Waterlooville woman celebrates shedding 5 stone through Slimming World and dropping 5 dress sizes

Kat Atrill felt like she had tried every diet, and when she was diagnosed with coeliac disease in 2016 she began gaining weight because she craved treats to replace items her diet restricted.

One day, Kat stepped on the scales and decided enough was enough - so she joined Slimming World online in October 2018.

The 27-year-old, who met her partner Shane Clarke in 2016, said: ‘Even when I was in school I was called fat and I was bigger than my friends.

‘I always thought I would need to lose weight to be loved but then I met my partner Shane and he loves me as I am, so now I’m doing it for myself instead which I think is why I stick to it.’

A year ago, Kat joined her local group and found she lost even more weight, reaching the five stone milestone recently while attending virtual sessions.

At her biggest, Kat was a size 24 in clothing. She can now comfortably fit into sizes 12 and 14, dropping at least five dress sizes.

Teaching assistant Kat said: ‘At first it was a bit nerve-wracking because I didn’t know anyone - I would never not go now.

‘I have dieted for years and I never thought that I could be slim and actually it is possible, anyone can do it but you have to do it for yourself and not any other reason.’

August was due to see Kat and Shane get married at Marwell Hotel with friends and family - but coronavirus restrictions mean the ceremony will be a lot smaller than planned.

Kat still wants to lose more weight before the big day, and has praised the support of her Waterlooville slimming consultant Lea Wood.

Lea said: ‘We're so proud of her, and I love how she's not given up hope, even in lockdown with wedding plans on hold. Hopefully it will inspire others and know there is hope.’

Lea’s groups run on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays, with 10 groups available online. For more information, phone Lea on 07812 210088 or visit slimmingworld.co.uk.

A message from the Editor

Thank you for reading this story on portsmouth.co.uk. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to portsmouth.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit our Subscription page now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.