to get my mind in a positive place, once I did this it was easy.”
Pat uses Slimming World’s recipe books and loves their scanner which reveals the ‘Syns’ in products when shopping.
She was further spurred on after seeing photos of herself at husband David’s 70th birthday: “It was a great night but unfortunately lots of pictures were taken and my size hit home,” she said.
“If I didn’t have enough inspiration before I certainly did now.”
Her fridge is now covered in weight loss certificates and she’s just two pounds away from her dream target weight.
She’s also made many friends at the groups and looks forward to the sessions, describing them as “like a social club with real support”.
Pat added: “I have two pounds to go to get to my six stone weight loss and another four will get me to target. I don’t care how long it takes me as I know I will get there.
“I no longer walk with a stick and can take my dog on long walks along the beach. My diabetes is also in remission.
“Jo and Slimming World have given me my life back.”
