A FAT-FIGHTER from Southminster is using her weight loss success to shape a whole new career helping other people change their lives.

Mum of two Julie Oliver has always loved and cared for her two girls, loving husband and making her family and friends happy.

But over the years, she had slowly gained more weight and no longer felt as though she was the confident happy woman she used to be.

Julie decided she needed to take back control of her life, and with everyone she knew talking about Slimming World, she decided to join her local Southminster group in 2015.

To date, she has lost three stone since joining the programme.

Once she heard what food she could eat and it being able to fit into her family life, she started making family favourite foods like chilli, curries, and lasagne, and was even allowed to have her favourite drink, a glass of rum and diet coke.

Now, she has trained as a consultant for Slimming World at their national training academy in Derbyshire and re-launching the Southminster Slimming World group on January 1.

Julie said: “Like a lot of people, I had tried to loose weight so many times before. I’d been overweight as a child and declared myself a vegetarian. Only my version didn’t include vegetables.

“I began to live off crisps, cakes and chocolate. It became a habit of a lifetime and over the years my weight crept up. Being overweight stopped me from being myself, it stopped me from going to certain social events and prevented me doing things that I secretly wanted to do like zip wiring and climbing trees with my children.

“Joining Slimming World has given me the freedom to enjoy real food. I have never felt restricted by the plan, it’s the opposite in fact. I can dine out with family and friends and make smart choices, all whilst staying on the Slimming World plan.

“There is no need for calorie counting and I could fill up on pasta and rice with Quorn and vegetables.”

She added: “It starts with a feeling that you’re not alone and that there are support there waiting for you. These days I can join my daughters on shopping trips for clothes and I recently zip-wired over an extreme course in Mexico.”

The first session will be held on New Year’s Day at the United Reformed Church Hall on North Street in Southminster.

Call 07507 071462.