A SLIMMING World member from Saffron Walden has praised the help and support of her group after losing SEVEN STONE in just 20 months.

Rachel Murphy, 26, started going to the slimming group in January 2010 and said the support offered by the consultants was vital.

“You can text, e-mail and even ask on Facebook if you have questions about anything, or need some encouragement,” she said. “It may be that you wake up and feel bad because you’ve eaten a chocolate gateau, but the consultants at Slimmers World are there to reassure you and tell you there’s always next week. They never criticise you.”

Miss Murphy said she wanted to lose weight because she felt sick and tired of going into shops and not being able to find anything in her size.

“It was depressing wanting to buy something because it looked good on the hanger, only to find out that they didn’t have it in my size or that it didn’t look as nice. Now if I see something I like and it’s not in my size it’s only because it’s out of stock and not because the shop doesn’t have something that big,” she said.

Yvonne Parker-Bonney, the new consultant of a Slimming World group in Saffron Walden – and who lost two-and-a-half stone in eight months herself – said: “Rachel has done wonderfully. It is hard work but she’s shown that by eating proper food it is possible to reach your target weight and become healthier.”

According to Miss Murphy, a mixture of dieting and exercise was the key to her losing weight.

“It was all about eating the right things at the right time, balancing out what you have on your plate and controlling your portion sizes,” she added.

“I have tried other diets but I think the reason the slimming club worked was because it is so simple. Many of the other diets are just fads because the weight comes off very quickly but it’s difficult to stick with it.

“There are weeks when you lose weight, and there are weeks when you put it on.

“When I look at my book I can see there are peaks and troughs throughout the 20 months but I knew I could reach my target. Your target is your target and you’re the only person who can get to it.”

The Slimming World group meets every Thursday at 5.30pm and 7.30pm at The Garden Room at Jubilee Gardens in Saffron Walden. To find out more, visit slimmingworld.com or call Yvonne on 01279 816228.