'I changed my life once and for all after guilt over a birthday present from my son'

An overweight grandmother has revealed how a gift from her son caused her so much guilt that she ditched her unhealthy lifestyle for good. Christine Connor lost confidence after spending years juggling the demands of parenting alongside a full-time job.

The 66-year-old gran-of-10 found herself living off ready meals and convenience food as a result of her busy lifestyle. Her unhealthy habits led her to tip the scales at 17st 4lbs.

She vowed to change her life. But her inspirational weight loss journey had its ups and downs, with periods of progress followed by despair as she found it difficult to keep the weight off. It was a gift from her son that finally gave her the determination to succeed.

Christine said: “After my fifth child, I was very overweight. I was working full time and running around after five children. I was living off ready meals and convenience food.

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“This went on for years, but during that time, I put on more weight and stopped socialising as I was ashamed of how I looked and the fact I didn’t have the confidence to wear fitted clothing.

“I was so embarrassed. I knew I was overweight as I’d stopped buying clothes or going out, but I hadn’t realised I was a dress size 24. I was devastated.”

Ahead of renewing her 25th wedding anniversary vows, Christine decided to sign up for Slimming World along with one of her daughters.

“On finding out how upset I was (about my weight), my daughter told me, ‘I know how you feel, I feel the same way,’” the gran said. “I knew then that not only did I have to help myself, more importantly I had to help my daughter.”

Christine, from Gatley in Stockport, went on to shed a whopping five stone in just 18 months. She recalls feeling “buzzing” over the incredible weight loss.

But busy work commitments meant her group attendance dwindled. Noticing her weight was creeping up again, Christine eventually gained a stone and stopped attending the group altogether, she told the

Three stone over her ideal weight, she spent two years trying to slim down again but gained another stone. Everything came to a head when her son bought Christine and her husband tickets to see rock band The Moody Blues as a present.

“My son saved up and bought my husband and I tickets to go and see a concert,” she said. "I refused to go due to my weight and the fact I’d lost all the confidence I ever had. This really upset my son and he ended up going in my place. I never forgave myself.”

Christine decided to re-join Slimming World and began attending martial arts classes alongside her grandchildren. She also signed up to a gym and took up aerobics and Pilates.

Her new healthy lifestyle meant the pounds quickly began to drop off, and by 2019, the gran weighed in at 10st 5bs – a total loss of seven stone. She now fits into size 10 clothes.“

I am now very confident,” she said. “I am happy about my weight and passionate about Slimming World, exercise and martial arts. I’m going for my black belt next year.

“The best advice I can give is to keep going to classes and stay. It’s the best thing that ever happened to me. The support, help and understand you get from class is amazing. I need the support."

Christine has now been given the opportunity to run her very own Slimming World group. “I’m so excited to be able to support others on their weight loss journey, as I have been supported,” she said. “We are going to have the best group.”