A THURROCK woman has shared her dramatic weight-loss journey, ahead if of launching her own consultancy.

Leigh-Anne Turpin told Thurrock Nub News: "Not so long ago, I was a size 24, struggling with my weight, my health and my confidence, and feeling like I'd completely lost the person I really was.

"Today, I'm 9st 4lb lighter, a size 8, healthier, happier and about to begin one of the most exciting chapters of my life, becoming a Slimming World Consultant and helping people in my own community change their lives too.

"But my journey to get here hasn't always been easy.

"I'd struggled with my weight for years and, like so many people, I'd tried just about every fad diet going. I'd lose weight, put it back on and find myself right back where I'd started. I never seemed to find something I could actually live with long-term.

"My confidence was incredibly low. I didn't like what I saw when I looked in the mirror and I became very good at hiding how I really felt.

"I had my faithful black top that would come out whenever I went somewhere. I'd hide behind my hair, my makeup and a smile, but underneath it all I felt very low within myself.

"My health was suffering too. I'd get out of breath easily, I wasn't as fit or active as I wanted to be, and I knew something needed to change.

"Then one of my friends, who was already a Slimming World member, encouraged me to come along to group with her.

"I'll never forget that Friday night.

"I remember walking through those doors feeling nervous, anxious, emotional and scared. I had no idea at the time that taking those few steps through the door would completely change the direction of my life.

"What I found on the other side wasn't judgement. It was warmth, understanding and support.

"And for the first time, I began to believe I really could do this.

"I didn't just lose weight , I found myself again

Slimming World taught me a completely different way of looking at food.

"The crisps, cakes, biscuits, fizzy drinks and convenience foods that had once been such a big part of my diet gradually made way for healthy, filling, home cooked meals.

"I learned how to Food Optimise, how to make better choices and, amazingly, I discovered a real love of cooking. I joke that I've become a bit of a whizz in the kitchen!

"But one of the things I love most is that I don't feel like my life has to stop just because I want to be healthy.

"I still eat out. I still socialise. I still enjoy the foods I love. Nothing has to feel completely off limits.

"For me, that's why it worked. It wasn't something I had to fit my life around , it was something I could make fit into my life.

"And it hasn't just benefited me. My family enjoy the same healthy, hearty meals I cook at home, so the changes I've made have become part of our everyday life.

"As the weight came off, something else started happening too.

"The woman who had spent years hiding began to come back.

"I started gaining confidence. I became more active. My health improved enormously. I stopped getting out of breath like I used to. I felt fitter, healthier and, most importantly, happier.

"And yes , my wardrobe has certainly become a little more adventurous than that faithful old black top!

"But losing 9st 4lb has given me something far more valuable than a different clothes size.

"It's given me my life back.

"It's given me confidence, happiness and opportunities I never imagined I'd have. It's shown me that the person I thought I'd lost was actually still there all along.

"Now it's my turn to give something back

"That's why becoming a Slimming World Consultant means so much more to me than simply starting a new job.

"I've been the nervous person walking through those doors.

"I've been the person who didn't feel confident.

"I've been the person who wondered whether anything would ever really work.

"I've had the weeks where things went brilliantly and the weeks where life got in the way.

"And that's exactly why I want to do this.

"I want to give back to the community and help other people who might be feeling the way I once felt.

"I want my group to be somewhere people can walk into exactly as they are and know they will be welcomed.

"No embarrassment. No judgement. No expectation to be perfect.

"Just real people, real lives and real support.

"Whether somebody wants to lose a few pounds or several stone, whether they've tried countless times before or this is their very first attempt, I want them to know that they'll have someone beside them who genuinely understands.

"Because I do understand.

"I was that member once. Now I get to be the Consultant standing on the other side of those doors, ready to welcome the next person in.

"If sharing my story encourages just one person who is sitting at home feeling unhappy, nervous or believing they can't do it, then I want them to know this:

"You don't have to change your whole life overnight. Sometimes you just have to be brave enough to take one small step.

"Mine was walking through the doors of a Slimming World group on a Friday night.

"I could never have known then where those few steps would eventually lead me.

"Now, 9st 4lb lighter, healthier, happier and with a completely different life ahead of me, it's my turn to hold that door open for somebody else.

"And I genuinely can't wait."

Leigh-Anne's Slimming World group meets every Tuesday evening at South Ockendon Village Social Club, RM15 6NU , with sessions at 5.30pm and 7pm.

07921 086 087