Overweight Fareham teacher loses more than six stone for wedding of her dreams

For in April 2022, she will marry the love of her life, Gareth Horton, in a ceremony served with a huge dollop of glamour.

But Kim’s dream wedding was unthinkable just two years ago when she weighed more than 20st 5lbs and her confidence was at rock bottom.

She was 23 and her weight had, in her own words, ‘spiralled out of control’ while enjoying university life.

She says: ‘It was a combination of doing two jobs where I sat down all day, then going out at night and drinking loads – the normal uni life.

‘I piled on seven stone in two years and my body really suffered, I had massive stretch marks. I went up to a dress size 22.’

Kim, who lives in Portchester, is originally from Stoke where a local treat is oat cakes smothered in cheese, bacon and baked beans – a calorific dish she would eat every day.

Add to that lunchtime meal deals, takeaway pizzas, and oven meals instead of fresh fruit and veg – it was an extremely unhealthy way to live.

But Kim tried to pretend to the world that she was not bothered.

‘For such a long time I was in denial’, she says.

‘I didn’t think it was as bad as it really was. My clothes were getting tight but I refused to accept it and I wouldn’t weigh myself.

‘Then every other day I would have sessions of feeling rubbish and getting upset about it.

‘I would crave and eat unhealthy food. It’s all I wanted’.

Kim’s family were becoming worri ed.

‘My dad offered to pay for me to go on holiday so that I had something to aim to lose weight for because they feared I was going to get diabetes or heart disease. And I worried about that too.’

Things got so bad for Kim that she began suffering physically and mentally.

‘By July 2018 my weight was completely out of control.

‘Seeing pictures of myself made me feel sick. I hated having my picture taken and because everyone takes pictures on their phones all the time I simply avoided going out, I didn’t want people to see me.

‘I became a bit of a hermit.’

Kim says she was in a vicious circle. She couldn’t exercise because she was so overweight.

‘I was so tired all the time’ she says with a sigh.

‘I couldn’t do anything without being exhausted.

‘I ended up having a little bit of a breakdown. I was lying on the floor, crying. I was mortified with myself, I was exploding with unhappiness.

‘I avoided looking in mirrors, I hated trying clothes on because I didn’t fit in anything.’

It was then she decided she had to take action. With Gareth’s help she researched the best, most sustainable way of losing weight.

Recalling the support Gareth gave her, she says: ‘We got together at the beginning of uni when I was at my smallest. He has been there with me all the way and has seen my weight go up and down.

‘He was really supportive when I was upset. But even now, he never says I wasn’t attractive when I was big, he always said I looked beautiful.

‘He supported me when I wanted to lose weight but only ever wanted me to be happy.’

Kim decided to try Slimming World. She chose the session at Portchester Community Centre, which is just minutes from their house. That first meeting was a nerve-wracking experience.

‘On my way in I was so nervous I felt a bit sick because I knew I’d have to weigh myself’, she says.

‘But my consultant, Carole Harris, met me at the door and made me feel at ease.

‘When I stepped on the scales they said to me that I’d never see that number again – and I haven’t. I’ve steadily lost 6st 7lbs over two years and I feel amazing.

‘I’m not at my target weight yet but I’ll get there. I want to lose eight stone. I feel so much more confident.

‘I love wearing lots of different clothes, in fact I spend far too much money on them.’

Gone are the ready meals in favour of plenty of home-made food.

Slimming World encourages members to do Body Magic – which is essentially exercise. And Kim went for it.

‘After my first year of losing weight I began quite a lot of exercise’, she says and breaks out into a beaming smile.

‘Before lockdown I started netball, which I’ve always wanted to do but I was so nervous about the outfit.

‘I do Just Dance on the internet and Gareth and I love walking.

‘Last summer I even dressed up in a fluorescent outfit and we climbed Mount Snowdon!’

What about that wedding dress?

Kim giggles and explains: ‘I love television shows like Say Yes to the Dress. Now I can actually see myself wearing one. Before I lost weight I would not even have considered getting married.

‘I feel completely different now to how I felt when I was bigger. I’m more confident and I do things I would never have done before. And I’m so excited about my wedding dress!’

Lose weight gradually and keep it off

Kim Gath’s diet before she turned to Slimming World was made up of heavily processed food which she could buy and eat immediately or put in the oven for a quick evening meal.

It was very low on fresh fruit and vegetables.

However, by following the Slimming World plan and Body Magic – which is essentially getting active – she has transformed her eating habits and her lifestyle.

Diet before Slimming World:

Breakfast: Greggs bacon roll or oat cakes covered in beans and cheese

Lunch: A meal deal – sandwich, crisps, chocolate bar and pop

Dinner: Usually a takeaway pizza ready meal that can be cooked quickly in the oven.

Snacks: Roasted nuts, chocolate

Diet now:

Breakfast: Weetabix with fruit

Lunch: Homemade egg muffins or omelette, or scrambled eggs with mushrooms

Dinner: Butternut squash or carrot chips with chilli chicken and vegetables

Snacks: Fruit, small packet of crisps counted as syns (treats), yoghurt with meringue

To find out more about Slimming World contact Carole Harris (in Portchester) on 07776 005221 or go to slimmingworld.co.uk.

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