From Unable To Sit In A Plane Seat To Working Out Intensely And Flaunting Her Bikini Body, How Slimming World Helped This Brit Shed 6 Stone

By Liana Jacob

MEET the British woman who has lost 6 stone in just ten-months after being unable to sit on a plane seat and was told by her doctor she would need a liver transplant if she got any bigger.

Despite support worker, Izzie East (23), from Malton, UK, growing up in a healthy environment with a mum who was always health conscious, the pressure of finding a job and studying at college took its toll. This led her to consume takeaways and alcohol when she hit the age of 18, which resulted in her reaching 15st 9Ibs and UK size 18.

In the beginning, she didn’t mind her weight gain since her relationship with her fiancé, Nath, made her feel comfortable in her own skin. In October 2016 she went to Majorca and discovered that she could barely fit into the plane seat and was later told by her doctors that she had a fatty liver and if she put on any more weight, she would need a liver transplant.

Her then-boyfriend proposed to her in September 2016 to which she said yes and vowed she would not be a ‘big bride’ walking down the aisle. She joined Slimming World in January 2017 and has since trimmed down to 9st 7Ibs and UK size eight.

“Growing up, my mum was always health conscious and she made sure that she passed this onto us which meant that we very rarely had treats in the house,” Izzie said.

“I always used to eat healthy as a child, but once I started earning money for myself and going to college, I would buy whatever food I wanted such as flapjacks or chocolate or when I turned eighteen it was alcohol.

“In 2012 I started to work late shifts at Talbot Hotel which is where I met my fiancé and because he worked late too, so we would pop to the takeaway pizza nearly every night.

“Once I passed my driving test we had meals out all the time which would be either a burger or a pie followed by a delicious chocolate dessert.

“I began to feel comfortable in the relationship and what I looked like went out the window. We would go on nights out all the time or when we had time off, we would have bottle of wine together.

“At the beginning I knew I was piling on the weight, but I didn’t feel as much as a big deal. In 2016 I got to my biggest and began wearing size eighteen clothing and I hated myself.

“I felt disgusting and uncomfortable in my skin and shy to go and see friends or go out for meals with my fiancé.

“In October 2016 I went on holiday to Majorca and could barely fit in the plane seats and I spent all holiday wrapped up in clothing not wanting to share any skin.

“I knew something had to change because we had also booked a holiday of a lifetime to Cuba a year on from this. I was also having troubles with periods which concerned me a lot.

“I went to the GP where the doctor wanted to refer me to an eating specialist (I refused in embarrassment) and she also wanted to take some bloods.

“The blood results showed that I had a fatty liver and PCOS. I was told that nothing was going to get better unless I lost the weight and that in fact it would get worse if I change it. I was told that if my liver got any worse I would need a transplant.

“In September 2016, my fiancé proposed to me and I said yes. I really didn’t want to be a big bride walking down the aisle.”

She decided to persevere with Slimming World where she chooses low-calorie meals and when she snacks, she counts her synergy religiously instead of relying on her appetite.

According to Slimming World, it’s the synergy between the three components of the plan, i.e. free foods, healthy extras and Syns, that makes food optimising effective at enabling weight loss.

The toughest part for Izzie was having to ween off indulging in takeaways and switching to low-calorie meals, but because of her dramatic lifestyle change she now feels confident to wear bikinis on holiday.

“I work out five times a week and make sure I reach ten-thousand steps every day, whereas before I hardly reached three-thousand steps and I never worked out at all,” Izzie said.

“I now feel amazing. I’ve got so much body confidence to wear a bikini on holiday, wear fitting clothes and to get arms and legs out.

“I have more energy to go on longer walks and to work out longer at the gym. I don’t mind the occasionally unknown photo taken off me.

“I feel that I have accomplished a huge achievement in my life and that I have changed my life and health for the better.

“People are shocked and sometimes don’t believe that I have lost that much. People comment on how great I look and what a great achievement I’ve accomplished.

“A few people have been inspired by weight loss journey that they have joined slimming world themselves and have great weight losses too.

“The food optimising plan is super easy and fun to follow, and you can still eat huge portions of your favourite meals and still lose weight.

“There is no such thing as calories at Slimming World so you are not spending your day counting. Instead you are spending your day enjoying yummy food.”

For more information visit: https://www.instagram.com/izzielhotse_sw/

To find your nearest Slimming World group, call 0344 897 8000 or log on to: www.slimmingworld.co.uk