Mother and daughter shed the pounds
They had struggled with their weight for years – but a family wedding was just the incentive mother and daughter Madeline and Jodie Holland needed to help to shed an incredible eight stones between them.
Kingsmead Technology College student Jodie lost two stones to get into her bridesmaid's dress alongside her three slim sisters for the nuptials held in September.
Madeline meanwhile dropped almost six stones and more than five dress sizes and was thrilled to go shopping for her outfit at "normal" high street stores.
The 41-year-old, of Hednesford, said: "I was always having to go to outsize shops like Evans where I was paying £30 for a top instead of half that price at, say, New Look.
"I bought a fitted dress for the wedding from Principles and I have to say I felt so comfortable in it."
The health care support worker has since cleared out her wardrobe and replaced her old clothes with new, more modern outfits, including three pairs of new jeans, a garment she has not worn in 20 years.
"In fact I haven't worn any jeans since I was 18, so I've got to feel right in them. When I'm ready, I'll put them on but for the moment they're sitting in my wardrobe."
Mother and daughter joined Gill Fetcher's Slimming World class, which meets at St Joseph's Church in Hednesford, in January and immediately changed their eating habits.
Buttered toast for breakfast was replaced with fruit and yoghurt and out went regular helpings of crisps, chips, cheese and crusty bread. The pair, who now feast on salads and pasta and try to cut out unhealthy snacks, still hope to lose a bit more weight.
Madeline, who went from size 28 to 16/18, says: "I'm absolutely mortified when I look back at some of the old pictures of me. When my brother
Martin told us about the wedding last November, I thought let's get Christmas out of the way and start dieting in the new year.
"It's been really helpful for Jodie and me to lose weight together."