Mother and daughter team up to shed 13st
Ratoath Super slimmers whose combined weight once topped over 30 stone encouraged each other to become healthier
A MUM and daughter from Ratoath spurred each other on to lose a total of 13 stone between them and reached their target weight during lockdown.
The super slimmers whose combined weight once topped over 30 stone encouraged each other to become healthier and say the journey has been “life changing.”
Suzie Hetherington (34) said seeing her mum Elaine’s (62) success at Slimming World gave her the kick start that she needed to start her own road to weight loss.
Inspirational Elaine who suffers from Fibromyalgia and admits “being in pain everyday” has almost halved her body weight and has dropped from a dress size of 28 to a 16 in just 18 months.
Daughter Suzie who has lost four dress sizes going from a size 18 to a size 10 says it was after the birth of her youngest baby a year ago that her weight really started to get her down. She said:
“I have three children and my youngest just turned one. I never lost the weight from my previous babies and I since I was a kid I was always the bigger one in the family, my sister was pretty slim so I suppose I always felt like I was fat so I just kind of gave up and accepted it.
“The weight just piled on after my kids and for about ten years I felt really uncomfortable in my own skin.
“My mum lives in Blanchardstown so for an excuse to see me she joined Slimming World in Ratoath and she would call in on her way down and by the time I had my last baby she had lost about 50lb so I thought wow I am joining this, let’s do it together.
“At first it was to spend time with my mam and have a bit of craic and it really started to work for me.”
The Ratoath woman’s husband to Neil and mum to Isabelle (10), Harry (5) and Joe (1), says it was a struggle during lockdown sticking to the plan but she hit her target weight.
“My ten-year-old daughter bought a jumpsuit online recently and I tried it on and it actually fitted me, I couldn’t believe it and she said mam I’m so proud of you, to hear means the world.
“When I lost the weight I met a friend who I have known for years and she said to me 'oh my God I have the old Suzie back'.
“I said what do you mean and she said you lost your confidence, you lost your spark.
“She could see the change in me.
“I feel like I have come a full 360 and I’m back!”
Mum Elaine who was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia twenty years ago says losing a staggering eight stone in weight has improved her health.
“I’ve lost eight stone and I have another two to go, I want to lose ten stone! I have lost a whole human being!
“Losing weight has really helped my asthma, when I started this journey I was on a CPAP machine (Continuous positive airway pressure machine) to help me breath at night and since I have been able to come off that.
“I had to put this machine on me every night before I went to bed because my oxygen stats would drop during the night because I would stop breathing.
“I’ve also stopped taking steroids after ten years and it was only when I stopped I realised how miserable they were making me.
“When you lose the first stone and you say I can do this because you are able to eat proper food and you get the encouragement from the class and from Teresa the Slimming World consultant who is amazing.
“Before I would have driven to the shop to buy an ice cream or a bar of chocolate and I would have bought two and eaten one on the way home in the car.
“My dad lives in Laois and I know every shop between Dubin and Durrow that sell whipped cones because I would go off the motorway to get them.
“Now I’ve cut all of that out and eat really healthy food that I love.
“Suzie and I are both very lucky that we have a family that support us and that is huge when you have somebody that is behind you and helping you on your journey.
“My husband Brendan and children Tracy and Gary have been wonderful.”
“Now I look at her and think this is our Suzie, this is the Suzie that I gave birth to and the Suzie I reared and it has great to have her back.”