Sarah Downes-Moen has lost a total of 2 stone and 7 pounds since December 2015, when her and her sister Emma decided to take the plunge and join Slimming World in Letterkenny.

A busy woman, Sarah is a manager at Aunty Nellie’s Sweetshop in Letterkenny and has a little girl, Ella, who is just sixteen weeks old.

Incredibly, Sarah lost a stone and a half during her pregnancy, and is now just 21 pounds away from her goal weight.

She no longer feels depressed during shopping trips, and the Slimming World diet helps her keep her diabetes under control.

Sarah says; “I’d say I have been overweight most of my life from my early teens to now. It has always been a constant battle. I still have another stone and a half to go to reach target.

Before Sarah lost her weight, she always felt lethargic.

“The weight didn’t specifically affect my health in that I didn’t have any medical ailments because of being overweight, but I always felt tired and exhausted.

“I always found it hard to get clothes to fit me which made for depressing trips to the shops.

“I have been at Slimming World on and off from when it first came to Ireland but December 2015 my sister said to me about rejoining and I said to her we’ll wait until after Christmas. She said NO we’ll join now or we’ll be twice the weight after.

“Well it was the best thing she said and we both joined. Slimming World kept us on track and we maintained and kept the weight off at one of the toughest times of the year for temptation.

“I’m able to walk into a clothes shop and pick something up that actually fits me! I can walk into town without being breathless at the end of it and I feel like I have more energy all the time.

“I found out in January 2016 I was pregnant and was diagnosed with gestational diabetes a few months later.

“I believe that following the Slimming World plan kept the diabetes under control and as a result I had a beautiful baby girl Ella (7lb2oz) in September 2016.

Slimming World are the only weight loss organisation who will support pregnant members and they work closely with the Royal College of Midwifes to protect those members.

“I lost 1 and ½ stone while I was pregnant and a further stone when I had my daughter. The Support from Sandra Wylie and all my friends in The Vestry was fantastic during this time.

Sarah believes that attending the weekly Slimming World meetings was the best change she made to her lifestyle. She finds the meetings very supportive, and has made lifelong friends through the group.

“If you are thinking about joining a Slimming World group, stop thinking about it and just do it!

“The hardest thing is walking through the door to your first meeting but the welcome you get and the support you receive is amazing. And the friends you make are lifelong. I look forward to the group every week where a hot cuppa is waiting along with friendly advice and support.

“Without the support of my sister Emma, consultant Sandra and all my family and friends I would have given up long ago.

“But with my little girl here now I have all the encouragement I need to continue my weight loss journey and reach my target!

 

For information on where your nearest Slimming World group meets, diet tips, and delicious recipes visit www.slimmingworld.ie