After being made redundant and receiving a diagnosis which forced her to stop satisfying her passion for running, Kedren Elliott embarked on a weight-loss journey to help turn her life around.
The 45-year-old admitted she 'wasn't in a good place' at the time in 2015, when she also weighed in at her heaviest of 13st 10lbs.
She was also diagnosed with Fibroids tumours on a woman's uterus which can cause severe abdominal pain.
But on seeing a leaflet for Slimming World, Kedren, from Congleton, decided to make a change and embarked on a weight-loss journey which has now seen her lose 3.5st.
She said: I was feeling pretty rubbish, none of my clothes were fitting me. I am a runner but at that time I wasnt doing much activity, I had been made redundant from Barclays as well so I wasnt in a good place.
I got a leaflet through my door and I was like I think I need to give this a go because I am unhappy and this is probably the heaviest I have ever been.
When I joined Slimming World it was the first time I felt like I was in control of my food rather than the other way around.
Its about making permanent changes to the way that you cook and shop.
Prior to her weight-loss Kedren, who works for mental health charity MIND, was eating foods high in carbohydrates throughout the day including toast for breakfast and sandwiches for lunch, and in the evenings she was drinking quite often.
She added: My diet is a lot more varied now because not only have I changed a lot with Slimming World, I have gone back to being vegetarian and I am a vegan now.
Now for breakfast I quite often have high fibre cereals and things like overnight oats and things like that, I eat a lot of fruit for breakfast.
I like to cook for my lunch which is a good thing, Ive got a carrot and ginger soup so its about bringing stuff with you rather than going out and getting fast food.
In the evening we are having fajitas, it is a very varied diet and you can adapt to pretty much everything.
Unfortunately in this day and age everybody is so busy all of the time it is easy to go out and grab something that is going to be quick but its not going to be the best for your diet.
A varied diet is very important because if you go back to old habits and start eating fast food and not eating a lot of fruit and veg, I think it really affects not only your physical health but your mental health too.
On top of losing the weight, Kedren has now become a Slimming World consultant in her hometown and is helping other slimmers to reach their goals.
She added: I hardly ever have back pain from losing the weight, it enables me to get my personal best when I am running as well.
Generally I just feel better about myself, I think when I first joined I was made redundant so I wasn't in a good place. Losing that weight and taking control of my diet and weight loss was very empowering and I felt like I could do anything.
Being a consultant puts an extra amount of pressure on you because you are helping people to lose weight and you have got to be living it as well as teaching it.
It doesn't make you immune and the thing about becoming a consultant is that you have to be a member first so you understand what its like for somebody to have problems with their weight.
Sometimes it takes a lot of courage for somebody to walk through the doors of the Slimming World and people wont know what to expect, Ive never done anything like it. Ive made so many friends through joining.
Its a great way of getting to know people and knowing that you are not on your own and forming a new social network.
Theres a problem at the moment with mental health as well where people are so isolated, everybody is busy and they are running a hundred miles an hour, this is a time for you to think about what you want to do.
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'I wasnt in a good place' Kedren loses amazing 3.5st to help turn life around - Stoke-on-Trent Live
