Like many people, Vicky saw her weight creep up after getting into a new relationship
Between entering a new relationship, buying a house and having a baby, life had become pretty busy for Vicky Jepson. The new mum found herself working two jobs to be able to furnish her home, meaning she had no time to cook properly or go to the gym.
Before long, Vicky started to see her weight creep up – the teaching assistant avoiding nights out and hiding in baggy clothes.
Determined to be happy and healthy for her young daughter, the 40-year-old decided to sign up to Slimming World in April 2023.
By learning how to cook, becoming more active and making small changes to her diet, the mum managed to shed two stone – going from a dress size 14 to a 10.
“From leaving school, I’d always been quite active, going to the gym etc,” Vicky, from Middleton, told the Manchester Evening News.
“As soon as I met my husband, moved out, and got our own house, I didn’t know how to cook.
“We were getting takeaways twice a week, especially on the weekend. It was convenient food, easy food. Over the years, I ended up putting weight on.
“I was snacking on the wrong things. I got comfortable with a new relationship, we would go on dates.
“I had joined Slimming World before; I wanted to lose weight for the wedding. I went down to 8st 13lbs. I knew it had worked before.
“I look back now and think I probably didn’t look after myself like I do now. When I was bigger, it cringes me out looking at pictures.
“I don’t have many on my phone because whenever I took photographs, I’d try and get the right angle or crop something off.
“I ended up going back to Slimming World and I learnt how to cook. It was a lifestyle change for me.”
Vicky says she has gone from feeling uncomfortable in her own skin to embracing life again.
At her heaviest, she weighed 11st 8lbs and wore a size 14. Now, she’s a comfortable size 10, tipping the scales just under 9st 13lbs.
She credits meal planning and her hack of buying small multipacks instead of share bags for her weight loss success.
“I plan my meals for the week,” she said. “I get more enjoyment now out of making my own fakeaways.
“I’m a sucker for a biscuit and chocolate but now I have individual bags. I’m still having those treats but finding the alternatives.
“Since having a baby and stuff, that was a big part of me trying to get back to what I was. I’m more accepting that things are not perfect.
“If I’m feeling happy, then I’m eating happy, and it’s just an all-round thing.
“Whenever my husband would say, ‘let’s go out,’ I hated it because I would cry as I never had anything to wear.
“I wore baggy tops, leggings and cardigans. I just wanted to hide in baggy clothes. Nothing was working.
“I wanted to be happy and healthy as a model for my daughter. I didn’t want my unhappiness to have an effect on her.
“I’m happier within my body. I’m so much happier now. I feel stronger within myself.”
Vicky’s Slimming World consultant, Jeanie, said: “Vicky is a real inspiration to us all and we are so proud of her. When she first came through the door, she wanted to lose weight and feel more confident and make her daughter proud. She is proof that with self-belief, determination and the right kind of support from a group of people who understand what it feels like to struggle with your weight and truly care about your success, anyone’s weight loss can be achieved.”