I always used to be slim but I realised over last Christmas that the weight had crept up on me. I hated being overweight, I found it really depressing going into shops and not being able to wear the clothes I wanted to. For a while, I had been trying to shift the weight myself, going out walking, but I couldn’t seem to shift any of the weight at all. My mother-in-law had joined Unislim in February of this year, so after Easter I finally decided to go along with her and really start to focus on losing the weight.

The great thing about Unislim is that it put manners on me! Now I know just what I should and shouldn’t be eating – once you’re told how many Units there are in a chocolate éclair then you realise you shouldn’t be going near them. I’ve really got a handle on my diet now and don’t eat anywhere near as much as I used to. I also know what to avoid and to stick to proper meal times: having a crisp sandwich with a glass of milk before going to bed just isn’t a good idea! I still have my treats, but they’re planned in to my Unit allowance and I have them when I’ve earned them. Marian is a fantastic class leader, such an inspiration to all her members.

Each class I find one word or some line that stays with me and keeps me going until the next time. Because she has lost weight herself, she knows exactly what it’s like and there’s also great support from all the other members. Marian’s also great at creating a really friendly, lively environment.She’s great fun to be around. The best thing I’ve gained from losing the weight is that I can walk into any clothes shop and know that a size 12 is going to fit me.

It used to be a big knock to my confidence coming out of a dressing room with something that wouldn’t fit. Now I get a great buzz from all the compliments I receive and I’m not trying to cover up all the time. Even though I’ve reached my target weight, I still go back to class every other Thursday just to make sure that Marian keeps me in line! Liz attends Marian Connolly’s class.