Whittlesey widow voted woman of the year after impressive weight loss

Fiona Rippon before her weight loss. (Image: Archant)

Fiona Rippon, 60, of Whittlesey, who piled on the pounds when her husband died, has dropped from 17st to 11st in just 18 months.

In recognition of her efforts, she has been voted by her fellow members at the Whittlesey Slimming World group as their woman of the year, which means she will represent the group in the regional round of Slimming World’s national competition.

Mrs Rippon said: “I gained a lot of my weight through comfort eating but when my husband passed away I comfort ate more and knew I needed to do something about it.

“I tried lots of different diets but they usually left me feeling hungry and miserable. Slimming World is completely different.

“I never have to go hungry and after losing 6st I’m the happiest I’ve been in years. I’ve been able to have the surgery I need for my hip and now enjoy dancing and walking, only things I ever dreamed of before.

“I never dreamt I could achieve so much. I’ve gone from a size 20 to a 10 and it’s made such a huge difference – it’s changed my life. I’ve got so much more energy and I can do things now that I couldn’t before.

“My fitness has improved – I enjoy being active now rather than thinking of it as a chore. I love to walk. I feel like a winner already, so being voted the Tuesday 5.30pm group’s Woman of the Year 2014 is just the icing on the cake.”

Gemma Lee, who runs the Whittlesey Tuesday group, says: “I’m so proud of Fiona. Not only does she look fabulous, she’s improved her health and is bursting with energy.

“She’s a huge inspiration to everyone in our group and I hope she inspires other women in Whittlesey to change their lives in the same way.”

The Whittlesey Slimming World group is held every Tuesday at 9.30am, 11.30am, 5.30pm and 7.30pm at Childers, Station Road. To join or find out more call Gemma on 01733 350091/ 07456 864419 or e-mail slimmingworldwhittlesey5@outlook.com