While lots of young people gain weight at university, after years of being unhappy with her size, Paige Stoodley is starting her first term lighter than ever – and she’s confident that’s the way she’ll stay

 

Before losing weight 18-year-old Paige suffered severe back pain and used to
    get nervous before going out with her slim friends. But it wasn’t until
    seeing the unflattering photos from her school prom that she was inspired to
    lose 5st 11lbs with Slimming

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Now she’s top of the class after being named Slimming World Young Slimmer of
    the Year 2013 and, as she heads off to Keele University, she’s urging any
    students worried about their weight to take advantage of an upcoming special
    offer for Free Membership to any Slimming World group.<p>Paige says: “I used
    to worry that people would stare at me or judge me because of my size. I
    hadn’t really even considered going to university before losing weight
    because the thought of meeting new people terrified me, but now I feel so
    much more confident – I can’t wait.</p>
    <blockquote>
        <p class="last">“I think lots of people my age think that slimming clubs
        aren’t “cool” or are just for older people, but that’s absolutely not
        the case. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done and I’d advise any young
        people who want to feel better about themselves to join a group now.”</p>
    </blockquote>
    <p>The Telford teenager had struggled with her weight for years: “For as
    long as I remember I’ve always been bigger than my friends. I was a very
    emotional eater, I used food as a reward for doing well or as a comforter if
    I’d had a bad day.”</p>
    <p>Paige tried losing weight before but often got bored of feeling
    restricted or giving up her favourite foods so would throw in the towel. It
    wasn’t until after her school prom that her nan persuaded Paige to join her
    at their local Slimming World group in April 2012 and she managed to lose
    weight successfully for the first time.</p>
    <p>She says: “At the age of 17 I was almost 17st and I knew something had to
    change. Shopping for my prom dress was probably one of the worst experiences
    I’ve ever had. I was so excited and had all these ideas in my head of how I
    wanted to look, but the reality was that every dress I liked either didn’t
    fit or looked horrendous. I felt so embarrassed that I ended up just wanting
    to go home. I did find a dress in the end but I didn’t like any of the
    photos of me in it. It was then my nan suggested I come to Slimming World
    with her.”</p>
    <p>Paige was nervous about walking into the group but soon realised that
    no-one was judging her and she instantly knew the club’s Food Optimising
    plan was for her: “Being able to eat pasta and potatoes without weighing and
    measuring them out seemed too good to be true, and I loved being able to
    have a treat like a bar of chocolate or a bag of crisps when I fancied one
    as well. It’s about learning how to balance your diet, not restricting
    yourself.”</p>
    <p>Attending the group each week, Paige learned about healthy eating and
    picked up lots of different recipes from her Consultant Celia Powell and the
    other members – her favourite is homemade beef burgers with potato wedges
    and salad. Now she’s a confident cook and regularly cooks for her mum and
    dad, which she believes will stand her in good stead when she leaves home
    for university later this month.</p>
    <p>She says: “What I liked is that the plan put me in control. I was given
    all the information, support and tools I needed but the choice – about what
    weight I wanted to be or what I wanted to eat – and the responsibility was
    mine. It makes me feel so proud of what I’ve achieved, more so than if I’d
    have just been doing as I was told or following some strict regime for a
    short period of time.</p>
    <p>“I know I’ll have to live on a fairly tight budget at university but I
    think I’ve learned a lot about value for money and how to get healthy, tasty
    food without spending too much – I love big pasta dishes and jacket
    potatoes. I still manage to eat out with my friends and go on nights out too
    so I’m not worried about socialising either.”</p>
    <p>Since starting at Slimming World Paige, who also walks regularly now
    instead of taking the bus, has dropped from a dress size 22 to a 12. It was
    after starting to lose weight that she decided to apply to study mental
    health nursing at university. Paige says: “I know nursing can be quite
    physical and you’re on your feet a lot so I was worried I wouldn’t have been
    able to cope with that side of things when I was bigger. I’m sure that my
    weight loss helped me get accepted too. I think I was able to get across my
    enthusiasm and passion for nursing because I feel better about myself. I
    feel like I make a better first impression, so I could focus on the
    interview itself.