A mum has scooped the Slimming World Miss Slinky title after her amazing weight loss journey.
At her heaviest, Tansy Arnett struggled to keep up with her children and suffered uncomfortable joint pain.
Now after breaking her cycle of yo-yo diets and discovering a new relationship with food, the 29-year-old has dropped 7st 3lbs.
Six dresses smaller, she’s brimming with confidence and it’s earned her a prestigious title too.
Since her incredible transformation, Tansy has been crowned Slimming World’s Miss Slinky 2021.
The primary school learning support assistant struggled with her weight for as long as she can remember.
She tried a range of different diets, but could never find one that suited her.
Tansy said: “I tried many diets and they all resulted in me starving myself, becoming extremely unhealthy and regaining the weight.
“It had an awful impact on my relationship with food and I was very much an emotional eater.
“I met a few people who’d been successful with Slimming World and what really appealed to me was that they’d not only lost weight but kept the weight off – one woman had maintained her weight loss for years and years.
“I knew I needed something that would help me make a change for good. Slimming World has helped me to break the awful habit of starving myself to lose weight, and encouraged me to eat a well-balanced and varied diet.
“I have completely fallen in love with cooking again and love trying new recipes.”
Tansy joined Slimming World after seeing the success of others and discussing it with her sister Ferne.
In November 2019, she joined her local Highwoods Colchester Slimming World group weighing 18st.
She added: “I was so nervous. I sat in that first group with a shaky, wobbly lip and my heart beating out of my chest – I had no idea what to expect.
“Everyone was so lovely though, I was offered a drink straightaway and shown where to sit, and I was soon made to feel part of the family.”
She continued: “My Consultant Vicky and the rest of the group have been what really made the difference for me. Each week – even while we’ve not been able to meet in person, we’ve come together virtually – the group is like a reset button.
“I always come away buzzing and feeling motivated from other members’ tips or ideas, and when someone is in a hard place we all chip in to help them out – by talking things though you can really begin to work out what motivates you and what your stoppers are.
“Everyone there knows what it’s like to struggle with your weight and how it affects your self-esteem, it’s that kindness and understanding that’s helped me to understand myself better as a slimmer and boosted my self-belief.
“It’s so sustainable I know I have everything I need to stay slim for life.”
Before joining Slimming World, Tansy relied heavily on takeaways, fast food meals and loads of sugary coffees.
After hearing about the group’s Food Optimising eating plan, she began cooking meals from scratch for the whole family.
She explained: “I used to fill up on rubbish, sometimes to the point of feeling sick. Now I realise that healthy eating isn’t just eating, it’s about the foods you choose and the way you prepare and cook them.
“I have such a wide variety of food that I never feel restricted and I’m never hungry! I love using the new Slimming World barcode scanner to help me stay on track when I’m out shopping – it’s a godsend.”
Tansy, who now weighs 10st 11lbs, has also been inspired to become more active.
She has completed Couch to 5k and loves BOUNCE, a trampoline fitness class.
Now since her transformation, she’s been able to run after her 12-year-old twin boys, Charlie and Keegan, and toddler Harry, two.
The mum concluded: “At my biggest I didn’t like undressing in front of my partner and I hated looking in the mirror – I didn’t recognise the person looking back at me and felt like I was losing myself.”
She continued: “The fear of seeing someone who I hadn’t seen in a while was terrifying as I would just worry about them noticing how much weight I’d put on, so I’d make a joke about it before they could say anything.
“Now I love seeing people and they can’t get over how much weight I’ve lost. My partner loves my newfound confidence, and I can give my work 110%.
“I feel like I have a new lease of life. I never used to know what to wear, but now I love that I can showcase my personality through my clothes and don’t have to worry about wearing bright colours that attract attention – in fact, I like that!
“My advice to anyone wanting to lose weight is to go for it now, because if you don’t, then in a year’s time you’ll only wish you’d started earlier.”
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Tansy’s menu before:
Breakfast: Nothing or sugary cereal
Snack: Cake or biscuits with a sugary coffee
Lunch: “Meal deal” of shop-bought sandwich, crisps, chocolate bar and a fizzy drink
Dinner: Large portion of something frozen and oven cooked with chips or a takeaway
Evening: Biscuits, chocolate, crisps
Tansy’s menu after:
Breakfast: Homemade Slimming World waffles topped with fruit and sugar-free caramel syrup
Mid-morning: Piece of fruit and a coffee
Lunch: Homemade omelette
Mid-afternoon: Crabsticks or fresh fruit
Dinner: Cottage pie topped with carrot and swede mash and served with roasted vegetables
Evening: Frozen pineapple with fat-free yoghurt, high-fibre cereal bars and a cup of bedtime tea