EVERY new mum knows that welcoming a baby into the family can be completely exhausting.
But for 19-stone Clare Slater, her weight made motherhood feel like an even bigger challenge.
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The 33-year-old could barely carry her son or get up off the floor after playtime with him - and it was making her feel "unattractive" and "unhappy".
Determined to make a change, Clare, from Brigg in North Lincolnshire, decided to join a slimming club and overhauled her diet in August 2019.
She has since shed nearly ten stone and has finally gained the energy to look after her little boy.
Now weighing a trim 12 stone, Clare said: "I really do feel like a new woman.
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"Parenting is completely different now because I have the energy and mobility to be the fun and active mum I set out to be."
Clare had ballooned to 18st 11lb after years of gorging on cakes and pastries.
"I was a complete sugar addict, I would never have been able to just have a square of chocolate," she said.
"I loved cakes and pastries, but I was unable to have them in moderation."
However, Clare's wake up call came when she became a mother in January 2019 - and it made her realisethe huge toll her weight was having on her mentally and physically.
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She said: "In January 2019 we welcomed our son into the world.
"By the summer I was struggling to carry him and getting up off the floor after playtime was exhausting. "All I ever wanted to be was a fit and healthy mum and that was the complete opposite to how I was feeling.
"Being a new mum is a challenge in itself but when you arent feeling your best it can feel almost impossible."
All I ever wanted to be was a fit and healthy mum
By August, Clare had "had enough" of allowing her weight to make her feel "unhappy and unattractive."
"I signed up to a new LighterLife Xpress Slimming Club in Brigg on the 15 August to start the Total plan, so I could lose a stone a month," she said.
"I had done the LighterLife programme previously but never continued on with the Management plan.
"I was so chuffed to be slim that I lost sight of the challenges that lay ahead.
"Then after I moved town I didnt have a LighterLife group nearby and slowly life got on top of me.
"This time I was determined that my story would have a different ending."
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Before long, Clare saw the weight drop off - without having to deprive herself of any of her favourite treats.
She added: "I loved being back on the LighterLife programme, the strictness of having just four Foodpacks a day was perfect for me because it took away the obsession with food.
"The Salted Caramel Bar soon became a favourite of mine. In my first week I lost a whopping 9lb."
Clare credits her mentor, Vivienne, for helping her to stay on track with her weight loss journey through weekly meetings.
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"I really enjoyed developing a new mindset and taking the time to reflect on my food triggers to really make life long changes," she said.
"Being surrounded by likeminded people during your weight loss journey is so important because it allows you to be really open and honest with your feelings and acknowledge the negative behaviours that got you to this place."
Clare has completed her weight loss programme and now weighs a svelte 12st 2lb - having dropped an impressive 6st 9lb.
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And the mum now feels more "empowered" to make better decisions around her eating "rather than just reaching for cake at times of stress or tiredness."
As well as boosting her own self esteem, Clare says her weight loss has also had a positive impact on her family's life.
She said: "Losing over six and a half stone has not only changed my life but my husbands and sons too. "My husband is so proud of me for getting back to a positive place both mentally and physically.
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"I was dreading going back to work and being faced with buying much bigger clothes and worrying what people would think of me.
"Instead, Ill be heading back feeling and looking great.
"I fit back into all of my back of the wardrobe thin clothes and I cant wait to walk into this new chapter with confidence and positivity."
Read this article:
Sugar addict mum reveals incredible 6.5st weight loss WITHOUT giving up her fave treats - The Sun
