'I was the biggest clothes size in UK'
Reaching the biggest size in the UK and facing the prospect of having to get clothes from America, Simone knew she had to make a drastic change.
But it was a photograph taken by her sister that shocked “emotional eater” Simone Elliott, 32, into realising just how big she had become.
Weighing 27st 3lb, Simone was a size 32 – the largest size available for women in the UK – and was constrained to only shopping in plus size stores Evans and Simply Be.
But when even her size 32 started to feel snug, Simone realised that if she didn’t make a change soon she would have to order clothes from America.
She said: “My biggest motivation was that I was almost unable to fit in the biggest UK clothing size and the thought of having to buy clothes from America embarrassed me to my very core.
"When my sister showed me a photo of myself which I wasn’t aware of being taken, I was absolutely devastated at how fat I had let myself become.
"That was a massive wakeup call.
"I couldn’t let it go on any longer, so I joined Slimming World.”
After shedding one stone on her own, Simone joined the group at Peterlee Methodist Church in July 2018, weighing 25st 10lb.
In just a matter of weeks, Simone was delighted as she started seeing progress, noting the changes it made to her face shape.
As the weight came off, Simone’s confidence increased and for the first time in a decade she put on a swimming costume and started visiting her local pool.
She said: “That was a major milestone. I felt more energised and refreshed.
"I even got a dog and walk him twice a day.”
Now more than two years on, Simone has lost 6st and now weighs 19st 10lb with plans to lose more weight.
But the biggest difference has been the impact it has had on her clothes size.
Simone dropped five sizes and is a size 22 on top and a size 24 on bottom, meaning she no longer has to worry about getting clothes from abroad.
Although Simone admits she still has a way to go before reaching her target, she said losing the initial weight has already made an incredible difference.
“The biggest change for me is actually sharing photos of myself – old and new,” she said.
"I always refused to have photos taken because I was so fat.
"Now I love sharing a nice photo of me and even old photos remind me how far I’ve come.”
She added: “I also cook a lot more and it’s made me try a whole range of healthier foods I told myself I hated.
"I eat healthier and sleep better and I have more energy.”
Diet before:
Breakfast: Nothing. Lunch: Cake and biscuits. Dinner: Fried chicken, oven chips, ready meals and takeaways three times a week.
Diet after:
Breakfast: Fruit.
Lunch: Homemade curries, bolognese or pasta bakes.
Dinner: Homemade ‘fakeaway’ meals with half the calories and fat as takeaways.