Sally inspires others after weight loss
A Bath mum-of-three is inspiring people to change their lives after her weight transformation. Sally Stokes has shed a fantastic five stone with the Weight Watchers (WW) programme and is now helping others follow her lead by setting up similar workshops in and around Bath. Before joining WW and kickstarting her weight loss journey in 2014, 54-year-old Sally weighed 15st 10lb. The problems started with a broken leg on a ski trip over 25 years ago. The injury got worse with wear and tear until it was so bad that Sally’s GP referred her to a knee specialist to discuss knee replacement surgery. Sally said: “The knee man had no bedside manner whatsoever. He took one look at me and said: ‘Madam, you are fat! Until you lose some weight, I won’t know if it’s the damaged joint causing you pain or the pressure going through the joint from the extra weight you are carrying.’ “It was such a shock having somebody talk to me like that but it was also the kick in the behind I needed to realise I could do something about my knee. I signed up with WW and lost 5lbs in the first week. “I loved the programme as it was so easy to follow. I planned my meals a week in advance and made sure to include more vegetables than ever before and to cook all my meals from scratch. “No more takeaways but delicious fakeaways using recipes that I tweaked to make them healthy. I made sure I still included some treats. You have to have a little bit of what you fancy!” She added: “We also got a black lab puppy called Delilah and walking her four times a day has definitely helped accelerate the weight loss.” After losing five stone Sally went back to see the knee consultant, who was delighted by what she had achieved. Now, Sally is bringing the WW programme to people in the Bath area and has become a wellness coach. She runs two classes at the moment – one at the United Reform Church in Grove Street on Wednesday mornings and the other in Weston Village on Tuesday nights. Another three are planned to open in the next few months. Sally said: “I love seeing the members in my groups turn their lives around. “I know it’s a cliché but all the small changes add up to big ones and people reverse their diabetes, regain their mobility and prolong their lives by developing healthy habits. For me, health is wealth and I am passionate about helping as many people as I can to understand how easy it can be.” For more information, visit www. weightwatchers.com/uk