Ipswich: Slimmer’s fears for her health prompted her to shed more than eight stone...now she is on a mission to help others

Ipswich super slimmer Caren Elwis has lost 8.5st and is now helping others battle the bulge. (Image: Archant)

Mother-of-five Caren Elwis, who wore a size 28 at her heaviest, continued to gain weight with each of her pregnancies and soon fell into the habit of regularly eating unhealthy food.

The 40-year-old, from Ipswich, said her weight problems led to her having pains in her legs, she could hardly walk and everyday activities, like playing with her children, left her breathless.

She said: “I carried on eating as if I was eating for two. I would eat a lot of takeaway, chocolate and junk food that was quick to grab and meant I didn’t have to stand for to long to cook.

“The heavier I was getting the more my health suffered.”

Caren’s fears for her health was just one of the factors which compelled her to lose weight, and after enlisting in a Slimming World club, she dropped to a size 14 in just over a year.

She said the food plan and support were among just some of the things which contributed to her losing eight-and-a-half stone, which has transformed her life.

She said: “I love dancing, I’m often caught dancing around the kitchen, I can run with my children without getting out of breath and the pains in my body have gone.

“I have my life back and I can now enjoy it with my family.”

Spurred on by her own success, Caren will now relaunch the Slimming World club at St Augustine’s Church Hall.

She hopes her story will help inspire more slimmers in the town to successfully shed the pounds.

She added: “I want to help people and give them the opportunity I had to lose weight and become slimmer and healthier.”

The relaunch will take place on October 29 at 5.30pm and 7.30pm. The group will meet every Tuesday at those times.