From the outside Shelley Burns looked like she had her life all figured out.
A gym enthusiast who loved nothing more than weightlifting, the 57-year-old had a passion she pursued with intensity and dedication.
But behind the scenes, Shelley was struggling. Despite her commitment, she used her training as an excuse to eat whatever she wanted, believing her rigorous workouts balanced out her unhealthy eating habits.
Unfortunately, Shelley’s eating habits had taken a toll and reality caught up with her in the form of a diagnosis – type 2 diabetes.
Shelley struggled with her weight
(Image: Shelley)
Though she had been overweight for some time and had tried to lose weight before, the restrictive diets she followed as a weightlifter were too repetitive.
She found herself giving up time and time again, regaining the little weight she had lost and more.
“Despite being a self-confessed gym girl, I was using this as an excuse to eat whatever I wanted to,” Shelley, from Ashton-under-Lyne, said.
“I thought I could because of the amount of weight I was lifting, I believed I could work off anything I was eating in the gym but I was wrong.
“The wakeup call came when I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. It was because of my eating habits and I knew something had to change.
Shelley feels great after losing weight
(Image: Shelley)
“I had been overweight for some time and I’d attempted to lose weight before. I had tried weight training diets but got so fed up of them I could never stick to them for long.
“Inevitably the little weight I had managed to lose came back on and more besides. So, I’d head back off to the gym and the whole cycle would start again.
“It was like I was on a hamster’s wheel, not really knowing how to lose the weight I wanted to and lacking belief I ever really could.”
The relentless cycle of losing and gaining weight again left Shelley feeling trapped – and her story is not unique.
According to a survey by Slimming World, 50 per cent of UK adults admit to putting off weight loss, with 22 per cent delaying efforts for three years or more, often to the detriment of their health.
Researchers say this hesitation often stems from fear of failure or comfort in familiar habits, making change seem daunting.
Shelley in the gym
(Image: Shelley)
Nail technician Shelley says she first heard about Slimming World from her clients. Though she didn’t have high hopes as nothing had worked for her before, she quickly drew strength and motivation from other members around her.
Over time, her self-doubt gave way to determination – and the results were incredible. Today, Shelley has lost a 2.5st and has reached her target weight.
Not only has her health improved, her gym performance soared and her confidence is at an all-time high.
“It feels like a switch flipped inside me,” Shelley said. “I’m so grateful to Terri and everyone in our group.
“Their support and belief in me helped me believe in myself. I’ve found my real smile again, and it feels amazing.”
With over a decade of expertise in neurogastroenterology, a medical subspecialty that studies the relationship between the nervous and digestive systems and cardiovascular pharmacology, Dr. Jemma Donovan PhD, Slimming World’s research manager, said: “This January, those feelings of doubt, fear and hopelessness could easily lead people to look to weight loss drugs as a silver bullet.
“However, unless they get effective support to make lasting changes to their eating and activity habits, they’re very likely to regain the weight once they stop the medication, and they’re far less likely to experience the sense of personal achievement and the increased self-worth that comes with knowing you’re in control in the long term.
“Our research confirms what so many of our members tell us. After many years of feeling hopeless, out of control and desperate about their weight, new members quickly experience a powerful shift in self-belief, self-determination and self-confidence, restoring their hope about what they can achieve – without resorting to weight loss drugs or surgery. And that shift happens in less time than it takes to watch a movie!”