Super-slimmer Sharon is half the woman she used to be

A former '˜yo-yo dieter' from South Tyneside says she is delighted to have lost over eight stone.
Before and after ... Sharon Snaith, who has lost 8st with Slimming World.Before and after ... Sharon Snaith, who has lost 8st with Slimming World.
Before and after ... Sharon Snaith, who has lost 8st with Slimming World.

Sharon Snaith, 53, from South Eldon Street, South Shields, lost an impressive eight stone and half a pound after ditching convenience food for home-cooked meals.

Mrs Snaith, who works for North Tyneside Council’s financial department, found her weight had crept up to 17 stone 11lb over the years – a number she found “scary” enough to prompt her to take action.

Before: Sharon on holiday with son Joe in Majorca in 2004.Before: Sharon on holiday with son Joe in Majorca in 2004.
Before: Sharon on holiday with son Joe in Majorca in 2004.
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She said: “I joined Slimming World in April 2014. It seemed completely different to anything I had tried.”

Mrs Snaith joined the Masonic Hall Slimming World group in South Shields with consultant David Ducasse.

She was then a dress size 24 and is now a slim size 10/12.

She said: “Before I would never go into a changing room to try clothes on and if it didn’t fit, I would just keep it as I couldn’t face taking it back.

Before: Sharon on holiday in Majorca in 2004.Before: Sharon on holiday in Majorca in 2004.
Before: Sharon on holiday in Majorca in 2004.

“My weight was something that just crept up on me. I would look at a photo and say I am not that big but then, after a few years, I stopped having photos taken. Even at my son’s graduation I wouldn’t have any photos taken with him.”

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Before Slimming World the mum of three would previously skip breakfast, grab a sandwich and crisps from the nearest sandwich shop and rely on microwave meals to fit in with her working schedule.

Now a typical day would see Mrs Snaith start her morning with a fresh fruit salad and Greek yoghurt followed by a homemade chilli or soup for lunch from her slow cooker or a sandwich such as ham and pease pudding. Dinners are also home cooked in her slow cooker, with typical dishes including fresh curries, such as sweet potato curry or ragu.

“I never really cooked a lot before but now I have two slow cookers, one for lunch and one for tea,” Mrs Snaith said.

Sharon was a dress size 24 and is now a 10/12.Sharon was a dress size 24 and is now a 10/12.
Sharon was a dress size 24 and is now a 10/12.

“I make a lot of curries and casseroles. I go on the Slimming World website for recipes and still go along to sessions, where I talk about different meals I have cooked and get ideas from consultants.

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“I think it is marvellous as you can still eat and don’t feel as if you have to starve yourself or depriving yourself, which makes it easier to stick to. It is completely different to everything I have tried. I have been doing yo-yo diets all my life, such as the grapefruit diet and the cabbage diet.”

Mrs Snaith has now become a consultant herself and runs her own group 
at Mortimer Community Association on Wednesdays at 7pm.