These are the stark words of Lord Mayor of York Margaret Wells who has lost five stones in 45 weeks following a health scare.
Margaret, 64, had a stroke in 2020 which left her paralysed down her left side; she had to learn to walk again and still uses a stick.
She told The Press: “After my stroke I could no longer drive and my walking was not good. The only thing I could do was sit and eat.
“I used to enjoy cooking but I found I could not stand in the kitchen for long. The weight was just going on and on and on.
“I must have put on about two or three stones – I was getting bigger and bigger and had to buy bigger clothes.”
Today, Margaret – who has been a Labour city councillor for Clifton since 2015 – weighs five stones less after following a new healthy eating regime.
She lost 70 pounds over 45 weeks after joining a Slimming World group in Huntington.
Lord Mayor Margaret Wells who has lost five stones and been named the Greatest Loser at her local York group of Slimming World
Margaret was referred to the group, initially for a free 12-week trial, under the York Health Trainers programme run by the city council, which can help people reach their health goals, from losing weight to stopping smoking, becoming more active, and getting fitter.
People can be referred to York Health Trainers by their GPs or do it themselves.
Margaret said: “I was told I could either go on an online slimming course or join Slimming World for free for 12 weeks.
“I figured I’d go for the 12-week Slimming World programme – I had nothing to lose and it wouldn’t cost me anything!”
Following her stroke, cooking from scratch was a challenge, but Margaret was determined to follow the healthy eating guidelines and recipes: “If I peel carrots, I have to sit down. I worked out how to do the recipes in stages. It could take me a whole morning to prepare a meal.”
But her determination paid off: she began losing weight and when she reached her target, she won an award: the Greatest Loser 2025 Award in her Huntington group.
Other challenges have been sticking to healthy eating during her time as Lord Mayor when she has a busy social calendar full of functions, which often include food and drink.
Margaret said she has to be disciplined. “Before an evening event, I can fill up on veg and protein before hand and not have high-calorie stuff.
“I’d probably have Weetabix for breakfast and a salad for lunch and then go out.”
And if she has a day of overindulgence she doesn’t allow it to throw her off track. “Each day is a new day,” she said.
Her main motivation is to maintain a healthier weight so that she does not have another stroke.
She said: “I’m disappointed that I am still struggling with walking, but I have a weak left side and that is to do with my brain.
“The last thing I want is another stroke so the changes will have helped and will eventually bring my blood pressure down.”
Margaret hopes her story will encourage others to follow in her footsteps. “If I can help somebody take that first step, I am happy with that.”
And she wants to thank everyone who has helped her on her weight-loss journey; from the council’s Health Trainers, to members of her Slimming World group and its consultant Donna Simpson.
Donna, who runs the Wednesday Huntington Slimming World group, said: “We’re incredibly proud of Margaret and the amazing progress she’s made since joining Slimming World.
“She’s an inspiration to everyone in our group and thoroughly deserves this award – we call her our ‘Slimming World Mayoress’.”
Margaret added: “My stroke was a wake-up call for my health and showed me how fragile health is. I hope if anybody has struggles with weight, smoking, or drinking that they will take that first step – there is a lot of support out there.”
* Find out more about York Health Trainers online at: www.york.gov.uk/CYCHealthTrainers or telephone 01904 553377.
* Discover your local Slimming World group at www.slimmingworld.co.uk.
