Defying the odds: Mother of two reveals how she lost 13st and kept it off for good

Before and after: Kim McAree

WHEN Kim McAree lost almost half her bodyweight in just three years, she defied all the odds.

 

Kim, who tipped the scales at 24st 5lb and wore size-30 clothes, shed more than 13st between 2007 and 2010, taking her down to a slim size 10. 

But that isn’t where her inspirational story ends. 

Five years later Kim has defied the odds again by keeping the weight off. 

This comes in light of a recent study that reveals that after five years only 16 per cent of slimmers are able to maintain their goal weight. 

 

“I can’t pinpoint the exact reason I started to gain weight,” says Kim, 54, who lives in Nottingham with her husband Tim, 52, an NHS manager. 

Kim, who left school a size 16, says that even when pregnant with her two children Charlotte, 29 and Sam, 27 she gained only 2st which she quickly lost after the birth.

“My weight problems were caused by a combination of loving food, eating a lot of rich, creamy dishes and not doing much exercise,” says Kim, who says her weight crept up by 7lb a year. 

“I knew I was overweight but never felt like I could tackle it. My problem was that I hardly ate anything in the day but at night would cook delicious pasta meals made with lots of butter, double cream and cheese and then graze all evening.”

By her mid-40s Kim had reached 24st.

Working as a nurse she was fully aware of the health issues linked to obesity but that still wasn’t enough to make her tackle her own weight issues.

 



Kim managed to lose 13st and has kept the weight off



“I’m a very confident person so my size never bothered me. I have always been the life and soul of the party so nobody ever made reference to my weight.” 

The push she needed came from a family photograph, see far right, taken on the night of her daughter’s 21st birthday in 2007. 

My weight problems were caused by a combination of loving food, eating a lot of rich, creamy dishes and not doing much exercise

Kim McAree

“The four of us got dressed up and went out for a fancy meal and had our picture taken in the restaurant,” says Kim. 

“We sent the camera roll off for development and when the pictures were posted back to us a few weeks later I saw myself in a whole new light. I thought ‘I’m not having this any more’. I didn’t want to look like that.” 

Kim bought a few slimming magazines and the recipes in Slimming World really appealed to her. 

“As my son still lived at home I had to cook for him and my husband. They were both willing to give it a go so that September I joined my local group and weighed in at 24st 5lb. I’d never been to a slimming group before but I’d made up my mind that I was going to give it my best shot.

 

Never go shopping on an empty stomach

“After my first meeting I studied the plan and the following morning I went shopping and bought all the food I needed for that week. Making a list helped me resist treats in the supermarket.” 

Kim cooked from scratch and swapped a few vital ingredients.

“When making lasagne I’d swap the mince for vegetables and favoured tomato sauces over fat-filled creamy ones. I also opted for salad over garlic bread. 

“I started doing one mile a day on the exercise bike which soon increased to 10 miles a day.” 

Kim went on to lose a massive 6st in her first year and another 6st in the second. 

She reached her target weight of 11st 1lb in September 2010.

While Kim had every right to celebrate her huge loss she knew that the hard work wasn’t over yet.

 

Now she had to maintain her new figure. 

“There was a chance that I would continue to lose weight but my leader was on hand to show me how to tweak my diet to ensure that didn’t happen. 

"For example, I could slightly increase the amount of healthy extras I was eating, such as cereal and bread.

“I still go to group once a week because now I’m at target it’s free to attend. I also use the magazine and books. 

“I make a seven-day meal planner every week and never eat the same thing twice to stop me getting bored. And I never go food shopping on an empty stomach because that’s when old habits creep back in. Holidays are my downfall. 

"Because you eat out so often you can’t guarantee what’s in your food so I usually gain a few pounds. But as soon as I get home the scales are out and I’m back on the plan.” 

 

In 2010 Kim and Tim flew to Las Vegas where they celebrated 25 years together by renewing their wedding vows. 

“It was a great way to celebrate our life together and also my successful weight loss. Losing weight has allowed me to do things I would never have dared to try when I was bigger,” says Kim.

Having maintained her target weight for five years Kim was named Slimming World Diamond Member 2015.

“Being able to play with my 11-month-old granddaughter Isla, travel the world and be the proud owner of my first ever pair of jeans are all great reasons to never go back to the size I was.”

* To find your nearest Slimming World group visit slimmingworld.co.uk or call 0344 897 800