Three years ago, she made an impulsive decision that ended up transforming her entire life
Natasha Stewart from Lisburn has lost over 9 stone in three years and is feeling great(Image: )
Three years ago Natasha Stewart made an impulsive decision that ended up transforming her entire life. The Lisburn woman was sitting on the sofa at home one night, listening to her own heavy breathing and feeling the familiar burn of constant heartburn.
She stared out the window and realised that for years she hadn’t truly been living, just surviving. That moment of clarity pushed her to realise it was time for a change. And that night, her life began to change. Fast forward to today and the 29-year-old has lost over 9 stone and is feeling great.
At a size 22/24 and feeling unable to shop in most local stores for clothes, Natasha wasn’t just concerned about what the excess weight was doing to her health, she also didn’t have the confidence to go out with friends.
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She recalled: “I had struggled with my weight for as long as I can remember – even using diet shakes as a teenager. My turning point came one evening as I sat on the sofa with my husband, Chris. After a chippy tea and finishing a share bag of sweets on my own, I felt miserable. I also became acutely aware of how much space my body took up and felt like I was watching life pass me by instead of truly living it.”
Natasha says at that moment, she knew she had to take action: “I searched for Slimming World groups near me and by fate I discovered there was one starting just down the road within the hour. Without hesitation, I grabbed my coat and went straight there. When I got up and walked out the door, everything changed from there. I joined Christine’s 7.30pm group at Trinity Methodist Church.”
At the Knockmore Slimming World group in Lisburn, Natasha was supported by her consultant, Christine Young. When she started her journey in January 2023, she weighed 20st 4½lbs (129kg).
Food Optimising was the first approach to weight loss that truly made sense to Natasha. She loved that nothing was off-limits – she could enjoy a couple of slices of takeaway pizza within her daily Swips allowance (Slimming World Individual Picks – the new name for Syns), or make her own using her healthy extras and still have a chocolate bar.
She explained: “I jumped straight into Slimming World’s generous Food Optimising plan, and the results came quickly. I never felt hungry or restricted and I can honestly say I’ve eaten chocolate every single day since I began.”
Becoming more active has also been life-changing for Natasha. When she started Slimming World, she was asthmatic, relied heavily on medication, and only managed around 1,500 steps a day due to her sedentary job.
With support from Chris, who bought her a walking pad, and encouragement from her Slimming World group, she gained the confidence to join the gym.
Natasha now completes five strength training classes a week, feels far less out of breath, and has been able to significantly reduce her asthma medication — with hopes of not needing it at all in the future.
She added: “By January 2024, I was six stone lighter, feeling healthier, more confident, and finally starting to live again. That’s when I added activity into my routine and joined the gym. I had no idea what I was doing at first, so I signed up for classes and after that, there was no stopping me.
“Fast forward to today: I am nine stone lighter and at my target weight. I feel like a completely new person. I can confidently say I am finally happy being me.”
Natasha Stewart from Lisburn has lost over 9 stone in three years and is feeling great(Image: )
One of Natasha’s most emotional moments came on a recent holiday during a beach photoshoot. When the photographer asked Chris to lift her, Natasha says she was terrified: “No one had ever picked me up before. But Chris lifted me effortlessly, and in that moment, I felt completely free.”
In September, Natasha was invited to the semi-finals of Slimming World’s National Woman of the Year with 40 incredible women. She made it to the final three and attended the Slimming World Oscars awards ceremony in Birmingham in November.
“Standing on stage in a figure-hugging dress with my amazing consultant Christine and Ashley Banjo from Diversity, who was the guest speaker, speaking in front of more than 1,000 people, was an incredible experience!” she said.
“I’ve gone from a woman who hid away, ate secretly in her car, and dreaded airplanes because the seatbelt wasn’t fitting, to the most confident version of myself. I now enjoy food openly, shop wherever I like, and live without the restrictions that once controlled me. I am forever grateful to my consultant Christine, who supported me every step of the way, without her, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
Natasha’s consultant Christine added: “Although Natasha wasn’t the winner on the night she will always be our winner. The changes Natasha has made to her general life: health, appearance, confidence to name but a few have given so many others the belief that if you want to achieve something, you absolutely can.”
Visit www.slimmingworld.co.uk for more details.
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