Dawn Lambert maintains 17st weigh loss and is Slimming World's Diamond Member of the Year 2022

Dawn Lambert, from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, lost an incredible 17st and has maintained her life-changing weight loss for the last eight years and hopes to show others that it is possible to make long-term changes – even those with health and mobility issues.
Dawn began her weight loss journey with Slimming World in 2007 and initially lost 9st. She’s gone on to lose a further 8st, meaning she’s now lost 17st overall.
At 26st 4lbs, Dawn’s weight exacerbated her health problems – which included dangerous blood poisoning following surgery. At her heaviest, Dawn’s health issues included asthma, blood clots in her legs and lungs, migraines, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), diverticulitis (a digestive condition that affected her large intestine), lipoedema (a painful build up of fat in her arms and legs), lymphedema (a chronic condition that causes swelling in the body’s tissues), osteoarthritis and a sluggish bowel meaning she was forced to take laxatives. She also suffered a serious case of septicemia following an operation to repair her bowel and now suffers with chronic fatigue syndrome following the surgery.
Dawn says: “I’d been overweight for much of my life. I never really felt like I ate that much, but I was stuck in an overeat-and-restrict cycle which saw my weight go up and up and it was getting worse. I was told by a liver surgeon that I might develop a type of liver disease that can lead to liver failure – and needed to lose weight. This really scared me.  I wanted to live long enough to see my son get married and to see grandchildren. I had to change, or I wasn’t going to be around – and that was terrifying.”
Following a recommendation from her brother, Dawn decided to join Slimming World: “My brother told me that he’d joined Slimming World and was listing all of the food he could eat. I thought it sounded too good to be true, so I went along to see for myself. Turns out he was right! I’d tried every diet you could think of before, but none of them worked because I always ended up hungry and then reaching for something unhealthy to fill me up.”
With Slimming World’s plan, members can enjoy a wide range of healthy everyday foods such as lean meat and poultry, fat free dairy, pasta, rice and grains, and fruit and veg, to satisfy their appetite. This freedom and variety means that slimmers can reduce their overall calorie intake, lose weight without being hungry, and personalise the plan to their dietary requirements and the way they like to eat.
Dawn says: “I honestly didn’t think I’d be able to eat so much and still lose weight – I was still having a full English and a roast dinner, I was just preparing them in a different way. At my first weigh in I lost 10½lbs and I was in total shock! I quickly realised Slimming World was totally different from the things I’d tried in the past.
“I did feel nervous about joining a group because when you’re 26st meeting new people is very nerve-wracking as you always worry people are judging you, but I had my mam with me for support and quickly realised that everyone there is in the same boat. I’ve never experienced any judgment or been made to feel ashamed at all at Slimming World, everyone’s always been so kind and I’ve made some wonderful friends. They really helped me in my journey and now that I’m a target member myself, I love that I’m able to share my experiences to help other people too.”
After a few months, Dawn found that her energy levels soared and says hearing about Slimming World’s Body Magic physical activity programme in her weekly group encouraged her to think about how she could develop more active habits, even with her health issues.
Dawn, who is single, says: “Losing weight gave me the confidence to take up walking and join a gym, which is something I never could have imagined before. Unfortunately, I’m not currently able to exercise, though I know that my weight loss has had a profound impact on my overall fitness.”
Today Dawn has reached her target weight of 9st 4lbs, dropping from a dress size 36 to a size 10. She says: “I will always have to live with my conditions, though now I’m healthy weight, I can keep them under control with daily medications.
“People often ask what my ‘secret’ is and I always say the same thing – the group! Because I’ve always been surrounded by people who are on the same journey, I never feel alone, and I always have people who understand and care about me and want me to succeed to turn to if I’m struggling. My health issues mean I am often housebound, so my Slimming World group is a lifeline for me.”
By far the biggest gift to come from Dawn’s weight loss is the time it has given her with her family. She says: “I have two beautiful little granddaughters, Willow who is almost four and India who is almost two. There was a point in my life when I didn’t think I’d be around to meet them, let alone see them grow up. To know I’ve done everything I can to see that is a dream come true.”

https://www.slimmingworld.co.uk/