7 stone weight loss, now a Slimming World group in Cornwall

Claire Dawe will be relaunching the Mabe Slimming World group from tomorrow (Tuesday, January 2).

It’s the same group she has attended as a member since November 2021, and now having lost more than seven stone herself she is hoping to help others achieve equal success.

The 47-year-old grandmother of two said she was “really excited” to be taking the next step as a consultant.

Explaining how events led up to this, Claire, who is a mother of six, said: “Before I started my weight loss journey with Slimming World I was in a really dark place.

“I was dealing with severe IBS, menopause, migraines, excruciating back pains as well as feeling ashamed by the fact that I could only fit in clothes size 22-24, due to my weight being 21 stone 10lb.

“Walking in general was a struggle for me, I was constantly out of breath and going up hills was a complete nightmare. Not only that, I was also struggling to sleep at night, which caused very stressful days from lack of sleep.

“However, I would have to say the worst part of all was the disappointment of not being able to play with my grandchildren as freely due to my weight, and so I would have to sit back and watch with envy as my husband and children could do so without any difficulty.”

Claire used to struggle to exercise (Image: Claire Dawe)

Encouraged by her brother Michael, Claire joined an online programme called Healthy Cornwall, through which she was given a 12-week free trial to attend a Slimming World group of her choice.

In the first week of joining the Mabe group, which at the time was run by a lady called Pam, she lost 6lb.

“I was so over the moon with how well it was going, and it did not stop there. As the weeks followed I continued to lose pound after pound until they started to turn into stones and I was really starting to see the difference in my appearance as well as my confidence as a result,” said Claire.

“With this new found confidence, I was able to make friends in group and by staying to group each week I was able to hear from the other group members their accomplishments and struggles; it really helps you to understand that you are not alone.

“Another benefit of my weight loss was that I was racking up a considerate amount of weight loss awards and was overwhelmed by the congratulations I was receiving from everyone within the group.”

Claire at one of her heaviest weights (Image: Claire Dawe)

She started sea swimming in the summer with her husband, along with plenty of long walks across the countryside with their dog and family.

With her weight loss and increased exercise she said saw a considerable improvement in her health, adding: “My IBS was gone, my migraines reduced and menopause was causing less pain in my joints.”

In September 2022 she won the group’s Woman of the Year competition.

With her confidence at an all-time high, Claire started her own Instagram account about her weight loss journey, attracting more than 600 followers.

In October 2022 the Slimming World magazine got in touch about her Instagram account and food ideas, and asked Claire to star in the magazine at the beginning of this year, going into detail about her weight loss journey and to try making one of their recipes.

A slimmed down Claire has lost more than seven stone (Image: Claire Dawe)

She also got a new job hosting in a hospital with 12-hour shifts.

By September 2022 Claire had managed to lose five stone and so decided to go with Pam to attend a meeting to find out about becoming a Slimming World consultant.

However, she decided she needed to get closer to her target weight first, and made this her personal goal. By July Claire had lost seven stone, putting her close to her target, and with it came the news she was successful in becoming a consultant.

“I am so keen to get started and even more ecstatic that I will be running the group that I started my journey in, with all of my closest friends I’ve made on the way,” she said.

Claire’s group will be held each Tuesday at Mabe Community Hall, Cunningham Park from January 2, with three sessions available at 4.30pm, 6pm or 7.30pm.