Mum whose son was bullied because of her weight loses a whopping 11 stone
![Sophie couldn](/upload/news/2023/01/04/12096.jpg)
Sophie Ratcliffe tried many times to lose weight in secret because she was afraid of being judged or embarrassed.
The mother-of-two hired a personal trainer on the sly and even considered a gastric band operation to try and slim down her 23st 13lb frame.
But nothing worked and it was only when Sophie, 29, from Hayle in Cornwall, joined a slimming club that she finally managed to lose 11st.
“My health was declining rapidly, I couldn’t walk up the stairs without being out of breath or sitting down. I wasn’t sleeping and I did absolutely no exercise,” Sophie says.
“My son was being bullied at school because of my weight which made me feel so guilty, but I didn’t know where to start when it came to changing things.”
![TV doc Michael Mosley says of last meal of day time is cruical to losing weight qhiquqiddeiqdeinv](/upload/news/2023/02/04/1370_m.jpg)
![Mum whose son was bullied because of her weight loses a whopping 11 stone](https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article28876643.ece/ALTERNATES/n310p/0_IMG-20221209-WA0014.jpg)
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She’s far from alone, recent research conducted by Slimming World found that more than half of dieters have tried to lose weight ‘in secret’ – many because of fears of being judged or failing.
Over a quarter of secret slimmers say they struggle to feel motivated (28%) and a similar number (27%) agree it’s easy to go off track because no one would know.
Still, for many covert dieters like Sophie the answer may actually lie in joining a group and sharing their struggle.
A huge 87% of those who’d tried to lose weight in secret before joining a Slimming World group said they’d been more successful after they’d joined: 73% valued the support of other members and 90% said the private weekly weigh-in was a key factor in helping them lose weight successfully.
![Mum whose son was bullied because of her weight loses a whopping 11 stone](https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article28876641.ece/ALTERNATES/n310p/1_JS287394010JPG.jpg)
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In September 2021 she decided to take action - to make life better for her two children.
“During the lockdowns all I did was eat and bake with my children,” she said.
“When my friends mentioned they were joining the local Slimming World group, I decided to go with them and we joined the same day.
“I’d tried so many ways to lose weight, I never told anyone though because I was sure I wouldn’t succeed – just like all the times before. I even hired a personal trainer but along with the exercise plan there was a protein shake diet that I knew I wouldn’t be able to stick to long term because it left me hungry.
“When I joined Slimming World I was embarrassed at how big I’d become, but no one in the group every made me feel this way and I left the first session feeling hopeful for the first time.
![Mum whose son was bullied because of her weight loses a whopping 11 stone](https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article28876647.ece/ALTERNATES/n310p/0_IMG-20221218-WA0002.jpg)
![Mum whose son was bullied because of her weight loses a whopping 11 stone](https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article28876648.ece/ALTERNATES/n310p/0_IMG-20221210-WA0001.jpg)
"As soon as I understood how the eating plan worked – and that I wouldn’t have to give up all the foods I loved – and I met the other members who were such a lovely bunch of people, I knew I was safe and wasn’t going to be judged.”
![Best time for exercise to boost metabolism and burn body fat unveiled](/upload/news/2023/02/13/4911_m.jpg)
The group also provided support to Sophie during the worst year of her life. In January 2021 she was suffering from what she thought were anxiety attacks - sometimes up to eight per day - and had a major seizure which was initially misdiagnosed as brain cancer but turned out to be epilepsy.
“It was a very stressful time when I could easily have given up on my weight loss plans, yet because of the support of those around me, both in my Slimming World group and my friends and family, I knew I had to carry on,” says Sophie.
“Since losing 11 stone, I’m a completely different person, I feel I’m better equipped to deal with what life throws at me… and I’ve not had a seizure since August.
“I know I’ve given myself the best chance I can to be a healthy mum. My son isn’t bullied anymore and both children are very proud of me. When they see pictures of me before I lost weight, they ask ‘Mummy, who’s that?’”
For more information or to find your nearest group, visit slimmingworld.co.uk.
Sophie Ratcliffe
Starting weight: 23st 13lb
Weight lost: 11st
Current weight: 12st 13lb
Height: 5ft 10in
BEFORE
Breakfast: A full English fry-up with lots of ketchup
Lunch: Shop-bought deep-fried chicken and chips
Dinner: Family-size pizza, ice cream with chocolate sauce and cream
Snacks: Crisps, bars of chocolate, sweets
Drinks: Fizzy drinks
AFTER
Breakfast: Banana with low-fat yoghurt
Lunch: Chicken skewers cooked in an air fryer with pitta bread
Dinner: Slimming World’s pizza topped chicken with Slimming World chips and lots of vegetables and/or salad
Snacks: Grapes, apples, high fibre bar
Drinks: 6-8 glasses of water a day
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