After years of hiding at home and battling depression, Janine Taylor says losing over 7 stone transformed her health, confidence and life – and changed how she sees herself
Life seemed to be perfect for Janine Taylor when she retired and moved to a pretty market town with her husband Mark. But behind closed doors in Bewdley, Worcestershire, Janine was trapped in a cycle of self abuse and miserable because of her weight. At her heaviest, Janine, 58, weighed over 22st and suffered from high blood pressure, neuropathy, insomnia and depression. She says: “I was so self-conscious, I’d do my food shopping at 7am.”
Her relationship with food had always been complicated. “I didn’t have a happy childhood. I had depression. I’ve one daughter, Lucy, who is now 35. I wasn’t ready to be a mum when I got pregnant in my teens. If I hadn’t got pregnant, I’d never have got married,” she said. “There was a lot of growing up very quickly – and comfort eating became an escape.”
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Janine split from her first husband in 1996 and married Mark soon after. Her problematic relationship with food endured. She says: “Overeating was a vicious circle – I’d eat because was depressed, my size would make me sad, and then I’d eat more. It was a cycle of self abuse.“
“In my 50s, I had the fitness level of a 70 year old. I had a lot of health anxiety. I was always at the doctor. They all said it was my weight, the more I was told that, the angrier I got… and the more I ate,” she said, “I wasn’t a very nice person. I used to think people were looking at mean that they thought I was big and lazy. I felt like I stood out in the crowd, but for the wrong reasons.”
“I worked from home as a payroll manager because I was ashamed to leave the house. I became agoraphobic. I switched off from everybody. I struggled to sleep. I’d spend days in my pyjamas. My husband would say to me, ‘I think you need a shower today.’.”
Janine tried many restrictive diets over the years, but none worked. Then, in 2021, she had a serious health scare. Janine started experiencing abdominal pains and was sent to hospital for scans. While the results were clear, her kind GP was concerned and offered her a 12-week referral to Slimming World*.
“I felt encouraged, not ashamed for the first time,” she said, “I agreed to try Slimming World.”
There, Janine was amazed by how flexible Slimming World’s healthy eating plan, Food Optimising, was. She set an initial target of 12st 2lbsand was amazed at how quickly the pounds dropped.
Slimming World’s frozen food range made healthy eating easy and as Janine’s confidence grew, she started cooking from scratch. By December 2023,she hit her final target weight of 8st 11lbs. She now weighs 8st 8lbs ,having lost 7st 8lbs.
For the first time in her life, she had a healthy BMI, normal blood pressure, and no need for medication. Her insomnia also vanished. “I have the energy levels of someone my age now – not someone elderly. Thanks to Slimming World, I’m in control of my relationship with food rather than the other way around.“
“For the first time ever I actually like myself. I never thought that possible. There is hope – and I’m proof of that. I finally feel like the woman I was meant to be.”
*Slimming World on Referral provides the opportunity to join a Slimming World group – or Slimming World Online in some areas– fully funded for 12 weeks. Memberships are typically paid for by local authorities or the NHS. To find out if Slimming World on Referral is available near you and whether you’re eligible, check your local council website, or with your GP or local healthcare professional.
*The health information in this story is based on personal experience and should not replace the advice from a healthcare
